I got an ominous looking fax in my electronic inbox today. WellCare was notifying me that my oxygen dependent COPD patient’s concentrator rental was going to be terminated because her “plan limit for home oxygen rental is 36 months. You have used 36 months rental of this service and would be eligible for new equipment 3/22/28 if needed”.
It was 10 minutes before 5 on this Thursday afternoon. I called the oxygen company and they answered in a cryptic way “Medicare only pays for 36 months, that is correct“.
“So what do people do“, I asked, “go without? Die?”
“We don’t take their equipment away“, the woman at Lincare said.
“You just don’t get paid then”, I asked.
“Correct“, she answered.
I love it when I learn something new about the practice of medicine. But most of the time when I learn a new aspect of how the “system” works, it just feels bewildering because it makes no sense. Wouldn’t anybody think that the rent per month would go up so as to cover the service and maintenance during the 3 1/2 years that go by after the 18 months of Medicare payments stop?
Yes, one would think that. We are in deep trouble in this "system". Thank you for this story, it is very important to learn of.