Need a GOOD GTA Ontario DME-preferrably Durham/Scarb

Hi

Newbie here! I have recently been diagnosed with OSA and am having my Titration Sleep Study next Tuesday before which I have to tell the sleep lab which DME I will be going to so they can send the prescription to them. I am looking for a DME that provides good customer service/experience in the GTA, and with any luck close to Durham Region or Scarborough. I am in Ajax and willing to travel to a good, reputable DME. I've limited options here in Ajax, 3 to be exact. I've gone to all 3 to gather info and at the first one, Vitalaire I arrived to find the technician in with a client, although she politely came out of the office and told me she'd be with me when she's finished. It was a decent enough looking little storefront. Sleep Health-my second visit, where I was told to come back when I have a prescription after watching the 2 doors behind the reception shut as soon as they heard me talking to the receptionist. (crossed off list quickly). 3rd option was Shoppers Home Health Care where apparently you have to make an appointment to see the CPAP Technician (or specialist or whatever his title is). It sounds like he goes around to different Home Health Care locations as required. I am sure if I were to phone him I'd likely be told to wait til I had a prescription.

Now in reading this and another forum, I've read some negative feedback to do with (unknown exact office locations) of Vitalaire. A friend recommended Sleep Health, but first off they were not on the list provided to me from the Oshawa Sleep Clinic and secondly, was so NOT impressed with their initial customer service. Also their office was much smaller than the smallest bedroom in our house LOL.

Hoping someone has had positive experiences at a DME local to me (willing to drive as far west as Toronto and as far east as Cobourg). Thanks for any help you can give me!

I'm currently using Medigas (they are at Steeles and Warden), as I'm renting my APAP until they figure out exactly what machine I need. They aren't cheap, but their service was pretty decent.

Look into Vitalaire - they are generally very good to deal with.

Thanks for the replies. The two places I have read the most complaints about is Medigas and Vitalaire oddly enough. Perhaps it differs depending on which exact location of both those companies as they each have a lot of locations.

I went to a smaller CPAP DME today to not only have a look at the place, but I had the awesome luck to speak directly to the RT for about 15 minutes and she was very helpful and took the time to explain things to me and answer all my questions. It's a 30 minute drive further than my local ones, but I am happy with that place and will go there for my DME.

Before spending any money with any of them, familiarize yourself with the Ontario OHIP ADP rules. You can google them.

OHIP will fund 75% of the cost of your equipment. It also specifies the cost that DMEs can charge the patient. DMEs have a habit of trying to inflate the costs and lately have taken to adding "extras" to boost their profit. Know the rules before you go in and know the equipment that you need/want.

Make sure that you get a data capable machine. Not just compliance data. You NEED full efficacy data. You can search this board to get info on what that means and what models of machine are best.

Make sure they fit you for your mask. Many people have problems with adjusting to cpap therapy and most often the problem comes down to an ill fitting mask. DMEs rush this portion of their job. Don't let them. A good DME will let you try masks at home to help you find the right one. 10 minutes in their office while sitting (instead of lying down) is not a substitute.

FYI, I dealt with the Oshawa clinic when I was first diagnosed. Like many sleep clinics, they have an affiliation with the clinics that they recommend. While I have no direct proof, it was apparent to me that this affiliation is financial. Nothing unusual about this in that I think all sleep clinics at least in the Toronto area have affiliations of one sort or another.

I also dealt with Vitalaire (through the Oshawa Clinic) when I was first diagnosed. I found their service level wanting and they were deceitful about what equipment was available to me. I never bought anything from them as a result. I used (if I recall correctly) Home Health Care in Pickering (this is NOT shoppers home health). Can't say I recommend them but at least they were honest. I dealt with Home Health Care in 2008. At that time, they worked out of the guy's home office and they would send a truck to your home with equipment on it for home consultation and set up. You can go to the home but it's not really a storefront.

I haven't been back to any of the local DME's since picking up my first set of equipment. Since then, I've been buying either from cpap.com or clinical sleep in Vancouver. Much better prices and service.

No need to worry about any of this provided you do your homework in advance and keep your wits about you when dealing with them. If you are unsure, then buy nothing and take a day or two to think about it (and post here!) if necessary.

And welcome to the board. By coming here, you've already made a good choice. There's tonnes of experience and help right here on this board.

