DME has my new prescription!

[gadaisy]

Well I have received a call back from my DME saying that they have a new prescription from the Dr, approval from my insurance and are planning on ordering my bipap. I had specifically asked for a fully data capable machine which she had given me a really hard time about. She told me she had serious concerns about my "obsessive need" to monitor myself. Now she says she is ordering the respironics
D700S with a smart card. Is this a fully data capable machine or is she trying to trick me into something I don't want.

[jules]

http://encore.respironics.com/type.aspx

DS 700 - Auto Bipap - yes full data

[deerhound]

This is the same machine I have and I think it is a very good unit.

Dale

[Wulfman]

Well I have received a call back from my DME saying that they have a new prescription from the Dr, approval from my insurance and are planning on ordering my bipap. I had specifically asked for a fully data capable machine which she had given me a really hard time about. She told me she had serious concerns about my "obsessive need" to monitor myself. Now she says she is ordering the respironics
D700S with a smart card. Is this a fully data capable machine or is she trying to trick me into something I don't want.

Yes it is. I'm going to post (again) the full list of Respironics machines, just in case someone else is wondering, too.
The "Basic" and the "Plus" machines are NOT data-capable.

Den





REMstar Basic (no SmartCard) - DS100*, DS100H*
REMstar Plus with C-Flex (no SmartCard) - DS200* DS200H*
REMstar Plus with C-Flex and SmartCard - DS200S DS200HS

REMstar Pro with C-Flex - DS400S, DS400HS

REMstar Auto with C-Flex - DS500S, DS500HS
REMstar Auto with A-Flex - DS510S, DS510HS

BiPAP Plus with Bi-Flex - DS600*, DS600H*
BiPAP Auto with Bi-Flex - DS700S, DS700HS

BiPAP autoSV - 1038917, 1040716
Noninvasive Ventilation Systems
BiPAP AVAPS - 1029744, 102970
BiPAP S/T - 1012885, 1014248

*These models only offer phone-in compliance data.

[Paul56]

She told me she had serious concerns about my "obsessive need" to monitor myself.

Wow... just wow.

Did all these DMEs take the same course? "How to be Obnoxious with Customers"

Congrats on getting a good machine.

[rested gal]

respironics D700S with a smart card. Is this a fully data capable machine

Yes, it is. I have that model. BiPAP Auto M Series w/SmartCard - DS700S - as mentioned by Den in his list of model numbers.

If you go to this page at the Respironics website:
http://bipapautomseries.respironics.com/

Then click the "Resources Part Numbers and Accessories" link at the right side of that page, you'll see the model number for that machine.

Or just go directly to the "Part Numbers" page:
http://bipapautomseries.respironics.com/Parts.aspx

[Billy6]

>>>She told me she had serious concerns about my "obsessive need" to monitor myself. Now she says she is ordering the respironics>>>. I'm glad someone else has my point of view about the whole thing. I've been climbing into this thing since August and havent looked at a reading yet.

[dieselgal]

She told me she had serious concerns about my "obsessive need" to monitor myself

Tell her she doesn't need to WORRY about your obsessions because you have an over paid psychiatrist to take care of that. All she needs to worry about are HER customer service skills.

[rested gal]

>>>She told me she had serious concerns about my "obsessive need" to monitor myself. Now she says she is ordering the respironics>>>. I'm glad someone else has my point of view about the whole thing. I've been climbing into this thing since August and havent looked at a reading yet.

Wanting to see what's going on with one's own medical treatment doesn't mean a person has an "obsessive need" to monitor his/her own treatment.

Some people like to take a look at their own data. Others don't care a whit about that, especially if the treatment is making them feel better.

Some of us (me) are just nosy about what a machine reports.

[SharkBait]

>>>She told me she had serious concerns about my "obsessive need" to monitor myself. Now she says she is ordering the respironics>>>. I'm glad someone else has my point of view about the whole thing. I've been climbing into this thing since August and havent looked at a reading yet.

I have that obsessive need. I wake up, I hit the button on the APAP, and the first thing I do is pull out the card. Then I set it on the kitchen counter in a safe spot while I fix my coffee. I meander around getting on some sweats and a ball cap getting ready to go pick the kids up and take them to school, and I'm just chomping at the bit to see how I did last night.

Fortunately, I have a big ole Bunn-A-Matic that makes coffee in about 1 minute and then I go settle in at my workstation, sip my coffee and bring up the Encore Pro Software so I can see how I did last night. I wanna see my AHI, my leaks, and also my graph to see if I can ascertain what might have triggered an apnea or if they just pop up with smooth sailing.

My question is WTF harm does it do for me to be obsessed about monitoring my data? I feel like a million bucks in the morning, I know I'm breathing throughout the nights, and I ENJOY seeing what occurred with my breathing while I slept last night?

[rested gal]

Defining "obsessive" might be a little like trying to define "obscenity." Might be one of those subjective, "Well, I know what it is when I see it." things.

Seriously, though, I (my subjective opinion, anyway) do think some people (not you, Shark! lol) get obsessive about what shows up on their data, and start worrying over every little decimal point of change from one session to another. Or get obsessive about trying to get a zero AHI. That can be a fun game to tweak/play, but "0" really isn't going to make a difference.

