Business ProfileforCarolina's Home Medical Equipment, Inc.

On 09/18/2023 I contacted BCBS for a recommendation for a medical equipment rental establishment in-network. I was advised to go to Carolinas Home Medical Equipment at 901-K ********************************, ******** ** *****. Upon arrival, I gave them the doctors prescription, insurance information, and drivers license. They stated that the prescription was misworded. It said Knee Scooter instead of Knee rollator. Carolinas Home Medical Equipment employee ******** stated she would contact the doctors office for a correction and send the paperwork to BCBS for billing. Since I needed the Knee rollator immediately, I was advised to pay out of pocket. Once the insurance processed the claim, I should be covered. Months go by and we find out that Carolinas Home Medical Equipment had been sending the request for the correct prescription to the wrong doctor. After a couple of attempts, they gave up on trying never contacted me about it and my card kept being charged for the rental. After I made several attempts to correct the situation, including several calls, dropping off the corrected prescription in person, and three-way calls with BCBS and Carolinas Home Medical, they stated that there was nothing that could be done regarding billing the insurance company, since the equipment had already been returned and they already received the payments for the equipment. The employees are rude and unwilling to help. That's not true just for my situation, as I have witnessed them be rude to senior customers in the store. It has been nothing but very stressful dealing with Carolinas Home Medical Equipment. I do not recommend doing business with them.

Mr. ********* sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and frustration you experienced during your interaction with Carolinas Home Medical Equipment. We take your feedback seriously and are committed to addressing the issues you've raised.First and foremost, we want to clarify the reason our staff was unable to fill the initial prescription you provided through your insurance. The primary issue with the prescription you presented to our showroom staff is that it lacked information necessary for properly identifying the ordering physician (i.e., the ordering physicians name, NPI, and/or any other acceptable identifier). These elements are required by both insurance companies and industry accrediting entities alike, rendering the prescription invalid for filling, regardless of the supplier selected. Additionally, as you mentioned, the preferred verbiage by insurance companies for billing and reimbursement for this item is knee rollator.As you stated, when you presented the prescription in our showroom on 09/18/23, our CSR explained it was non-compliant, and therefore, we were unable to fill it through your insurance. She immediately prepared and faxed a compliant prescription form to your physician for signature. You were given the option to either: 1) wait until we received the form back and receive the product through your insurance, or 2) assume financial responsibility for the product to receive it immediately without billing your insurance. Once we received the required paperwork, we would initiate billing through your insurance provider for future ********. When you selected option #2, you signed a private pay rental lease agreement, paid your first month upfront, and provided your credit card number on a Payment Authorization Form, authorizing ongoing rental charges if we didnt receive the compliant form to bill your insurance. We strive to maintain transparency in our dealings with our customers, and we regret any misunderstanding that *** have occurred regarding this transaction.Regarding our attempts to obtain the required prescription so this item could eventually bill through your insurance, the fax number to which we sent our transmissions was correct. Our staff obtained it by calling the phone number printed on your prescription. We understand how frustrating it can be not to be able to utilize an insurance benefit. Please know that our staff is limited in making only professional and reasonable documentation requests. Our representative informed you on 11/06/23 that we had exhausted our attempts, and after faxing the form one last time on 11/06/23, informed you that CHMEI would no longer be able to outreach on your behalf. A representative from your insurance company did contact us in December 2023 about the situation. We explained to her the necessary requirements for processing the prescription, and she stated she would reach out to your physician for a compliant prescription.Despite our multiple efforts, your own attempts, and the outreach performed by your insurance company representative, we regret to inform you that ***** never received a compliant prescription, nor did we receive any other correspondence via fax or email from your physician. Because a compliant prescription was not generated and received during the timeframe in which you had active possession of the item, we were unable to generate any claims to your insurance company. You returned the equipment to us on 12/19/2023.Regarding the conduct of our employees, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of professionalism and customer service. We are deeply disappointed to hear your report of encountering rudeness during your interactions. We take these matters seriously and strive to ensure that all our customers are treated with the respect and courtesy they deserve.Your feedback is invaluable to us as we continually strive to improve our services and customer experience. We sincerely apologize for the frustration you experienced in this transaction, and we appreciate your patience and understanding.