Problems with Service at QAS !!!

[M&M]

Hi all, I'm having a terrible time with QAS. I can't get my orders filled. I call and call and call. They are 'working' on it.. First they say they need to get my PCP approval - which is fine - but then I call back the next week and their waiting for Genteva approval - I guess my insurance. They have now put a 'priority' on it and they offer to send me extra kits but - the last time they did that - they sent like 4 or 5 test kits and they weren't refrigerated and I used them and the 'blood' boiled out of the little pinhole opening and some 'error' code came up and so I used another one they sent me and I got the same thing. This happened with all 4-5 kits and my machine never worked right after using those kits. I brought my machine to my coumadin clinic to see if their couvettes would work and they didn't - so my machine was broke and there was never a problem with my machine until I used those 'extra' kits they sent me. After several mos of fighting because the QAS supplier would not 'repair' my ProTime Machine - seems the lady who sold it - sold me a medical machine by accident and not a patient machine. So therefore QAS supplier would not repair it and - I had to get another machine. Now, I'm very reluctant to take any 'extra' kits to hold me over until my full order because I fear they might brake my Protime Machine again as they didn't ship the extra kits on ice.. Maybe it was because those extra's they sent me were not refrigerated and it was August and no doubt very hot in the shipping truck. All that matters is that my machine never worked after using those 'extra' kits they shipped.

Well to make a long story 'short' - Does anyone know of another 'supplier' ? I have two tests left. I may just give up on this home testing and go to the lab from now on. I just don't want to get upset every time I need kits and that's always the case and then they always put a 'new' person on my case and I never get the same person twice and I have to go over all the details again. Frustrating and I just don't want to get my blood pressure boiling. The lab is 5 minutes down the road from where I work.. I could do it on my lunch hour and save myself the aggrevation. I just hate needles and that's how they test you. They don't have at ProTime machiine at my lab. They do at my coumadin clinic but that's is over an hours drive. So, I don't want to do that every week. Any suggestions?

Best
Marilyn

 

[Ross]

Marilyn have you talked to Lance at QAS? I think he'd like to know about this if he doesn't already.

I will be out of the office until 1/4/05, and will not be checking email. Please call 800-298-4515 and ask for Sergio Herrera ex 2405 or Mark MacDonald, ex 2404. Thanks!

Lance

 

[M&M]

Ross, thank you so much for your suggestion in contacting Lance. I finally called my prescription company and the tests don't come under my prescription plan it comes under my medical plan. So, I called my insurance company (CIGNA) and they were very upset. I guess they subcontract this company "Genteva" for my medical supplies and Genteva thought they needed Cigna's authorization before approving the order for QAS. So my insurance company: Cigna said: NO - we bought the machine we naturally expect to pay for all supplies. There is no authorization needed.. Genteva didn't quite understand this.. So, my insurance company apologized immensely. So, I called QAS back and explained it to them and she was very confident things would be moving along very quickly. I gave her the name of the lady that I spoke to at CIGNA. QAS asked if I wanted the prescription filled in this fiscal year or wait till next - for deduction purposes. I was so surprised because I don't pay anything for my test kits. Not a cent. Its 100% covered - of course that is if you can get the paperwork properly done and don't have a heart attack - and I know that's 100% covered as well. CIGNA was very nice and apologetic and they record every phone call - so I think this is pretty much going to be processed. But you never know - I'll beleive it when I see the kits..

I have repeated told my co-workers when this medical package is shipped it has "Perishable" and "refrigerate on arrival" - last shipment they stuck on the receptionist table for the entire weekend and never bothered to put it in the refrigerator - can you believe that. That's why I insist it come on ice and I have asked QAS to ship it to my home this time They are suppose to let me know two days in advance when they ship it. My hubby gets home early and since its winter - the package should be fine. I couldn't believe my boss nor the receptionist didn't put the damn package in the refrigerator. They said they didn't see "Perishable" or "refrigerate on Arrival" in big stickers on the box !!!! I was furious. They won't do that again if a package comes.

Thank you Ross for listening and suggesting I contact Lance - I was going to - cause he seems to want to help people on this board. I think its going to go smoothly from here on out. CIGNA does not want me to be without test kits.. I guess the lab would cost them more... that's covered 100% too - this is why I work - if it wasn't for this insurance plan - I would stay home.. I don't get paid well at all. So the health insurance plan is all that keeps me here.

