I have been a long time CPAP user and a couple of years ago I changed providers due to a change in my insurance. Up to this point my new provider has been inconsistent with keeping me supplied with replacement masks. Anytime that I’ve replaced my consumables I kept the old items as a backup.
Last summer, I had a virtual appointment with the doctor and they were supposed to be shipping the new supplies. I never received them. I tried reaching out to the sleep center a few times but we’ve been playing phone tag. I work in an environment where I don’t really have access to my phone except for when I get a break. And so calling an office that doesn’t have someone available to answer the phone constantly makes things inconvenient on my end.
At the time I didn’t make a big deal out of it because I was still rotating through my old masks and I figured that somewhere in their system there would’ve been an alert telling them that there’s a patient that they could be billing right now.
So the other day I followed up to see what happened. Essentially I had to do another virtual doctors appointment before I can get new supplies because so much time transpired between then and now. I have one of those fancy machines that can be remotely monitored and so when the doctor pulled the log to check my progress and saw multiple problems she asked me if I know that my mask has been leaking.
OF COURSE! I’m long overdue for supplies!!!! I told them that. So then she asked me when was the last time I had supplies delivered. well… They should know that if they were the ones providing it. and then they me for the model number of my mask. Again. They are the ones that furnished it so it seems to me that they should know what they prescribed.
Anyhow, I told them that I’ll come to their office and pick up the stuff if I can get it sooner. They said they‘ll get back to me. it’s been more than a week so far and I’ve decided to go to a new provider. But I imagine it’ll be a few weeks between the time I schedule an appointment, I go to the sleep lab, and then I finally get new equipment and supplies.
I need to do something in the interim being that I’m having restless nights and sleepy days. Does anyone have any idea what I can do to get a replacement mask sooner than later?