Apria Healthcare

We would like to apologize for the level of customer service you recently experiencedDuring a review of your records, we confirmed that Apria was unable to make contact with you after attempts made both in May and June The RT had also attempted previous home visits with no success in
due to an address discrepancy
A recent appointment was made with the RT for a home visit on 8/5/and you were set up with your respiratory equipment
We greatly appreciate you for taking the time to bring your concerns to our attentionWe 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

We would like to apologize for the level of customer service you recently experienceAfter a review of your records, we confirmed that the order for your Durable Medical Equipment (DME) was received on August 7, The order was not processed accurately initially unfortunately this caused the
shipment to be delayedAlso, we confirmed that on August 21, your DME order was shippedApria prides itself for providing excellent customer care and this event provided an opportunity for coaching of staff to ensure this does not happen again Again, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience or challenges this issued causedWe greatly appreciate you for taking the time to bring your concerns to our attentionWe 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

ITEM # 1: Ms*** states that she received a breast pump and after not needing it anymore called Apria to have it picked upHowever, it was not and now she states that she is being charged for amounts that she does not oweShe does not want the bill to go into collections and affect her credit
RESPONSE: We have reviewed Ms***’s account and found that she received a breast pump on April 9, We submitted claims to *** on Ms***’s behalfOn May 10, 2014, Apria received a discharge prescription from Ms***’s physician to have the breast pump picked upOn May 14, when we tried to pick up the breast pump, Ms*** refused and stated that she was still using the breast pumpWe explained to Ms*** that an authorization from *** is required and what the private pay cost would be per monthMs*** stated that she would contact *** to arrange an extensionWe spoke with Ms*** on July 8, and she stated that she wanted to keep the breast pump longerWe explained the private pay monthly rental cost would be $a month and cancelled the pickup requestThe Apria representative explained to Ms*** to call a few days before the 9th when she was ready for the breast pump to be picked up so it would not bill out for the next monthMs*** called on September 12, and requested a call back regarding billing and stated she would like to return the breast pumpThe breast pump was placed into a pickup in the system so the breast pump would not bill another rentalWe spoke with Ms*** on September 16, and September 17, in regards to the billing and explained that the rental fee for September could not be removed because she did not call for the pick up until after the 9th of SeptemberMs*** requested to speak to the local office regarding the billing and pick upWe tried to pick up the breast pump, however found out that Ms*** had moved to Pomona, therefore we scheduled a FedEx shipment pick-upMs*** has an open balance as of today in the amount of $for September 9th date of serviceThere were no charges after September 9th, date of serviceWe do apologize for the miscommunication as our goal is to ensure customer satisfaction as well as accurate billingSincerely,*** *** Billing Center Quality Specialist

Revdex.com San Diego, CA Attn: *** *** Dispute and Information Analyst Lead *** Re: Apria Healthcare Inc.: Irvine, CA Revdex.com Complaint ID#: *** Dear Ms***: This letter is in response to the complaint referenced above submitted by *** *** to the Revdex.com. We apologize for any miscommunication on our part that may have resulted in this complaintBelow is a brief description of the complaint matter and our response. Item # 1: Patient’s Wife: My husband, *** ***, has been trying to get a CPAP device for almost two monthsApria Healthcare has all the medical information from his pulmonologist requested by the companyIt is impossible to get someone to speak to at Apria and never does anyone return a callFinally, he was able to get someone to speak to after many attempts who told *** that his order was processed and that he would be receiving the CPAP within 3-daysThat was the end of October! But has yet to receive CPAP; patient’s wife feels Apria has put Mr*** health at great risk RESPONSE Apria received order on 10/16/but order was missing back up documents including sleep study report, written order prior to delivery requirements set by Medicare including “length of need” and face to face notesDoctor then send in a partial sleep study and face to face notes, but the written order prior to delivery requirements set by Medicare were still missing and Apria also needed the full sleep study report as only partial sleep study was submitted Apria requested remaining documents for patient’s doctor on 10/30/14; order was cancelled on 11/03/due to documents not being received. It was reactivated on 11/12/and full sleep sturdy came in, but still missing written order prior to delivery requirements set by Medicare; order was then cancelled again on 11/29/On 12/08/order was re-activated and documents were still missing written order prior to delivery requirements set by Medicare that included the “length of need” which had to be added for the WOPD (Written Order Prior to Delivery) to be valid01/15/WOPD was received from patient’s doctor and patient receive CPAP on 01/19/ Apria is required by Medicare to have all qualifying documents before we can process an order fully; Because Apria didn’t receive qualifying documents after multiple try’s delivery of CPAP was delayed to Mr***. Once qualifying document where received order was process fully and patient receive device. Sincerely, *** *** Area Customer Service Manager for Towne Centre CCC

