Posted by Yuko on November 15, 1998 at 20:35:34:
In Reply to: Insurance rejected oxygen....Huh? posted by Susan on November 15, 1998 at 19:49:57:
Susan, all these years of my suffering, O2 was never covered by any insurance I've had. At the rate we inhale, O2 can add up and get very expensive. What I've done always was rent a HUGE tank (H tank, I believe?) for the bedroom and an E tank (knee high on a wheel) that stays in the car. As I recall, the big tank was like $80/m plus $80 or so to refill, and the portable unit for $40/m plus $16 refill (I may be off about these prices). I always rented them for 2 months, with a few refills for the portable.
As I got to know my pattern, I came to realize it just didn't make any sense to rent them. The portable setup usually costs around $300 to purchase, and I ended up finding one Medical Supply company near my house that sold me a complete unit with a full tank for less than $100 out the door. $15 for the refill. The larger the tank is, the more economical, no question. But to me, the portable unit is a MUST to go everywhere with me.
I'm working with their headquarters to set the national price on behalf of DJ. Each regional office has their own pricing, so it could be $180 or $70. Who knows! If/when you give up on the insurance company, email me so I can give you more info. If I succeed in negotiation, DJ will post it in the front page of this site.