I have to say that I am thrilled with Apria.  The day after my study I was contacted by a DME called N.A.P.S.  I had made the mistake of stating no preference for my DME and the sleep center referred me to them.  Since I was new to PAP therapy I contacted my insurance company about mask replacement schedules.  My insurance company stated that they would pay for four masks per year and did not care if they were every three months or even one a week as long as I did not exceed four.  However, NAPS said they did not believe that and said no insurance would pay for more than one mask every six months.  I even had the insurance company contact them and they still said they did not believe it and would not provide more than two per year unless I paid for them up front.  They even made me give them a credit card number in case the insurance company did not pay the first months rent even though they had already confirmed that my insurance paid 100% for DME.  Upon further investigation I also found out thaththey had given me the lowest end Fisher & Paykel available.

At the end of the first month I decided to drop them and contacted the sleep center about alternate DMEs.  They suggested Apria and faxed my info to them.  Apria worked me in that day and gave me a brand new Remstar Pro w/C-Flex (and no need for a credit card).  They also contacted the insurance company to confirm my coverage and said they would be glad to provide four masks each year.  I have now had 5 masks in the last thirteen months and have been thrilled with Apria's customer service.  Whenever I need supplies I simply call their local office and they are delivered via UPS to my door the next day.  I recently decided to try the Mirage Activa (had been using the Swift) and once again Apria was great.  They worked me in on a day I was off from work and the RT spent a long time going over the mask with me and even hooked me up to a machine to fit and test it.  RT said that while the Respironics machines are great she actually recommends Resmed masks.  Says they are much better and that as long as the insurance is paying I might as well get the best.

Like I said I have been thrilled with Apria!  

 

I will never use Apria again.  My first dealing with them was to get a mask as my old one had broke.  I was new to the area so I had to get set up with a new DME, out of all of the companies my insurance gave me only 2 of them were CPAP and CPAP supply providers.  I picked the national one even though they were further away (30 minute drive with little traffic, 45 with traffic) because the insurance company told me they would ship or deliver and work with my hours.  I called and told them exactly what mask I wanted.  They asked when I could come to their store and pick it up--huh???  Ok I'm a new customer, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.  I drove up there and waited for someone to come out the back and when she finally did she brought me a completely and totally different mask (I had ordered a comfort curve and explained how I couldn't tolerate nasal pillows).  She brought me something with nasal pillows.  I waited a while longer while she went to the back again and finally came out with my comfort curve, everytime I asked her a question she would get this lost look on her face and have to go to the back to ask someone (if there was someone back there that knew what they were doing why couldn't they come out and talk to me instead of someone that had no clue what she was doing).  I blew it off, then I started having problems and thought my machine wasn't working right, it had a rough life at that point, it just didn't feel like it was putting out the pressure it used to.  So I called Apria back and told them I needed my machine checked out, that it was about 4 years old and didn't feel like it was working properly and I wanted to bring it in (since they won't come to me) and have it checked/serviced.  The "lady" asked me if it was running/would turn on, I said yes, then she said it's fine "those things are pretty durable you know", it's you not the machine.  Now come on without even looking at it, listening to it, and knowing it has never been serviced and tell me it's me not the machine!!!  That's like replacing an engine in your car because there is a knock without checking to see if there is oil in it first.  They need to learn to add a little service to their service and treat me like a paying customer or at least a semi intelligent being before I will go back there again.  Oh yea and when I went there and the several times I called there, I never once talked to or seen an RT.


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~~~Tammy~~~

I just returned my CPAP machine to THC of Nevada,because of my sorry a** insurance company's rental policy.  (AND THC HIGH JACKED PRICES)  They tried to make me purchase the humidifier and rent the machine for 15 months?  I returned it ,and they tried to tell me it was not the right machine.  They called my house with a aweful message accusing me of giving them the wrong machine and that they would continue to charge me, until I brought them the other one?  THIS COMPANY IS BAD NEWS.  When I called them back, they not know it had a humidifier? Why would I keep the humidifier of a machine I did not want?   CRAZY?DRAMA?CRAZY?


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SLEEP HARD!