Anyway, there's always the psychological value of "empowerment." Some who want to become as involved as possible in their own treatment might even be more likely to stick with it if they have some say-so in what changes (if any) to make in their treatment. Being able to access the data can help the "I want control of this" individuals (me, again) either make the decisions themselves, or discuss with their doctor what they'd like to do (or tell the doc what they are going to do or have done...heheh.)

[ozij]

Defining "obsessive" might be a little like trying to define "obscenity." Might be one of those subjective, "Well, I know what it is when I see it." things.

Seriously, though, I (my subjective opinion, anyway) do think some people (not you, Shark! lol) get obsessive about what shows up on their data, and start worrying over every little decimal point of change from one session to another. Or get obsessive about trying to get a zero AHI. That can be a fun game to tweak/play, but "0" really isn't going to make a difference.

Anyway, there's always the psychological value of "empowerment." Some who want to become as involved as possible in their own treatment might even be more likely to stick with it if they have some say-so in what changes (if any) to make in their treatment. Being able to access the data can help the "I want control of this" individuals (me, again) either make the decisions themselves, or discuss with their doctor what they'd like to do (or tell the doc what they are going to do or have done...heheh.)

Yup.
And telling someone you are worried about their obssesiveness can be on of the most depowering, patronizing things to say - especially when it part of a power struggle about the data one person doen not want the other to have.

Tell her she doesn't need to WORRY about your obsessions because you have an over paid psychiatrist to take care of that. All she needs to worry about are HER customer service skills.

O.

[Wulfman]

One person's "Obsessive" is another person's "Normal".

This whole argument about monitoring one's XPAP therapy is so hypocritical (and in some ways similar) when you compare it to some other illnesses/conditions like Diabetes. You can hardly watch TV for an hour without seeing advertisements about being able to get free glucose meters for people to monitor their levels. (Actually, the profit is in the strips that the meters use.) We've all heard the "your meter is your lifeline" phrase in the commercials. On the "dLife" show on TV, they're constantly promoting "patient awareness" and testing. The problem seems to arise in the doctor-insurance-patient monitoring issue. I've read many posts by people whose doctors won't write prescriptions for as many (glucose testing) strips as people really NEED......to figure out what foods affect their blood sugar levels. Most insurance companies will pay for as many strips as the doctor prescribes (up to a fairly generous limit for Type 2's.....and more for Type 1's), but it seems many doctors won't write the Rx's for more and some will write "minimal" prescriptions. Doctors seem to want to prescribe "drugs" for Type 2 patients and think that only one or two tests a day or even a week should be adequate. Insurance guidelines (I believe) will pay for about 100 strips (or more) per month for Type 2's and 300 per month for Type 1's. I've also seen posts by people who's doctors think that if they're on medications and their blood sugar is in the 200 range, that's OK, too......so the people don't test often (or at all). At some point, they have a rude awakening.

From a personal experience.....about a year ago I called my doctor's office to ask for a prescription for glucose testing strips because my insurance provider had contracted with Express Scripts in 2007 and I would have been able to get three months of testing strips for only $15 (as opposed to nearly $300). The doctor's nurse told me that it was "against the law" for him to write a prescription without my coming in for an office visit. As I was talking to her.....and she told me that, I blurted out "AGAINST THE LAW???"......and she again repeated her statement. So, being the suspicious type ......I checked with one of the Registered Nurses where I work and she assured me that it is NOT against the law. Yes, it had been some time since I had been to the doctor's office, but since Diabetes is a life-long condition, it shouldn't have made any difference.....he made the diagnosis in early 2005. Since this incident last year was during the time that gasoline was around $4.00 per gallon, I took into consideration what the trip would cost me.....both in fuel and time off of work, plus the cost of the office visit......and I came up with the conclusion that buying a ReliOn (brand) meter from Wal-Mart ($9) and strips ($42 per 100) would be less expensive in the long run......and I could buy as many as I want/need.
As with my CPAP therapy, I'm doing my own glucose monitoring......

There's something horribly wrong with the medical profession when it comes to education of patients and letting them become more involved in their therapies. It all boils down to MONEY......and putting it in THEIR pockets.

Getting off my soapbox now.....

Den

[Sleepy Boy]

I asked about my RX the other day, and my DME acted like I had asked for money or something.I have never seen it yet, and was curious what it said (as if I could even understand it) I still haven't seen it..

[rested gal]

I asked about my RX the other day, and my DME acted like I had asked for money or something.

No wonder! The DME is the only one allowed to ask for money...didn't you know that?!! (j/k)

When lowly "patients" ask something like that, some DMEs (not all...there are some good ones out there) are taken aback. To them, it's like hearing a cow or a sheep open its mouth and speak.

What answer did he/she give you, by the way?

I have never seen it yet, and was curious what it said (as if I could even understand it) I still haven't seen it..

Seriously, you have a right not only to see it but to have a copy of it. I'd be asking the DME to make you a copy of your Rx. If the DME balks, then ask the doctor who signed the Rx for a copy of it.