The patient had made payments on the equipment rental for 1/23/17-3/23/17. The insurance started paying and paid for the 4/23/date of service and then purchased out the machine on 5/23/17. Supplies for the equipment were either denied then paid by the insurance or adjusted off. Currently there is a zero balance on the patient account and only dates of service pending being billed or rebilled to the insurance. We only show that the patient has made payments each in the amount of $for a total of $231.96. we show checks Check ending in *** $posted in our system on 3/7/Check ending in *** $posted in our system on 3/21/Check ending in *** $posted in our system on 5/25/We acknowledged the patient was billed in error for the denials and a refund check in the amount of $for the above payments was processed on 9/1/I sent an inquiry to find out if the check was received and cashed and found out that it was returned undeliverable by the post office. The address was incorrect; this has now been corrected and the check for $has been reissued on 10/2/and should be received within 10-business days If there were more payments made by the patient, we would need proof of the payments to locate them to give the patient the additional refund as we do not have records of any other payments We do apologize for the miscommunication as our goal is to ensure customer satisfaction as well as accurate billing Sincerely, Apria Healthcare, LLC

Tell us why here
We have reviewed patient account and confirmed that a refund was processed for patient in the amount of $on September 6th, by our billing representative and patient will receive within two weeksThe amounts paid by patients for June and July for date of service June
27th, were applied to both accounts as requestedAt that time the correct insurance has also been added to both accounts in order for claims to be submitted correctly going forwardPatient credit card has been removed from our system to discontinue automatic payments as requested and patients will receive billing statements for the amounts due after insurance paymentsWe do apologize for the miscommunication as our goal is to ensure customer satisfaction as well as accurate billing
Sincerely,
Apria Healthcare LLC

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
The statement from Apria was a good summary of my payment history but it failed to address it's poor customer service, long wait times, overpriced medical equipment, and poor billing proceduresApria had no trouble billing my credit card on numerous occasions, so there was no reason I should have ever had an outstanding billThere was also no reason to send me to collections for aproxdollarsThis is poor billing practices and poor customer serviceAfter being sent to the collection agency, nobody at Apria would take my callAfter I paid the balance to the collection agency, I called to speak with a customer service manager at Apria, was trasferred three times, then disconnectedIt was from my land line, so my called wasn't droppedNobody at the Albuquerque office can talk about billing, and it is next to impossible to get answers over the phone. This is a shady business, and they take advantage of people who have medical issuesThey overcharge because the insurance company is willing to pay, and it is never clean how much/when you will be billedThey also hold your credit card for ransom and bill it before your insurance sends a statement of benefitsI will not accept an apology from this company! I want dollars per hour for the hours that I spent on hold/disputing chargesI will accept nothing less.
Regards,
*** ***

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, 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.Thank you for handling my situation in such a timely manner. Appreciate all your help. Is there a time limit as to when they will be sending me a letter/reimbursement before they can be contacted again by the Revdex.com?
Regards,
*** ** ***

We have reviewed the patients account and confirmed that a refund check was processed on August 11, in the amount of $to be sent to the address we have on file for the patientWe do apologize for the miscommunication as our goal is to ensure customer satisfaction as well as accurate billing Sincerely, Apria Healthcare, LLC

Mr*** has been working to receive sleep apnea supplies from Apria Healthcare since January 2015.The Medicare required documentation that supports the need for the sleep studyhas been received, unfortunately is invalid as it is missing the physician’ssignatureApria has spoken with Mr
***’s physician whom advised he doesnot have a signed copy, in turn Apria has made a follto an alternate physicianin hopes to assist in obtaining. Apria has had dialogue with Mr*** consistently since January advising of the reason for the supply delay and the need of his assistance before any services can be renderedSpeaking with Mr*** today, he does express understanding and will continue his efforts in obtaining the documentation that will allow Apria Healthcare to complete Mr***’s transition and service his sleep supply needs. Sincerely, ** *** ***Customer ServiceSupervisor Tell us why here

We have reviewed the patients account and confirmed that he made a payment in the amount of $that was placed in collectionsWe contacted our collections department and informed them the payment has been made for that amountWe have also requested they provide a letter as confirmation that the payment has been made and to also include that the is no longer responsible for the chargesThe account reflects a zero balance with currently two claims pending payment from the insuranceThere is no patient responsibility at this time for date of service August 2, and November 2, for supplies received. We do apologize for the miscommunication as our goal is to ensure customer satisfaction as well as accurate billing. Sincerely, Apria Healthcare, LLC

Item# 1:Mr.*** states that he recently ordered supplies and informed Apria Healthcarethat his out of pocket maximum had been met, therefore he did not owe the copayamountHowever his credit card on file was charged $for the copayamountHe states that he has requested a refund, but was
told the refund wouldnot be issued until the payment was received by the insurance.RESPONSE:Wehave researched Mr***’s account and found that the copay amount of$was charged to the credit card on file, which had been set up as recurringwith an earlier orderWe have removed the credit card from Mr***’saccount so this does not occur again. Wehave not received payment in full from Mr***’s insurance company as oftodayIf the insurance pays at 100%, then Apria will refund himWe have noproblem refunding his credit cardI will keep a check on Mr***’saccount and if the insurance pays at 100%, I will contact him regarding therefundWe do not show the full credit card number in the system so we wouldneed to obtain that information to process the refund at the needed time. We doapologize for the miscommunication as our goal is to ensure customersatisfaction as well as accurate billing. Sincerely,***
***Billing Center Quality Specialist