Hose_Head wrote:Before spending any money with any of them, familiarize yourself with the Ontario OHIP ADP rules. You can google them.

OHIP will fund 75% of the cost of your equipment. It also specifies the cost that DMEs can charge the patient. DMEs have a habit of trying to inflate the costs and lately have taken to adding "extras" to boost their profit. Know the rules before you go in and know the equipment that you need/want.

Make sure that you get a data capable machine. Not just compliance data. You NEED full efficacy data. You can search this board to get info on what that means and what models of machine are best.

Make sure they fit you for your mask. Many people have problems with adjusting to cpap therapy and most often the problem comes down to an ill fitting mask. DMEs rush this portion of their job. Don't let them. A good DME will let you try masks at home to help you find the right one. 10 minutes in their office while sitting (instead of lying down) is not a substitute.

FYI, I dealt with the Oshawa clinic when I was first diagnosed. Like many sleep clinics, they have an affiliation with the clinics that they recommend. While I have no direct proof, it was apparent to me that this affiliation is financial. Nothing unusual about this in that I think all sleep clinics at least in the Toronto area have affiliations of one sort or another.


Hose

I also dealt with Vitalaire (through the Oshawa Clinic) when I was first diagnosed. I found their service level wanting and they were deceitful about what equipment was available to me. I never bought anything from them as a result. I used (if I recall correctly) Home Health Care in Pickering (this is NOT shoppers home health). Can't say I recommend them but at least they were honest. I dealt with Home Health Care in 2008. At that time, they worked out of the guy's home office and they would send a truck to your home with equipment on it for home consultation and set up. You can go to the home but it's not really a storefront.

I haven't been back to any of the local DME's since picking up my first set of equipment. Since then, I've been buying either from cpap.com or clinical sleep in Vancouver. Much better prices and service.

No need to worry about any of this provided you do your homework in advance and keep your wits about you when dealing with them. If you are unsure, then buy nothing and take a day or two to think about it (and post here!) if necessary.

And welcome to the board. By coming here, you've already made a good choice. There's tonnes of experience and help right here on this board.

Hose_Head thanks for the info. I went to the Oshawa-Durham Sleep Lab in Oshawa for my sleep lab and will be returning there this coming week for the titration sleep lab testing. About where to buy my machine etc, I have decided on Community Respiratory Services in Courtice after spending time there speaking with both the receptionist and then with the RT at some length. Both were really helpful. I realize they may try to sell me more than I need. So far not knowing if I will qualify for an Auto PAP machine I'm trying to decide on which CPAP and at this time am thinking the ResMed S9 Elite which I believe takes an SD card and provides full data. I am wanting to start using SleepyHead sw and track my results and hopefully progress.
What are your thoughts on that machine?

cate1898 wrote:Hose_Head thanks for the info. I went to the Oshawa-Durham Sleep Lab in Oshawa for my sleep lab and will be returning there this coming week for the titration sleep lab testing. About where to buy my machine etc, I have decided on Community Respiratory Services in Courtice after spending time there speaking with both the receptionist and then with the RT at some length. Both were really helpful. I realize they may try to sell me more than I need. So far not knowing if I will qualify for an Auto PAP machine I'm trying to decide on which CPAP and at this time am thinking the ResMed S9 Elite which I believe takes an SD card and provides full data. I am wanting to start using SleepyHead sw and track my results and hopefully progress.
What are your thoughts on that machine?

Is there any reason why you can't get the Airsense 10 Elite CPAP? It's the newest model and if you're using ADP it should cost the same.

cate1898 wrote: Hose_Head thanks for the info. I went to the Oshawa-Durham Sleep Lab in Oshawa for my sleep lab and will be returning there this coming week for the titration sleep lab testing. About where to buy my machine etc, I have decided on Community Respiratory Services in Courtice after spending time there speaking with both the receptionist and then with the RT at some length. Both were really helpful. I realize they may try to sell me more than I need. So far not knowing if I will qualify for an Auto PAP machine I'm trying to decide on which CPAP and at this time am thinking the ResMed S9 Elite which I believe takes an SD card and provides full data. I am wanting to start using SleepyHead sw and track my results and hopefully progress.
What are your thoughts on that machine?

I have no experience with the Resmed line of xpaps but from what I read here, they are excellent. I've always used a Philips-Respironics machine. Also excellent.

