Apria Healthcare

Yesterday, my husband received a phone call from Apria.  They finally had his new CPAP machine ready for pickup.  He went to the Apria office in [redacted] and picked it up.  They apologized for all that he had to go through to finally get his new machine.Thanks for your help.  We appreciate it. 
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Not only did I contact the business after they repeatedly told me I had to rent the machine, but even had medical approval from [redacted] that I was to have the machine under my medical insurance coverage. After repeated harassing calls, I gave in (due to the fact that having the machine was the only way to breastfeed my daughter) and told them I would rent said breast pump machine. I finally said I would rent the machine that I had medical coverage for - this should be against the law. It certainly is the direct opposite of Obamacare and legislation. They then asked for my billing information to charge my account and I gave them my information - under the pretense that I would be charged a little over $40 a month to RENT THE MACHINE. One month later I was charged over $588 as purchase of the machine. I called over and over and no one would give me a straight answer except to say I owned the machine then put me on hold. I begged and told them I could not afford that amount and would be put on hold for over 25-35 minutes at a time. I called their offices demanding a supervisor and every time I was being "transferred" to a supervisor, I would just be put on hold for no less than 30 minutes, until I would hang up. I have a full-time job and family so I cannot be on hold like that. I would, however, call back the next day and the same thing would happen. I NEVER GAVE THEM THE AUTHORITY TO WITHDRAW THAT AMOUNT. I ONLY gave them the credit card information to RENT the machine. I even had my own bank try and dispute the charges. The terribly sad part is, I was on phone calls with people for all these, so I have nothing in writing myself. Just my word and my husband's word (since he was with me most of the time) against theirs. I have read reviews of this place and they are known for this. It is a terrible company. They continually harassed a person with MEDICAL INSURANCE COVERAGE for a machine for rental information until I gave in. I thought I was giving them money to rent the machine. They lied to me. And after charging me the $588+ dollars, would never work something out with me or even speak to me, for that matter. 
Regards,
[redacted]
Please find attached the approval from the Pediatrician to have the pump covered through my [redacted] Health Insurance up to and including DECEMBER 2015.

Item # 1:  Ms. [redacted] stated she would like the charge to patient for $186.78 to be written off because she provided Apria Healthcare with her insurance [redacted] in a timely manner.   RESPONSE: We have reviewed Ms. [redacted] daughter account and confirmed that on April 17, 2013 we...

submitted claims to [redacted] for the monthly rental of her oxygen 02 concentrator. Ms. [redacted] insurance termed on January 1st, 2013 and was billed in error for that date of service because we did not receive the updated insurance information from Ms. [redacted] until September 16th, 2013. We were unable to bill her new primary insurance [redacted] for date of service April 17, 2013 because it was past CCX 45 day timely filing limit which is why the balance of $186.78 is now patient responsibility. The balance automatically rolled over to collections on January 18, 2014 after being outstanding for over six months. We do apologize for the miscommunication as our goal is to ensure customer satisfaction as well as accurate billing.     Sincerely,   [redacted]
 
[redacted] Billing Center Quality Specialist

We have once again reviewed the patients account, we have re-verified the patient’s insurance information using his social security number to ensure we are getting the most accurate/up to date information and as of January 4, 2016 the patient still does not have durable medical equipment coverage with [redacted]. Per the information provided by [redacted], the patient has a premium assistance plan which covers [redacted] Part B premiums only. Per [redacted] the patient has no durable medical equipment coverage. The patient will need to contact [redacted] directly for more information via the number located on the back of his insurance card.
The patient may refer back to his explanation of benefits from [redacted] for more information regarding the denials being sent to Apria Healthcare. We do apologize for the miscommunication as our goal is to ensure customer satisfaction as well as accurate billing.

We have confirmed that the patient received a cpap and supplies December 31, 2015. He initially paid $398.57 for first month rental and supplies due to deductible not being met. The patient did advise that he wanted the machine before the end of the year, however all notes indicate the cpap was a...