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, 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 not received documentation of this invoice being canceled or a zero invoice. Additionally, I just checked with my insurance and they too still show the invoice active. Therefore, this impacts when I can receive the actual supplies that I need. It shows that I have received supplies and therefore can't order the ones that I need, for another three months. To correct this problem I would think that at least the invoice will need to be completely taken care of - both on my side and the insurance side.]
Regards,
*** ***

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, 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 an issue with having only business days to respond to Apria's response My primary care physician ( *** *** *** ) has left to *** *** for a new position and although I have been assigned a new Primary Care Physician , ( ** *** *** ) I do not have and appointment with him until Thursday of this coming week 8/20/I do need time to speak with my Doctors to help resolve this issue , I also would like to speak with my *** ** * * ** *** * and my Onchologist , ** *** I am requesting more time to respond ( Days ) So that I may meet with my new *** and contact the others to find a resolution that will suit both myself and Apria Thank you in advance for considering my request , all I am trying to do is stay alive and resolve this issue
Regards,
*** ***

ITEM # 1: Mr*** stated that he was informed a letter was sent to him on June 29th, and he never received the information and until he has documentation as proof that no additional bills will arrive the issue has not been resolved RESPONSE: We have reviewed Mr*** account and confirmed that on June 12th, and June 29th, a letter was completed by our representatives and sent to patient address we have on file. We are unsure why patient did not receive the information; however I have sent copies of both letters to Mr*** and also additional copies in order for him to send the information to Kaiser’s correct address I have also sent a request to our Collections Agency in order for them to send a letter as confirmation that all charges have been removed and are no longer patient responsibilityAt this time Mr*** account reflects a zero balance and will no longer receive bills for serviceWe do apologize for the miscommunication as our goal is to ensure customer satisfaction as well as accurate billing Sincerely, *** *** *** *** Billing Center Quality Specialist

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you again for taking the time to convey your concerns to us and to apologize for any miscommunication on our part that may have resulted in your continued concernsAfter another review of your records, we have confirmed that on March 2, you spoke with a licensed Respiratory TherapistBoth parties agreed that the organization will ship the device to the manufacturer for repairs and that you will pay the shipping cost. Once your device is returned to your local branch, you will be contacted to pick it up We strive to provide excellent customer care and again we apologize for any inconveniences or challenges this issued may have caused Sincerely, Apria Healthcare LLC

We have confirmed that the patient owns a cpap that was obtained from Apria Healthcare November 27, His insurance has not been billed since November 04, for supplies, in which he does not have a balanceThe patient called Apria Healthcare February 22, in regards to an explanation
of benefits received from his insurance and was advised to contact them, after not finding a balance or recent rental activity on his accountThere are no open claims to re bill to the insurance and for copies of actual claims submitted he would need to contact the insurance company as we do not provide claims to the customersWe believe all appropriate steps have been taken to resolve this matter and apologize for any inconvenience. Sincerely, Apria Healthcare, LLC

Item # 1:Ms*** states that she has experienced issues with customer service with Apria Healthcare’s billing and extended hold times when she calls in to discuss billing.Ms*** stated that she received a statement dated February 13, which was for a date of service in July
Ms*** states that she contacted Apria Healthcare in regards to the statement and was informed that if she did not pay over the phone that the balance would be sent to collectionsShe also states that she was informed by the representative that she spoke with to contact her secondary insurance. Ms*** has since received correspondence from *** *** *** & also receiving collection calls requesting payment. RESPONSE:After full review of Ms***’s account, we do apologize for the issues that Ms*** has experienced with our staff and the hold time issuesThe account has been elevated to the appropriate *** teams to review and address as training opportunities.In regards to the statement that was received in February and later sent to *** *** ***, we have recalled the invoice from collections which will no longer reflect as Ms***’s responsibility. Ms*** requested a call to offer apology in regards to issues experienced, however we were not able to reach her directly by phone on April 9, 2015. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Sincerely,*** *** ***Patient Account Resolution Team Lead

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, 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,
*** ***

We have confirmed that the patient was billed a total of $for cpap supplies received May 20, 2015- August 26, due to the insurance denying the claimsThe claims were initially billed to the secondary insurance which was listed as the primary insurance on the sales service and rental
agreement and also filled out by the patient on the opt in form to receive automatic shipping of suppliesBy signing these forms on May 21, he agreed to automatic billing and shipping of suppliesThe insurance was corrected November 20, and the claims were submitted and denied for past timely filingUnfortunately Apria Healthcare does not bill a secondary insurance for cpap/supplies when the primary and secondary both are non-government insurancesThe patient’s card was charged October 27, after the claims were appealed and denied againNo statement is generated when the card is charged automatically and a refund will not be processed due to Apria Healthcare did not receive payment from the insuranceThe patient may file an appeal with his insurance for payment or have claims submitted to his secondary insurance and if paid us can then refund for paymentsThe patient did however file a dispute with his credit card company in which the chargeback was declined on February 3, We do apologize for any inconvenience as our goal is to ensure customer satisfaction as well as accurate billing Sincerely, Apria Healthcare, LLC