[Anonymous]

DME stands for Durable Medical Equipment.

A DME Provider, also referenced as a DME, typically accepts insurance in exchange for CPAP Equipment.

[gardenrodent]

Thanks...

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[rested gal]

Hi Bob (love your "gardenrodent" nickname, btw. )

Anonymous answered the question you posted in another thread. In case you haven't revisited that thread, here was my response:

Please help the ignorant, what is DME?

Thanks

Bob

Hi Bob,

You're not ignorant at all. Took me a long time to understand what's "DME".

The initials stand for "durable medical equipment." Message board posters use "DME" as ungrammatical shorthand to refer to home health care supplies stores as "DME"s, and also to refer to employees of those stores.

Example:

My DME is Apria. (the store)

My DME tried three masks on me, but she said only one fit me well. (the employee)

Technically online cpap supply stores are also "DME"'s -- stores that sell durable medical equipment over the internet. But when message board posters talk about "DME"s, we generally mean the bricks and mortar home health care stores that you walk into in your town.

[Patrick A]

I always wondered what "DME meant !!!

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Additional Comments: Respironics Battery Pack As power back-up. Been on cpap since 06/21/05 20cm, Before Bipap Auto.

[gardenrodent]

Thanks folks, I thought it must be a stateside thing, but I really wasn't sure

Luckily for me I didn't have to deal with all that, but the down side is I don't really get much choice, I think... Having said that, this is all early days, as I've been away on a long holiday and business, I have not yet had a return trip to the sleep nurse. Under normal circumstances I would have gone back a week later, then again at the end of the month. As things are at the moment I think I am forgotten

Tomorrow I will remind them that I exist!

Thanks for making me feel welcome...

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[snoregirl]

Your post gets me wondering. You haven't had to deal with DME's and you don't get much choice???


This makes me guess that you are dealing with one of those all-in-one sleep center places. Of course I could be wrong.

But if I am not, and while that may all be great, consider calling your insurance and you may indeed have a choice and get to pick your DME brick and mortar or online.

If this is the case, make sure you really like what this all-in-one place is handing you or your options to go elsewhere using insurance may no longer be available.

And get a copy of your sleep studies and prescription in case the relationship sours.

OOPS I just noticed your profile and a Remstar Plus is listed so you already have a machine. Well the rest is no longer relevant, but getting a copy of your study and presecription is still a good idea.

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): DME, Prescription

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Additional Comments: Also UMFF mask

[gardenrodent]

Ah, no, the more important bit is that I am in the UK and the NHS is providing, hence no knowledge of DME's (and the occasional weird spellings ). I had a very basic sleep study, basically I wore the finger tip device to determine if and when my blood oxygen levels were falling and how often. This was done over a typical nights sleep at home.

The local hospital does have a sleep unit, and I have seen the room, ugh, shiver! I have to have a study some time in the future, I am not really sure yet. As I have posted elsewhere, for the moment I have been forgotten

I'll keep you posted on what else gives...

Bob

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[Vader]

You mean it don't stand for Devils Manipulating Everyone?

:::runs:::

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