10 month rental. The patient also signed a sales service and rental agreement indicating the machine was a rental. He called March 31, 2016 to ask about the bill received and was advised it was a copay for February rental, in which he paid and indicated he need to return machine due to his insurance was ending that day. The patient returned his cpap April 1, 2016 and insurance applied deductible for previous months of January and February 2016 causing him to receive a bill for $119.04. The patient called Apria Healthcare May 23, 2016 in regards to the bill and mentioned he had trouble using the machine due to calibration. Unfortunately we are unable to waive the bill, there is no indication the patient was misinformed and per conversations with him, he was aware his machine was a rental. Also he did not inform us of any issues with the machine so that it could be recalibrated, until over a month after it had been returned. We do apologize for any miscommunication as our goal is to ensure customer satisfaction as well as accurate billing.   Sincerely, Apria Healthcare LLC

We have confirmed that the patient received a cpap machine April 25, 2016 with Humana as his insurance. The contract agreement with Humana requires a thirteen-month rental then maintenance with no charge. If the insurance changes before the equipment is purchased or if it doesn’t convert to...

ownership, then the rental starts over with the new insurance’s agreement which was Medicare. Medicare became effective December 1, 2016 and requires a thirteen-month rental before equipment is purchased. The patient was billed $44.48 for service date December 26, 2016 due to no valid insurance coverage as the patient did not update his insurance until January 5, 2017. Once the insurance was updated we did not have all required clinical documentation to bill Medicare and the balance was sent to collections October 15, 2017. We have acquired all documents needed and in the process of submitting claims for January 26, 2017 through October 26, 2017 to Medicare for payment and have removed the collection balance as a one-time courtesy. All invoices that are still available has been mailed to the patient. We believe that all appropriate steps have been taken to resolve this issue.   Sincerely,   Apria Healthcare, LLC

We have reviewed patient account and confirmed that patient does not qualify to be covered under her [redacted] plan as we have no valid testing or initial face to face clinical notes on file that are required by [redacted]. We have a valid Advance Beneficiary Notice on file signed by patient so we...

billed [redacted] for the denial which was received for dates of services September 23, 2014-October 23, 2015. We have also sent patient a copy of the Explanation of Benefits as requested to the address we have on file. At this time patient account balances and collection balances are valid. We do apologize for the miscommunication as our goal is to ensure customer satisfaction as well as accurate billing.

We have reviewed the patients account and confirmed that our sleep central team spoke with patient on September 11, 2017 and provided a coinsurance quote of $27.60. The credit card was charged $183.91 for the CPAP supplies received due to claims being denied by his insurance plan as being applied to his deductible. The patient returned the CPAP supplies and a refund was requested on October 3, 2017 in the amount of $183.91 to be refunded in check form. We do apologize for the miscommunication as our goal is to ensure customer satisfaction as well as accurate billing.     Sincerely,  Apria Healthcare, LLC

We would like to apologize for the level of customer service you recently experienced regarding your durable medical equipment. After a review of your records, we have confirmed the physicians order was processed on April 5, 2017, however, we were missing the height and weight of the patient which...

is required to select the correct equipment. There were two attempts to contact the family to obtain the required information. On April 6, 2017 we received the required information and delivery was scheduled for the following day. Due to a customer service error the delivery was delayed and the durable medical equipment was delivered on April 10, 2017.  This experience has provided a coaching opportunity to ensure we provide excellent customer care.   We greatly appreciate you for taking the time to bring your concerns to our attention. We welcome all patient feedback as this provides us with a valuable insight into our services from the patient’s perspective which allows us to make service improvements, as it has done in this case.     Sincerely,   Apria Healthcare LLC

