I need a Rx for tape?!?!?

[obsidianom]

We deal with fresenius too. I find them fairly easy to deal with. If I want anything changed I call our nurses . Anything major i get the nephrologist to order first , then the nurses have to follow it up . They have been good to us other than the issue I am having trying to get shorter fistula needles(5/8 inch) . The doctor okayed it but the Fresenius beaurocracy is slow getting it okayed.
Nxstage is easy to deal with too. I fill out an on line order monthly and it comes 2 weeks later.
WE also deal with a company for my wifes feeding tube pump and supplies/food. It also comes monthly. Our second floor is full of cases of various supplies.


The RN I deal with told me that shorter needles aren't in the FMC formulary, and from what I see on the web the current FMC supplier does not even make the short needles.  Can you advise what particular needle you neph is ordering (blunt or sharp) and how things are going with regards to getting the approval?

I once got a bill from Blue Cross by accident. My previous clinic was billing them just over $20K for one month! I don't know if this includes all my supplies, I assume it does, but you're right, I feel like something fishy is going on. I'm going on my 24th month of dialysis and I think after the 30th month or the 33rd I have to sign up for medicare? But for now all this fuss over tape is ridiculous.

FMC bills my insurer over $3K/treatement, which works out to about $50K/month.  The "paid in full" price paid is a bit over $400/treatment.

I found the needles myself at BBraunUSA.com .  They have 3/5 inch  sharp and blunts. Actually so does NXstage supposedly. The Braun people told me they do provide them for some Fresenius patients. 

[NDXUFan]

I feel like all this does is create a bunch a red tape and complications. I know what I need but can't get the supplies without jumping through all kinds of hoops. I understand prescriptions for things like controlled substances but this is absurd. I could also understand that I'm not allowed to order 30 boxes of tape but I'm only asking for what I need. As I sit here tonight I'm still without my tape and the stuff I'm using to get by is tearing at my skin and causing major itching and rashes. My PD nurse informed me today on the phone that she has been "dealing with patients that have real emergencies" and she doesn't have time for this. I'm beyond annoyed. Look, it's tape. Why the F is it so complicated for her to just order me what I need? This is why I would love to cut out the middle man here. Unless I pay $70 out of my own pocket and order this from Amazon I won't be getting this tape until next week at the earliest. I'm the customer right? I mean my insurance is paying $20K a month for these bozos to do their jobs. I wish I could take my business someplace else but they don't care because they know as a dialysis patient my options are limited. I mean even Baxter is in no rush to get me this tape. What other business would just let their customer suffer?

You're private pay insurance and you're getting jerked around by DaVita? What happened to the red carpet for Hippers? The tape is a basic supply item, it is already being billed for when they bill per PD treatment. I'd call your insurance company and let them know that DaVita is requiring separate prescriptions (and I assume billing separately) for items that are required to preform a safe treatment and are thus paid for when the PD treatment is paid for.

But the fastest way to resolve this is as a privately insured dialyzor all you have to do is let it be know that you're talking with an competing unit, thinking of transfering and you'll get all the tape you'd ever want

ND:

How in the world did I know that this was Davita, LOL!  Exactly, Bill, the first thing I would tell these clowns is that I am taking my private insurance to another clinic.  When it comes to $$$$$, you will never see these clowns move so fast in your life.    How do you spell Davita, M-O-N-E-Y focused or more like absolutely money obsessed.