cpap.com vs dme

jackr · Post by **jackr** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 10:11 am

Well, I told my mother that I was going to buy my equipment online. She told me that her DME can give me a great deal.

After spending 20 minutes on the phone with the guy this is what I learned.

cpap.com is selling below cost and will be out of business soon.

You cant buy smart card readers.

Smart card readers are for doctors only.

There is terminoligy in the data that patients cant understand.

Changing your own pressure is illegal.

I could probably go on but I started tuning him out. I can imagine if I never found this forum I may have bought into all that BS.

CollegeGirl · Post by **CollegeGirl** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 10:13 am

Haahahahahahahahha!

That's great. The sad thing is that it makes you wonder - how many people BELIEVE the lies these people spew on a daily basis?

Please tell me you called him on at least some of that BS. Please?

--CG

muld00n · Post by **muld00n** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 10:14 am

cpap.com is selling below cost and will be out of business soon.

You cant buy smart card readers.

Smart card readers are for doctors only.

There is terminoligy in the data that patients cant understand.

Changing your own pressure is illegal.

Did they happen to mentjion the Easter Bunny ??

Gheez!
Steve

jackr · Post by **jackr** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 10:20 am

I did call him on much of it but it was really pointless. It got to a point where I just wanted to find a way to get off the phone with him without being rude.

I was personally insulted when I was told I would not be able to understand the terminology and data. You know that may be true right now, but when I dont understand something I can learn about it and then I'll understand. no big deal!

Vader · Post by **Vader** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 10:22 am

jackr wrote:Well, I told my mother that I was going to buy my equipment online. She told me that her DME can give me a great deal.

After spending 20 minutes on the phone with the guy this is what I learned.

cpap.com is selling below cost and will be out of business soon.

You cant buy smart card readers.

Smart card readers are for doctors only.

There is terminoligy in the data that patients cant understand.

Changing your own pressure is illegal.

Yeah, but at least formerly disgraced politicians can find work in that field, after being run out of office.

oldgearhead · Post by **oldgearhead** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 10:24 am

You cant buy smart card readers.

Smart card readers are for doctors only.

The only thing I have to say about Smart Card Readers, is:
In this day of 4 GB Compact Flash cards, they are stupid.

I'll bet my wife's MP3 player will hold a year's worth of "detailed data".

The reason they are hard, not impossible, to buy is because they are
OBSOLETE.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 10:26 am

You need to get your Mom a new B.S. Meter, and a Shovel, Her meter is broken, and things are beginning to pile up. Jim

jackr · Post by **jackr** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 10:30 am

Goofproof wrote:You need to get your Mom a new B.S. Meter, and a Shovel, Her meter is broken, and things are beginning to pile up. Jim

If you knew my mother that is an understatment to say the least.

Vader · Post by **Vader** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 10:36 am

oldgearhead wrote:
.

I'll bet my wife's MP3 player will hold a year's worth of "detailed data".

maybe even more....

My ipod is only slightly larger than a pack of cigarettes, and it holds 80 gig!

jackr · Post by **jackr** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 10:51 am

But you really have no choice because if you want the info you have to have the smart card reader. Plus they are very very expensive.

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 11:06 am

jackr wrote:But you really have no choice because if you want the info you have to have the smart card reader. Plus they are very very expensive.

Was this a quote from your DME?

Who says they're "very very expensive"?

If you're going to be using a REMstar M Pro, Pro 2, Auto or M Serits Auto, this is what you would need.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage-bundle ... undle.html

If you compare that cost to repeated trips back to the doctor or additional sleep studies, it's dirt cheap.

Den

mattman · Post by **mattman** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 11:28 am

Obviously number 1 is clearly incorrect. However, I think they are most likely selling below some providers costs on certain items. It's just how things go. Some people have loss leaders that others cannot afford to.
Regardless, it's silly to try to state such a thing as fact.

Everything else is correct though.

"You cant buy smart card readers." - From a DME provider this is true.

"Smart card readers are for doctors only." - According to mfg policy - this is true.

"There is terminoligy in the data that patients cant understand." - This is obviously a subjective statement but from my experience for the average patient this would be absolutely correct. I may wish it otherwise. You may wish it otherwise but it's still certainly correct for 90%+ of the patients I've ever encountered.

"Changing your own pressure is illegal" - Going by the letter of the law and certainly from the liability standpoint of a provider this is also correct.

This doesn't take into account whether any of us agree or disagree with the reasoning behind it (For example if someone should be able to change thier own pressure) but from a purely factual standpoint and from the standpoint of a tradtional DME provider this is correct.

mattman

jackr · Post by **jackr** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 11:35 am

My DME wont sell any because "they are for doctors only".

I did see the USB one on cpap.com FOr about $130 but have found them else where for about $30.

If I buy a whole bundled package it is not expensive. And surely compared to going back to the doctor it is dirt cheap. Not to mention the less headaches associated with not going to the doctor.

By the way the Resporonics M series auto was $1000 until I told him I was looking online then it was $750.

Rabid1 · Post by **Rabid1** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 11:37 am

mattman wrote:Everything else is correct though.

"You cant buy smart card readers." - From a DME provider this is true.

"Smart card readers are for doctors only." - According to mfg policy - this is true.

"There is terminoligy in the data that patients cant understand." - This is obviously a subjective statement but from my experience for the average patient this would be absolutely correct. I may wish it otherwise. You may wish it otherwise but it's still certainly correct for 90%+ of the patients I've ever encountered.

"Changing your own pressure is illegal" - Going by the letter of the law and certainly from the liability standpoint of a provider this is also correct.

This doesn't take into account whether any of us agree or disagree with the reasoning behind it (For example if someone should be able to change thier own pressure) but from a purely factual standpoint and from the standpoint of a tradtional DME provider this is correct.

mattman

Matt,
Leave it ot you to spew more misinformation!

Either back-up the above statements or quit posting them as facts.

Linda3032 · Post by **Linda3032** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 11:57 am

Come on Rabid - Matt does a service here of offering up the point of view from "the other side". I think we all go overboard in making bold statements that we can't back up as "true".

I for one appreciate Matt and his point of view. Sometimes we all go overboard in accusing the "evil DME" of stupidity. Of course, Jackr's DME pretty much fits the bill.

I think we all should be a little more tolerant of the opinions of others.

Mask

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cpap.com vs dme

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