Zavia-heeeey girl. As we have spoken at work you know that I also use THC of Nevada-your description of them is just the tip of the iceberg. I have paid-$470 in copay if I had bought all of my equipment out of pocket it adds up to $615. Per Cigna I am paying til purchased and then I have demanded a new;more reputable DME. Adios THC!!!!!!!!!!!


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EVERY SILVER LINING HAS A TOUCH OF GREY
-Grateful Dead


CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO~ http://tinyurl.com/69q52a

I had private insurance through Blue Cross of California. One thing I discovered was that Apria was charging me AND Blue Cross the same amount of money for masks, etc. My sleep study was done back in 1993 and in 2003 Blue Cross insisted that I get a prescription for each and every mask, hose, etc. The trouble was that the doctor who had conducted my original sleep study was no longer in the biz. Blue Cross wouldn't approve a new sleep study nor would they approve a new mask. I called Apria and begged them just to sell me a mask which I would pay for out of my own pocket (By this time the one I was using was literally taped together to block the leaky holes.) They wouldn't sell me one, even if I paid for it, without a prescription! What's up with that?

In shear desperation I turned to the Veteran's Administration 2 years ago. Luckily I qualified for VA medical care and since then I have gotten a brand new CPAP, new hoses, new masks, etc. They even equipped me with a battery so I can use my CPAP in the event of a power outage!

I have to say that Apria is the greediest, least concerned provider of healthcare equipment that I have ever come across.


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A Happy CPAPee since 1993

If you would like to be a witness for a Denver law firm in a case against Apria Healthcare, please contact Abbey at acohen@irwin-boesen.com or (303) 320-1911.  Our case involves Apria's failure to provide and maintain oxygen equipment for one of its patients.

I've dealt with two different companies.  The first one, Grace Home Respiratory was nothing but outright lies and desception from day one.  The second, Apria, has been a godsend.  I've never waited, even overnight, for anything.  Once a month I have them print out the info from my M-Series and each time I go, even without an appointment, the RT takes the time to sit down with me and discuss my treatment and any concerns or questions I might have.  When I changed DME's and needed a machine, (M series Bipap Auto) they had it in stock.  When I decided I wanted to change masks, they had the one I wanted in stock.  When I decided to buy a backup machine they sold it to me at the same price as the online dealers.  I'm 100% happy with them.


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SidecarMike

BiPAP Auto M Series & a Respironics OptiLife mask

For some reason the poll wouldn't let me vote!!!

I have absolutely NOTHING good to say about my original local CPAP DME supplier. You absolutely need an appointment. They do not return phone calls or messages. They can't get a message straight if they do take one. Their RT is less than truthful, she doesn't know her equipment and its capabilities or she prefers to play dumb than spend the time explaining or answering questions. She doesn't know how to properly fit a mask. The company has not provided her w/the facilities/equipment to properly fit a mask. Despite carrying Resmed, Respironics and Fisher & Paykel masks they allow only that one first 30 days mask exchange. They don't carry a wide selection of masks. The RT decides which masks to show you.

When I ran into problems w/my CPAP and humidifier I had to call the manufacturer to get any action, the RT turned it on, it ran okay, she said nothing wrong w/it. I explained to the manufacturer what the CPAP and humidifier were doing sometimes, intermittently, they transferred my call to one of their engineers who after asking me several questions told me to take them back to my DME and tell them to replace both units. It took the DME THREE WEEKS to replace the CPAP and, duh, they FORGOT to order the replacement humidifier. It took six weeks to get the humidifier.

I purchased a Resmed S8 AutoSet Vantage out of pocket, used, w/505 hours on it. Later the Recall came out and the Vantage was subject to Recall. Since I had purchased it used I called Resmed about how to get it replaced. Resmed verified the serial number was one subject to Recall and told me to take it to any local DME who handled their CPAPs for replacement. I called this RT and she told me I didn't buy it from them so I'd have to go thru Resmed directly or whatever but they were not going to replace it.

I'm sure there are other things I've forgotten to mention. I'm stuck w/this local DME supplier getting paid monthly for my CPAP until the Medicare capped rental is completed. BUT I get my 02 and nebulizer supplies and CPAP masks, etc. from a different local DME whom I am very happy with.

