UOAA Discussion Board

Please tell me who is a good supply company for ostomy supplies as well as catheters. I am so frustrated with Edgepark. They basically told me they dropped the ball. They do that often. After being on the phone for 1 1/2 hours today and talking to 4 people I. Ugh the get my supplies. They did not know a pseudo opening was an obstruction. The initial order was placed beginning of September. I have been on the phone numerous times since then. They were calling my urologist for colo supplies instead of the dr that has been ordering them for years. I could go on but you get the picture. Please help.

I use Byram for catheters for my BCIR and have had no problems with the. I believe they also carry stoma caps.

I have used McKesson Patient Care Solutions, Inc. for one order now, and they seem efficient. They don't supply Nu-Hope belts, though.

Byram was recommended by the Coloplast rep today. Just curious of people’s experiences. Do not want to go through the paperwork to switch to another bad company.

I've actually never had bad luck with Edgepark and had to order catheters. I've also used Sterling and thought they were excellent. I think Edgepark's costs may be higher than Byram and Sterling but it can be a pain to switch though it's not that bad to do so.

Diane C.

I used Edgepark for years. Then, they started billing me inappropriately. It was caught by my insurance company. I had to pay back my flex spending account out of my own pocket and then request a refund from Edgepark. In my opinion, that shouldn't happen. If I hadn't requested the refund, they never would have returned the amount that they billed incorrectly. That should never happen. I'll be a life time user of these supplies. Edgepark lost my business. I switched to Byram and have been satisfied. Their website isn't as user friendly as Edgeparks, but I can over look that as my reorder tends to be the same each time.

David

I like Parthenon. It's family operated & have been truly kind to me. Real people.

You must understand that companies willing to accept the Medicare cost limits are now few;
Edgepark, Bryam, McKesson are the main ones. Over the years Edgepark has been the worst of the worst. Byram has issues as well. I spend time on the phone with almost every order received from them correcting their errors but in the end it works out. Sterling Medical was great until McKesson bought them. I won't go into details but I will NEVER use them again.

Before taking Medicare I never had a problem. In fact I used Parthenon for a long time; great little company.

The future is not bright IMO. As the folks currently in power continue to cut medical costs, there will be more cuts to Medicare benefits. And more cuts mean less income to medical suppliers which means more problems obtaining the benefits Medicare does provided. The answer is; DON'T GET OLD is you can avoid it.

P.S.- Bryam does have one benefit. They will "custom cut" your Wafers at no cost. The only company I found that will do so charges $2.50 to cut each one.

I’ve used Byram for 20 years for catheters and 9 years for ostomy supplies. They have occasional hiccups but they are dealt with quickly.

Good luck,
Linda

I’ve been with Byram Healthcare from the get-go. Byram is the preferred durable medical provider through my particular medical insurance plan.

I have had a few hiccups with Byram. Most of the service glitches were serval years ago and have since been corrected. I have a fairly regular order each month and have found Byram reliable over the long haul.
Karen

Hmmm, interesting re Edgepark and problems. I very well may switch to Byram.

Since turning 65 2 years ago, I have NOT found Medicare to be advantageous as far as "durable medical supplies." You practically have to be out of pouches, barriers, etc., before you can order again and must "save up" when it comes to supplies. The decisionmakers at CMS which manages Medicare must not know about accidents and days (or nights) when you must change your barrier twice. Have been very disappointed and, at the risk of sounding negative, I'm not too enthused about the future of benefits. I have a great health insurance company (not a HMO) and wonder how long I'll be so lucky.

Diane C.

Diane:
The Medicare guidelines that outline monthly ostomy supplies are not set in stone. They are guidelines. Useful guidelines. Left to open discretion, there are those (unfortunately) that would abuse no limit on ostomy orders - amassing extra supplies and selling them for a monetary profit on E-Bay or Craig’s list.

Private medical insurance plans (state or federal ACA/Obamacare plans) and employer-provided medical insurance plans tend to use Medicare guidelines in defining monthly ostomy supply quantities.

But anyone with a legitimate need for extra ostomy supplies (ex. additional wafers, pouches, barrier rings, skin prep spray/wipes) need only discuss with their prescribing primary care physician or surgeon and have the physician submit to Medicare or insurance provider a written request for additional supplies.
This is often called a “prescription override” in medical legalese. The prescription override usually needs to include the type of ostomy supply requested, the amount needed per 30 day supply, and a brief statement of necessity.

Honestly, filing for a prescription override is no big deal.

I find that I private pay 3-4 times a year for ostomy supplies of one sort or another. I save all private pay medical receipts for end-of-the-year tax filings. Medical insurance is not designed to cover medical expenses at 100%. There will always be some degree of private pay, even with the best of medical plans.
Karen

I've used Byram for 8 months and always got my supplies but each month there was a issue of some sort, they always corrected it but that just got old, so last week i made a switch where i can walk in and pick up my order. Hoping that works out for the good. Best of luck to you!
Sassie

I couldn't edit my post to add that switching over to a new company was very easy, the ostomy nurse just made a call and faxed the script, it took less then 20 mins. and i was with another company..

Sassie

I have had no issues with Edgepark, but I order online and use mostly the same products every month. I can imagine ordering over the phone could be a problem, especially if they do not understand the particular products you need. Hoping you find some way to get the items you need in good order.