jo'
I did have a problem, but it was resolved in weeks, not months. The issue had to do with finding a supplier that accepted my insuance. It was very frustrating.
In my case what happened was that the Sleep Center sent my prescription to one of their regular durable medical equipment suppliers. That supplier did not accept my insurance, but no one contacted me. The prescription was then sent to a 2nd supplier. The 2nd supplier did not accept my insurance, so they discarded the prescription. What? No one told me. I had been told to expect the wait for the CPAP machine to be about 1 week to 10 days. At the 2 week point, I became insistent with the Receptionist in the Sleep Center that the problem get resolved. I also contacted my insurance company. My insurance costs a lot, and I felt they should help the customer who stops breathing at night. (Makes business sense, provided the CPAP machine in a timely manner to avoid the added costs of any complications that I could run into from not using a CPAP machine.
The insurance company told me the name of a supplier that was in my local area AND in their network.
The prescription was sent out for a 3rd time. I got a callback from that supplier, who said they would be in contact with me for delivery arrangements. My equipment was delivered 3 weeks from the time that the prescription was written.
I found this whole process very frustrating. The receptionist kept saying she would fax the order to a different supplier. I asked her to call before faxing. She was not happy, but I wasn't willing to be put off over and over again.
I later spoke with the Office Manager (supervisor of the office staff) at the Sleep Clinic and described the problem I had with communication and getting the doctor's order filled. The Office Manager listened to my complaint and said she would follow up with receptionist. I thought that was important, because that seemed to be the source of the problem. In every other way, I had been completely satisfied with the MD evaluation, and all other staff members. But, if the MD order is not filled, then it is a huge waste of time and money for all involved.
From your post, I can't tell whether you are having a problem with the supplier of the equipment or your insurance or both. If you are hitting a road block, I would suggest asking to speak to the supervisor of whoever is giving you the problem. State your problem calmly, and hold the supervisor accountable. Keep a record of who you spoke with, what they said they would do, and get a direct phone number for that person, in case you have further problems. If the person needs to "look into the situation," ask when you can expect a response, then call if you do not hear back in a timely manner.
Good luck.
