DME appointment this week

[Mittens1]

Next step on this journey is: DME appointment this week to pick up my new paraphernalia. I knew I'd be shown several masks and given opportunity to select one, and would be shown how the machine works. I found out today that I should plan on an hour, and that I will be meeting with a respiratory therapist. Any suggestions of things I should ask up front to get a good start with this? I'm certain there will be questions come up in the first few weeks, and some can certainly wait till I see the doc a month after starting CPAP. Since many here have traveled this road, though, you may know common questions newbies don't think to ask but should.

[LSAT]

Make sure you get a data capable machine....Resmed Airsense 10 Autoset or Respironics Dreamstation Auto. Try on masks with a CPAP set at your pressure while lying down to make sure it is comfortable without leaking.

[Okie bipap]

Ask what their mask return policy is. The DME I used at first allowed me to return the mask once within the first 30 days. Every DME has their own policy. Some are very liberal, and other have a zero return policy.

[Guest]

Any suggestions of things I should ask up front to get a good start with this?

Write all of your questions down in a notebook. Leave room under the question for the answer. Take your time and don't leave until all of your questions have been answered. If anyone has a problem with this type of service take your business elsewhere, they will be nothing but troubles in the future.

Get a new notebook just for this and believe me when I tell you OSA affects your memory so write things down. Ask for their name and contact info too.

[klm49]

Ask the DME how long your prescription will be honored before they require you to revisit a Dr.Mine didn't tell me they required a new Prescrip. every year and I lost over a month waiting to get supplies so I could get in to see a Dr.

(edited for the reading challenged)

[Zeds]

Absolutely, categorically, check to see if the machine has already been used.

Look at every little bit of it closely, including the power cord. Nothing should look shop-worn, the power cord should have newly-unwrapped kinks in it.

Find out how to enter the clinician's mode and locate "hours used". The DME can't change this. It has to be zero (mine was 544). The DME will pretend that the user hours (which they can reset to 0) are the hours the machine has been operated before.

They will lie to you.

I'm not the first person a DME has tried to rip off..... Nor have I been the last.

[TASmart]

The Dr specifies how long a prescription is good for, not the DME.

[klm49]

The Dr specifies how long a prescription is good for, not the DME.

Sorry but it is up to the DME to fill the prescription or not... Some require proof of compliance from a Dr. once a year, mine did and Sleep Dr. told me that many do this to cover their butts. Some do not, I have a friend who has been getting CPAP from same supplier for 8 years without going to Dr.

[TASmart]

Yes, a provider always has the option to fill a prescription or not. However, the Dr fills out a time good for on the order for durable medical goods. Mine is 13 months, others get 99 months which means no end date. If your DME refuses to fill a valid prescription, I'd change DMEs, or go online. This is similar to whichever of the pharmacy chains has decided to not fill prescriptions for opioid pain relievers for more than 1 week. The prescription is still valid and can be filled at a different pharmacy.

[chunkyfrog]

Insurance might require yearly documentation, but a DME may be in CYA mode. (not unusual)
If you are self-pay, insist on 99 months from the doc.--OSA does NOT go away.
If, indeed, you are self pay, shop around--local dealers are notorious for high prices.

[klm49]

Yes, a provider always has the option to fill a prescription or not. However, the Dr fills out a time good for on the order for durable medical goods. Mine is 13 months, others get 99 months which means no end date. If your DME refuses to fill a valid prescription, I'd change DMEs, or go online. This is similar to whichever of the pharmacy chains has decided to not fill prescriptions for opioid pain relievers for more than 1 week. The prescription is still valid and can be filled at a different pharmacy.

It is always a good idea to find out your DME policies to avoid incidents like I referred to. I'm not sure what you are trying to argue about here, I merely told the OP to find out the DME's policies in relation to prescriptions. Of course if you don't want to be bothered with details you can always go find another DME when they won't honor the prescription, but why not avoid the problem to begin with.

[morutf]

Sorry but it is up to the DME to fill the prescription or not... Some require proof of compliance from a Dr. once a year, mine did and Sleep Dr. told me that many do this to cover their butts.

Normally it is the insurance that requires compliance. The DME's only worry is that they have the documentation needed to get paid by the insurance or they wouldn't care if you use the cpap or not. It's all about the money.

Some do not, I have a friend who has been getting CPAP from same supplier for 8 years without going to Dr.

Could there be NO Insurance involved here?

[TASmart]

Sorry, I understood your first post to be that the DME was able to write or change the prescription. If that's not what you meant it's my bad reading. I am a little sensitive to claims of who has what authority in forums like this.

[Mittens1]

Clarification helps me know what to ask, and I chose a DME that works often with my doc, I suspect the policies will be clear between them. I am anxious to get some answers, yet a little nervous too, wondering how much different it will be to try CPAP at home compared with the experience at a sleep lab. And I obviously survived both halves of the split-night study. Intuitively it seems it should be better in familiar surroundings without dozens of wires attached, yet there's no back-up to call on if something goes wrong, either. I suppose worse case scenario, I just take it off and try again the next night after asking more questions, right?

[Guest]

I chose a DME that works often with my doc, I suspect the policies will be clear between them.

The sleep business is pretty darn corrupt to say the least. I would be leary as in not do business with any Dr. who owns or has an interest in the supplier.

IOW if the Dr won't hand you a copy of your script or refuses to send it to a DME of your choosing there is likely some financial gain for the doc.

This also leads to DME's who insist you need another sleep study before they will re-order your supplies after a year or two. Those requirements are set by your insurance.

You would be best advised to speak directly with your insurance about "policies" early, often, and whenever there are questions. Remember the notebook idea.

I suppose worse case scenario, I just take it off and try again the next night after asking more questions, right?

That is what most of us have done - sleep as long as you can with it each nite, take it off if you have to then try again the next night. There are folks on this forum from around the world so someone may be here during those bad nites.

BUT there is always the search feature and odds are the question has been answered many times over.

Start at the top of the page there is a lot to read - day or nite.