Did I tell you the cyst they found on my left kidney is 'benign' - YEA !!! I think the coreg is upsetting my kidneys. My GFR is 62 !!! I'm not sure that's good.. You have to do this computer mathematic problem and you plug in your age, weight, and creatine levels and it tells you what your GFR should be.. I guess mine came out to be 62 - I'm not sure I did it right though because the other things I read on the web sites say that it shoud not go under 90 - but my GFR has gone done repeated since first given the coreg. Just another new 'adventure' - GFR's ICD, Mechanical Valve Replacements, and Creatine levels and all kinds of blood tests.. My liver, pancreas and right kidney were all normal.. YEAH !!! I just wish I was 'normal'..

Wishing you and your family a very HEALTHY AND HAPPY NEW YEAR..

Marilyn

 

[Mary]

Good news Marilyn!
I hope 2006 brings you good health and smooth sailing!

 

[Karlynn]

I'm glad things are getting straightened out Marilyn. I wouldn't worry too much about the package sitting out this time of year. The cuvettes can go unrefrigerated for 30 days. The hot time in the summer is when you really want them to be delivered with ice and then refrigerated. I think your expereince with the summer delivery was, as you guessed, an issue with the heat.

I leave 2 cuvettes out all the time. It's set up so each time I test (which is weekly) I use the cuvette that has been out the longest and I replace the one I use with one from the refrig. I keep two out in order to be able to redo a test right away rather than wait the 30 minutes for the cuvette to warm up to room temp.

 

[M&M]

Thank You Mary - I want to wish you a very Healthy and Happy New Year..

We are all very fortunate to be able to celebrate the New Year.

I'm planning on staying home and curl up on the couch and watch a good comedy movie. I could use a few laughs..

Best
Marilyn

 

[M&M]

Thank You Karlynn, I get a box of 25 tests in one shipment. It comes in all kinds of ice packets. I never have trouble with this package. Its the 'rush' order with a bunch of single tests that didn't do well. There was no ice packed in the package and since my co-workers didn't refrigerate - they just 'boiled' in the test strip of my ProTime machine when I tested myself. You could see the blood just bubble.. I don't think those were good kits. I hope it was just the packageing. I've never had problems with the 25 kit shipments. They are better packaged.

I think I would go insane if not for all who can 'understand' the issues and offer support. Seems this past year its one thing or another. Chronic Heart Failure is the pitts. I think its getting better - the low sodium diet helps along with the diuretic. I don't gasp for air hardly ever anymore and I don't feel 'fat' all the time. I just hope the kidneys keep functioning well. I hate going to the CHF dept. The doctor is nice and all - but the meds were making me very fatigued in the beginning and it was hard to go to work and function everyday. Things have finally settled down and I'm starting to get my energy back and I guess when that happens they increase your coreg doseage.. I said: NO WAY !!! I feel good and I'm not going to rock the boat now.. I don't think my CHF doc liked that.. They are nice - usually a nurse calls me every two weeks and asks how I'm doing. I just don't like being 'watched' so closely. I'm much to independent and with CHF you can't be that way. Its taking me time to adjust to the new doctor and nurses. I like and feel very comfortable with my 'Electrophysciologist' (electrical) doc - but he'd rather a CHF doc take care of my CHF problem. I hate all these meds.. I take 15 pills a day.. Perhaps I'm ready to retire. These meds make it hard to function some days.. and having lots of doctor appts is more time consuming and it seems like I can't go a full week without feeling awful or having a doctor appt. that week. I usually miss one day a week at work anyways.. I'm suppose to see my CHF doc sometime in January and I have to see my PCP in January.. My PCP was talking about getting a colonoscopy now that I turned 50 this year.. Just what I need.

Here I am complaining and I have so much to be thankful for. I need to remind myself - I am very lucky. I guess it's just good to let steam off once in a while.. Thanks for listening and thanks for your response.

I sincerely hope you have a great Healthy and Happy New Year.

Best
Marilyn

 

[bvdr]

Thank You Karlynn, I get a box of 25 tests in one shipment. It comes in all kinds of ice packets. I never have trouble with this package. Its the 'rush' order with a bunch of single tests that didn't do well. There was no ice packed in the package and since my co-workers didn't refrigerate - they just 'boiled' in the test strip of my ProTime machine when I tested myself. You could see the blood just bubble.. I don't think those were good kits. I hope it was just the packageing. I've never had problems with the 25 kit shipments. They are better packaged.


Marilyn, I just wanted to let you know that the last box of 25 I got from QAS were not in the nice little cooler with the refrigerant packs. There was a note included that explained that it was no longer necessary to ship chilled but to still store them in the refrigerator. The note said it had no effect of the quality of the test units.

I'm glad that things are working out for you.

 

[Karlynn]

I had a bad batch of 4 once too. It was from another company, not QAS. I got really high INR readings with that batch. Fortunately I had another batch to compare with. AND it was someone here who questioned whether the readings were errors from a new batch of cuvettes I'd received. Sure enough they were!