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I checked with the Referral coordinator at [redacted] Care. Back in 2014 At the time I was prescribed the CPAP Apria was the vendor within 1 day [redacted] Care switched to [redacted] Care solutions who I received my cpap and supplies from. If they shipped out anything it was not because it was acknowledged or received by me. Both times that I received a cpap machine both from life care solution and Apria, I had to physically go in to their local center and show my id and insurance info before they set up my account. I asked for a signed receipt and they said that the package was left some where, which makes no sense at all, why would they ship supplies to someone who doesn't have an account or a machine. This is very disturbing I stop breathing at night and they refuse to send me the supplies I need to stay alive. I'm trying to see if my insurance will let me get supplies somewhere else as this company is very disorganized. I paid for the supplies in March - they I believe only charged me a portion because they never sent the complete order
Mar. 30, 2017 03-30-2017|02:00:00 APRIA LAKE FOREST CA APRIA LAKE FOREST CA  $17.28 Expand Details Collapse Details Additional Details Transaction Type: Purchases Posted Date: Mar. 30, 2017 Category: Health Care - MEDICAL SERVICES-NOT ELSE WHERE CLASSED Reference Number: BZ5B1VGW Merchant Country: United States Dispute Charge Print
Regards,
[redacted]

Today February 17, 2015 I received  a collection letter from [redacted] concerning this case from [redacted] saying I owe $118.29  They also informed me if I do not pay this bill They will send reports to all three credit bureau updating my credit information, I need help in closing this case. ref#[redacted] from [redacted] [redacted]    Sincerely,[redacted]

We would like to apologize for the level of customer service you recently experienced regarding your respiratory equipment. After a review of your records, we confirmed that on 7/20/2017, the licensed Respiratory Therapist spoke with your spouse. Also, your records indicate we provided your spouse...

information in order to assist with having your equipment operational again.   Again, we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or challenges this issued caused you. We greatly appreciate you for taking the time to bring your concerns to our attention. We welcome all patient feedback as this provides us with a valuable insight into our services from the patient’s perspective which allows us to make service improvements, as it has done in this case.   Sincerely,   Apria Healthcare LLC

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
This is now the sixth time you have told me that my cell number has been removed.  The previous 5 times you were incorrect in telling me that. Part 2 of my resolution request demanded that you agree to remove any and all of your equipment from any and all of my residences the next time I receive a robo-call from you. In your response to my complaint, you failed to address this issue.  To repeat, I expect your WRITTEN assurance that your apparatus will be removed immediately upon my receiving your next robo-call.
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I have been on the phone with with united healthcare and even had united healthcare call apria  because united healthcare don't care about the notes , apria said the needed facenotes from the doctor to which I had sent to them and they have them but really as a patient it is only my responsibility to get a prescription and turn in a prescription for my medical needs it is not up to me to play middleman between doctor and apria. This is not very professional way to handle claims for life saving equipment. I have filed a complaint with my insurance provider against apria also.
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I spoke to Apria Yesterday and they advised me that they have been overcharging me for four months and they owe me a refund of $400, they stated once the insurance issue is resolved which can take up to 4 weeks then they will send me a refund check so this issue is far from resolved, The CPAP machine costs $800 if you buy it and not rent it so I already paid for the machine in full but they are still charging me every month. I was supposed to be paying only $40 a month but some months I would get 3-4 charges totaling over $100 a month. Once I get my refunds then this issue will be resolved but until then this case needs to stay open.
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Apria is being dishonest. The insurance company required prior authorization- which our medical provider freely gives. Apria DID NOT request prior authorization from our health care provider. As their agent explained to me, they sent in the device's automated compliance report in and that should have been good enough for the insurance company and that  they (Apria) shouldn't have to do more than that. My insurance company rejected their bill, but provided instructions for correctives to be taken and to have the bill re-submitted. A representative from my insurance company assured me that directions were sent to Apria to correct their paperwork and re-submit back for payment. Apria refused to do so, and then turned around and stole money from me and then attempted to extort me into forcing payment from the health insurance company. They broke their in-network contract with my insurance company and took more than they were legally contracted to receive. The local Apria agent was appalled at the documentation placed in my file that stated that whom-ever was handling the insurance paperwork had documented that they had not requested documentation from the medical provider as they deemed it unnecessary, and then later documented that the bill had been denied and they changed my account to reflect no insurance and customer self-pay.An Apria agent asked me to hold while they reviewed my information with their manager as they had in fact violated their service agreement with me. After some time she returned  and I was told to get an insurance agent on conference call with Apria, have the insurance agent issue immediate payment over the phone, and that they "would see" about returning my money.  I repeated back what she had told me for clarification, and she told me that that was right. I pointed out that I had been on hold for an hour just to talk to her, and asked if there was a direct number I could call. She said no. I asked then if I was supposed to get a representative from my insurance company to agree to remain on hold on a conference call with me for an hour. She said, "yeah, they probably won't do that."I am now more upset about Apria's response. The apology as such, is rejected.  First, it is inaccurate. I do not have a device, my husband does. My spouse did not sign the service agreement, I did for him.  I do not believe they actually investigated, or even bothered to read their files. Fraud, theft, and extortion go beyond "miscommunication" and "oversight".  I turned that matter over to my insurance company, and they are investigating the contract violations. I reported to my bank the issue of the money being taken out of my account, and they deemed it fraud. I was issued a new debit card, the bank replaced my money, and their legal department will take the matter up with Apria.
 Here is what I ask. 1. If one of your agents decides that they do not have to meet contractual requirements with insurance companies, DO NOT STEAL from your patients. 2. Communicate with your patients if there is a problem with the insurance company; even though you caused it, I could have told your agents to follow the directives from the insurance company and re-submit the bill (even though the local Apria  agent and the insurance company both said that this was not my responsibility). 3. DO NOT EVER attempt to extort your patients. This is against the law. I require nothing further from Apria.  In the future, should anything like this occur again, I will simply turn the matter over to the local authorities, my lawyer, the insurance company's lawyer, and the bank's lawyer.
Regards,
[redacted]

