Getting the run around from the medical supply companies, doctor's offices, and insurances companies big time today. My current medical supply and insurance company partnership only allows me to receive one month of supplies at a time (it's not like I'm ever not going to need these supplies, why do the chronically ill have to be limited to such a low amount? What if someone went out of town for more than a month?). This requires me once a month to call into the supply company and ask for a refill on my life saving medical supplies. I call early every month as to deal with whatever problems arise. This month, there was no shortage of problems and completely incompetent customer service staff.
So I've had it, I'm through with the medical supply company I'm using and I want a new one. I call my insurance company and ask if there is a medical supply company that they use which allows me to get three months worth of supplies. The customer service agent doesn't really understand and gives me the numbers to supply manufactures, not supply companies. So, I hang up and call back hoping to get a more intelligent individual. I do and she gives me the names of the companies they work with. Apira, Byram, Edgepark, Genadyne, and Epic. I decide to look up some reviews of these companies to find which one may be the best to work with. Some of what I found is fairly heart breaking and unfortunately seemingly common place among medical supply companies. The third review in my post here is particularly difficult, read with caution.
Apira: 1.5 Stars out of 5 on Yelp
Cris I:
This company is HORRIBLE in every possible category. Their "customer service" folks operate at snail speed, and are borderline incompetent. Their billing practices are less than above-board. Their product selection is laughable. And their prices are several times greater than you can get the identical products online. If it were possible to give this company negative stars, I would. This program forces you to give at least one star in order to post a review - which is a shame, because this company deserves none. My opinion is reflected in the vast majority of customer posts on this cite. Do yourself a BIG favor, and stay away from this place. Go elsewhere.
EdgePark: 1.8 Stars out of 5 on Google Reviews
Melissa Dale:
As a T1 diabetic, I am so outraged at the unprofessional approach taken by this company. Unlike breast pumps or the like, I need to go through Edgepark (repeatedly) in order to LIVE. I literally have no other choice, and let me tell you, I would infinitely rather call some 3rd rate tech support center. When I call, the people I talk to could clearly care less. Their only goal seems to be to pass you onto somebody else. Phone calls last up to hours, and it takes WEEKS to get everything straightened out in order to get an order. I have been passed around in circles between several departments, each one saying there was nothing in their department holding up the order... must be the next department. I have yet to have an experience that doesn't end in tears. Several areas on their website do not work (unprofessional to say the least). I wish I could find the appropriate words to truly express how ridiculous this company is, and that I'm not overreacting in the least. It already sucks dealing with this disease, but I would say that Edgepark sucks every bit as much.
Byram: 1 Star out of 5 on Yelp (This is a particularly difficult story to read, you may want to skip this review)
Cliff H:
I am a colostomy patient who depends on Byram for ordering my colostomy bags and supplies every month.
When I placed my last order there was some kind of problem with their online ordering system. On Friday, when I still had not received confirmation of my order, I called to speak to a live person to tell them I would be out of bags by Saturday if I didn't get my order. To be clear, when you have a colostomy, you CANNOT run out of bags. You can't go to any local store to buy them as they are an "order only" item.
The Byram person told me they had obtained approval for a Saturday delivery and that I shouldn't worry, my order would arrive the following afternoon. At around Saturday at 4pm I called the Byram 800 number as my order had not yet arrived. The operator told me that they looked up my order and it was coded wrong so it wouldn't arrive until Monday.
That's when the real Hell for me started. I had to spend the next 48 hours naked from the waist down with a bucket under my stomach to catch what should have been going into the bags. Due to Byram's mistake, I had to spend what were the most dehumanizing and humiliating hours of my life thus far (and please God, don't let there be any hours in my future that are as bad or worse than these were).
I am going through treatment for colon cancer. I have lots of issues to deal with. I also am not able to work right now so every day is a fight for me - financially, physically, etc. To have to go through that kind of humiliation when I'm already this far down was beyond anything that I could imagine.
If you are able to go through another medical supply company - DO IT. Don't use these people. Whatever your medical problem is, if they didn't care enough to make sure I had just the basics that I need (the colostomy bags) so that I didn't have to suffer with a bucket under my stomach to catch the poop for two days, they sure as heck won't likely care about what's going on with you.
Better Living Now: My current supply company: 2.5 out 5 Stars on Yelp
So the way things look now, my current company seems to be not that bad compared to what is out there, which seems to be terrible and de-humanizing. But 2.5 out of 5 stars isn't exactly thrilling for me. There are plenty of reviews talking about how bad Better Living Now's customer service is on their Yelp page. It seems that poor to terrible customer care is a major theme when dealing with supply companies. I think for now, I may be stuck where I am when it comes to receiving my supplies. It's just so unfortunate that bureaucracy and incompetence makes people's lives with chronic illness doubly difficult.
Been enjoying Bill Stewart's playing and composition Mynah:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn46DDvyVc8
Ben van Gelder's Reprise:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8SCy_-5wcU
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