[mitchntx]

The wife has a breathing problem where as she sleeps her esophagus relaxes too much and collapses when she exhales. It doesn't close completely, but it slows her breathing to a point where her blood/Ox level was down to around 80!

The short term fix is an Oxygen concentrator so that what air she does get is more pure.

Insurance company would pay 80% of a rental after our $1000 deductible was met. After the deductible, our 20% liability was almost $30. They wouldn't cover the cost of a purchase. WTF!

So, I found several sources of these units, both new and used. Purchase price is anywhere from $250 (used with a 1 year warranty) to new at $850. I bought a 6 month old unit for $300 with 3.5 years of the manufacturer's warranty still in place.

I argued with supervisors and managers about them covering the cost of purchase and even submitted an appeal which was denied. They said that they don't cover purchase of major equipment, only rental. I don't understand the thought process.

[mitchntx]

Let's see, 150/month x 13 months equals $1950. I can buy 6 of these things over a year's time.

If the machine was life supporting then I can see having a machine available that would work regardless of cost. But my wife's condition is not that dire. If the machine conks out, we send it in for repair or scour craig's list for another. In the mean time, we can get a prescription for a rental unit in the interim.

[marka]

Howdy,

Let's see, 150/month x 13 months equals $1950. I can buy 6 of these things over a year's time.

If the machine was life supporting then I can see having a machine available that would work regardless of cost. But my wife's condition is not that dire. If the machine conks out, we send it in for repair or scour craig's list for another. In the mean time, we can get a prescription for a rental unit in the interim.

The insurance company is not worried about saving money, they're worried about limiting cost.

I.e. they'd rather pay more for a rental unit because its a fixed monthly cost that never changes and is hard for you to game so that you scam them for money.

In comparison, them reimbursing you for equipment that you own is much more problematic. Machines break and need to be repaired or replaced, particularly used machines. So you buy one, get reimbursed, and it breaks two months later. So you buy another, etc. Meanwhile, did it _really_ break or did you just sell the old one? How many should they replace before they cut you off? Guaranteed that whatever # you pick, some grandmother will trip the policy and be in the paper the next day about how the insurance company is a big bunch of fuckers that are out to get her.

In a lot of ways its the same reasons why some people lease cars rather than owning them. Just like that, its a lot more about predictibilty of costs rather than lower costs.

Mark

[CrashTestDummy]

AND limiting their liability exposure. The rental belongs to another company (even if it is a subsidiary of the insurance company). If something goes wrong with the hardware, you, and possibly the insurance company, sue the owner of the hardware. If you buy it, it's yours. If the machine fails, and causes injury or death to a loved one, the manufacturer, or company who sold the hardware are one step away from being liable, and only if you, or your lawyers, can prove the hardware was defective AND operated correctly. If not, it's your problem, and probably your insurance company's for allowing you to purchase said bad hardware.

Any chance they can say 'Not it!', they will, and rentals, although possibly more expensive in the short term, can be a LOT cheaper then having to fight a multi-million $$ lawsuit.

Cynic switch on: and oh yeah, what Mark says about the whole 'gaming them' thing. Yeah, when it comes time for them to pay out some of _their_ hard-earned cash (it's really not yours any more), they want to make sure they don't give up any more than they have to. Every customer is a potential crook, in their eyes. I guess it takes one to know one.
Cynic switch off:

Having watched all the tricks the insurance companies and mortgage companies have played after Hurricane Ike has made me reconsider a lot of this insurance stuff. It just makes you shake your head in disbelief.

<SNIP>
The insurance company is not worried about saving money, they're worried about limiting cost.

I.e. they'd rather pay more for a rental unit because its a fixed monthly cost that never changes and is hard for you to game so that you scam them for money.

In comparison, them reimbursing you for equipment that you own is much more problematic. Machines break and need to be repaired or replaced, particularly used machines. So you buy one, get reimbursed, and it breaks two months later. So you buy another, etc. Meanwhile, did it _really_ break or did you just sell the old one? How many should they replace before they cut you off? Guaranteed that whatever # you pick, some grandmother will trip the policy and be in the paper the next day about how the insurance company is a big bunch of fuckers that are out to get her.

In a lot of ways its the same reasons why some people lease cars rather than owning them. Just like that, its a lot more about predictibilty of costs rather than lower costs.

Mark