Item # 1:  Ms. [redacted] spouse is requesting further review of the account by Apria Healthcare and to adjust the account for the full amount of the medical equipment.   RESPONSE: Ms. [redacted] account is under further review at this time and a response will be provided to her and the Attorney General once the review is complete. We do apologize for the miscommunication as our goal is to ensure customer satisfaction as well as accurate billing.   Sincerely,   [redacted]
 
[redacted] Billing Center Quality Specialist

Revdex.com:Apria should listen to the recorded call from January 5th where the representative explained that this was billed in December not from January
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Regards,
[redacted]

Mrs. [redacted] was informed on January 21, 2015 that Apria would be reversing payments from the insurance company and refunding patient. Apria is processing Mr. [redacted]'s refund however, this process can take up to 30 days. We do apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Please accept this as Apria Healthcare LLC’s (“Apria”) response to patient consumer rebuttal filed with the Revdex.com. 
We have again reviewed our records and we have found no indication of errors with patient billing. Our records show that patient made his payment of $33.73 on February 10, 2016. The payment did not post to his account until February 18, 2016. It does take Apria’s system seven to ten business days to post payments. Before his payment posted, a system-generated billing statement was sent to patient on February 16, 2016.  We have record of explaining this to patient on February 23, 2016 when he called regarding the statement. Further, Apria’s billing statement states: “Recent payments may not be reflected on this statement. Please allow at least 10 days for a payment to post to your account.” Patient was not double-billed; after his payment posted on February 18, 2016, he had a $0.00 balance.
In regards to the delay regarding the warranty exchange of patient equipment, we found the following upon review of patient account/records:  Patient contacted Apria on January 9, 2016, in regards to his equipment not working and requested that it be replaced.  The Apria representative informed patient that he would put in a request to have a respiratory therapist assist patient further. The request was made that day. Patient called again that same day regarding the same issue and the Apria representative informed him that once the warranty for the equipment was verified, an appointment would be made.  On January 11, 2016, we verified the warranty for the equipment and requested replacement equipment be sent out to patient by FedEx. An Apria agent spoke with patient again on January 20, 2016 and advised him that the order was in ready status and asked that patient coordinate with the local branch regarding the order. Patient contacted the branch on January 21, 2016 and was informed that the equipment would be delivered the next day. Patient replacement equipment was delivered via FedEx on January 22, 2016. We apologize if there was a delay or any miscommunication regarding the estimated arrival time of patient equipment. We have sent this information to the departments that worked the exchange of the equipment as a training opportunity. 
Sincerely,
APRIA HEALTHCARE LLC