The lousy DME supplier has offices in three states. My good DME supplier has offices that cover only about 3/4 of my state. It seems the smaller the DME supplier the better the service and friendlier the staff.

Our local hospital's Visitng Nurse Association has received nothing but rave reviews from any of their patients I've talked to. They have even developped and sponsored a local CPAP support group for the last two years. Unfortunately, my secondary insurance isn't contracted with them. There is a small respiratory/CPAP supplies only DME that's only been in business about a year and a half in our area, they have THREE RTs on staff, they deliver to your house and I've heard nothing but rave reviews about them from their patients as well. Again, unfortunately my secondary insurance isn't contracted w/them. Interestingly, I haven't run into a single patient of my CPAP DME supplier who is happy w/them. Not one single one.


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Some people are like Slinkies... Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Resmed VPAP Auto. Humidaire 3i, Simplicity & Micro masks, ResScan 3.4, S8 ResLink, Embla oximeter.

My DME is Apria and I am not impressed.  Several bi-paps have broken and it took me many months to get them to call ahead of time before they brought new equipment over.  Yes, they deliver because I can't drive.  That's a large plus for them.  I need them to give me a time window for when they'll be here because I can't always get to the phone in time.  I had to explain this to them many times.  They also sent me the wrong filters at least twice.

I'm in Seattle so my Apria office might be far worse than yours is.

How do I vote on the poll?  I would vote EXTREMELY UNHAPPY.  I am extremely unhappy with my DME, even though I am a person who never complains about service.  If I had bought from the internet and received a box in the mail with no instructions, I still would have been better off than I am now.  MY DME is a giant staff all doing nothing, totally used to doing nothing, with TVs on, pizza delivery, talking on phones about barbecue recipes, no patients in the waiting room, and they become rude and affronted if someone actually comes in with a prescription.  This place belongs in MAD magazine, I kid you not.

The main complaint I have with them is they absolutely refuse to give me the APAP machine the doctor prescribed (so I now have the wrong machine, a basic CPAP), and give as a reason that the machine doesn't have the features the doctor wants (when it does, so they are basically wrong about their own machines).  It was clear that all they wanted was for me to "just go away."  They wanted me out of their office, not to deal with me, because, after all, I already had a machine.  They had the gall to tell me I should go back to the doctor and make him change his prescription to the machine they want to give me, not an APAP.  I am NOT making this up.  Until this gets "cleared up" I am stuck the wrong machine. Meanwhile, I have constant vertigo.

There is a lot more about how terrible they are.  When I was fitted for the mask, the first thing the guy said "I have someone else coming in so we have to hurry."  They just want you out of their office.  That's their goal, their purpose in life.  We spent less than five minutes on the mask fitting.  I ended up figuring out the mask on my own.   I could go on, but you get the idea.  Sorry for ranting.


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REMstarAuto M Series with C-Flex
Respironics Optilife mask

Promptcare is not as bad as the beasts I dealt with before. BUT I have major criticisms, and their customer service people know nothing, everything requires a call back from a tech, which requires another tech. Thery are very strange sometimes they are incredibly prompt, other things which are important get done within 6 months and no apologies. They should learn how to run a company instead of just how to bill. The people who answer the phones and super friendly and nice but that is worthless since they can never do anything for you. I suspect they have only 1 or 2 really knowledgeable people there.
Why don't they answer questions by e-mail? Why don't they hire intelligent people? Why don';t they understand that most CPAP users are fairtly young and active people who don';t stay home during the day to wait for a representative to come and see them.
I think they are used to supplying oxygen and other equipment to extremely sick elderly people and don't know how to deal with the sleep apnea patient altogether.
I am generally very unhappy with them, but have had some tolerable experiences so I would not say extremely unhappy and they are friendly just highly incompetent.


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Arthur
Sleeping with a curvaceous blonde autoPAP (Resmed autoset). Hope springs eternal.....

I'm going to the Seattle MDA Clinic at the University of Washington in a month.  My HMO be damned.  I'll pay the whole  bill, if need be.  I need equipment that doesn't break.  I'm also getting evaluated for AFOs.  My HMO says nothing more can be done, but they're using only one vendor.