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My brother lives in a RCEF and is bed bound. I get invoices for diaper products and wipes from a supplier that does not have a webpage. The address on the invoice is a residence about 5 miles from my brother's RCEF. The phone number is "an ATT mobile number" according to reverse lookup. I strongly suspect the "supplier" is simply the RCEF operating under a different name. The invoice lists items such as "mckesson [sic] underpads" 1 @ $54/ea, "Tranquility tape, XL" 3 @ $106/ea, and "wipes" 4 @ $41.50.
There isn't enough information about the products for me to exactly match them online, but from what I've seen I could potentially order all these products myself on a subscription basis and save considerable money.
Does anyone else have any experience with something like this?

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We supply these things for our mom ourselves. the nursing home has the option of letting them supply these things and we get billed for it, but we assumed they'd charge more so we get depends, gloves, wipes, shampoo etc ourselves and bring to her in the care home.
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Questor Jul 2022
Thanks, cignal. I think I'm going to look into that. I can ask my geriatric care manager to find out exactly what the products are (get brand names and product numbers) and see what McKesson would charge for subscription delivery of those products. If it is a savings, then I'll check to see if the home will allow us to do that.
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I don't think your paranoid. Assume all his needs are bought thru McKesson. I worked for their competitor and we sold everything. McKesson is a one stop shop. OTC and prescription drugs. They supply hospitals and pharmacies, nursing homes too. Believe me, everything you being billed for McKesson supplied.
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Questor Jul 2022
I think you're right, JoAnn29. I can't find a business license for the entity generating the invoice (the address for which is residential). It is hard to compare prices, since the items on the invoice are described in general terms and without product numbers. Thing is, I'm OK with the home providing the products and taking a reasonable markup, just for convenience's sake, but I wish they were more straightforward about it. I don't like the dishonesty.
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When mom lived in Memory Care Assisted Living, they billed me for her incontinence supplies like wipes and the rubber gloves the caregivers used. The supplies were added onto her monthly bill. I purchased her Depends from Amazon auto ship and they were delivered directly to her apartment in the Memory Care. I never considered them billing me for her supplies a scam but a convenience, having no idea where those supplies came from. If I didn't want them, I could've ordered them myself and brought them into the facility regularly.

Why not ask this RCFE directly what's going on with these supplies and if you're being billed from their supply center or what? There isn't necessarily anything nefarious going on!
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Check for a business license. Where I live, there would be one or whomever is invoicing you is violating the law.

If you are DPOS and paying for these invoices, absolutely order his products and have them shipped directly to him.
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Questor Jul 2022
Excellent idea, thank you! Never occurred to me to look for a license. I will Google search how to do that.
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If this is a nursing home situation, these should be part of his care even if paying privately. If Medicaid is paying, then they are paying for his supplies.

The prices do seem out there. And how do you know they are being used for him and not other residents. Tell them you need a more detailed information. McKesson is a well known Pharmaceutical wholesaler. I looked it up and these pads run $42 for 100. Should last for a while.

I agree that if he is expected to pay, that you have the option to buy the stuff elsewhere. But you need a guarantee that what you buy is not used on others. Unless, everyone is billed the same thing every month.
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Questor Jul 2022
Thank you, JoAnn29. This is a board and care facility in California that charges my brother $8000/mo. For this they give him 3 meals/day, a bed bath every morning, and a shower every 2 weeks. They also monitor his blood pressure and reliably dispense his many prescription meds. He is bedbound and gets diaper changes at least 4 times daily, as well as diaper rash prevention lotions and powders (suggested by his PCP) that he pays for. He rents an adjustable bed and pneumatic mattress from Apria.
I can well believe he would go through a lot of diaper products. What worries me is the bogus company name, address and phone number. What legitimate business these days does NOT have a website? That’s why I suspect the board & care facility is buying the products, then adding a markup before invoicing under another name. Call me paranoid!
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I’ve not read it about the facility, but there have been a couple where staff have taken items (more than ought to have been used) and then sold them outside the facility. Certainly take your info to management and ask them to investigate and explain.
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Questor
I don’t know what a RCEF is, I assume a care home. residential care e? facility??

Look at brothers contract and then call or go by the facility to discuss alternatives if the charges are legitimate and appropriate and you feel you should shop them.
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Questor Jul 2022
Whoops! I meant RCFE (Residential Care Facility for Elderly). I live on the opposite coast, but I can ask my geriatric care manager to look into it for me. I was just wondering if anyone had run into anything like this before, or ordered diaper supplies for their family members themselves.
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