As noted by ramblingasian, the latest Resmed machine is the Airsense 10. That's where you should be starting.

Under Ontario ADP rules, it's very difficult to qualify for an auto-pap and there is no way that you can pay out-of-pocket for the difference in cost to upgrade to one. That's a shame and I suspect a legacy of how the Ontario doctors look down upon auto-paps. (As a matter of interest, I did qualify for an autopap when I was tested in 2008 and I firmly believe that everybody should be given one, even if it's only set in basic cpap mode.) You do have the option of foregoing the ADP funding and purchasing the machine on your own (see below).

The standard practice for the Oshawa sleep clinic is for you to go on a trial of cpap prior to your titration sleep study. I assume that you are on this trial, right now. After your titration sleep study you will go in to see your sleep doctor and he will give you your final consultation and results, followed by a visit directly to the office next door with the DME - where you are expected to buy your cpap and mask.

While you are seeing your sleep doctor, make sure that you ask for a written copy of your prescription (just like any other Rx for medication), and a full printed copy of your sleep study results. When you go to see the DME next door, don't feel that you have to buy from them - with your sleep study results and Rx in hand, you can go anywhere to buy.

Your written prescription is especially important to have because you may need that to buy supplies (masks and hoses) via mail order from the USA. It's also nice to have with you when you travel in case something breaks and you need to make an emergency purchase. Also ask your doctor if he would also give you a second Rx for an auto-pap. While you won't be able to use this for an ADP purchase (unless your titration study shows that you meet the ADP requirements), you can use it to purchase an autopap at your own expense. The sleep doctor may or may not give it to you (you definitely won't get it if you don't ask).

One of the things that you will want to do after you get adjusted and settled in with your cpap therapy is to buy a second machine to act as a back up (and possibly as a travel cpap). The piece of mind of having a second machine is tremendous because these things can and do break down on occasion. (Battery back up is another much desired capability). If you have the prescription from your doctor for an autopap,you can use it to buy the autopap that you really wanted (of course, assuming you can afford it to buy it ) and you can use the ADP-provided cpap as your backup and travel machine.

Another option for a backup cpap is to look on kijiji and craigslist. These things show up every now and then, usually standard cpaps with very low hours. They are being sold by people who were prescribed the cpap but who could not tolerate the therapy. If you go this route, pay no attention to the very high asking prices - people are just trying to pocket the value of a new insurance-provided machine (remember that they only have about $200 of their own money in it).

Here are some links you need to check out:
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/prog ... nuals.aspx
On that link, second last item, is a link to the PDF "manual" that lists what ADP will pay for various machines.

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/prog ... tions.aspx
Here, look for "Policy and Administration Manual - Respiratory Equipment and Supplies" which is another PDF. This manual describes how much you will be reimbursed by ADP for purchase of equipment and it outlines eligibility requirments. See s335.01 for eligibility requirements for auto-cpap.

And finally: you may or may not be aware that Philips-Respironics and Resmed do not allow retailers to ship
their products from USA to Canada. This means that you cannot buy from, for example, cpap.com and have any Philips-Respironics or Resmed products to your Canadian address. There is a workaround if you have a US mailing address (friends? relatives? reshipping service?). However there are at least a couple of Canadian online retailers that have competitive prices and provide good service. I've used clinicalsleep.ca out of Richmond BC for years with nothing but good experience. Others on this board have used cpapoutlet.ca (which is the same company as cpapclinic.ca).

Best of luck!

Well here goes again. Thought I already replied but it disappeared LOL.

So I went to the Oshawa-Durham Sleep Clinic on King Street Oshawa and it sounds like it works a bit different. 1st sleep study that determined OSA. Then appt with sleep Dr. there to discuss. Then appt made for another sleep study this time in addition to the usual wiring up, also will be on a CPAP for the night there. Then the DME that I advised them I will be using will contact me within a week or so to have me come in and get a loaner machine which I am to use for 8 weeks (in my case 10 week as I will be away) before going back in to see the sleep dr. for a consult and prescription. Then back to the DME to I guess buy my own machine.

Anyway, I found a YouTube video comparing the ResMed S9 Elite to the ResMed AirSense 10 Elite but it did not go into enough detail. If I don't get a ResMed it will likely then be a Phillips Respironics as those seem to be the most popular brands and I assume they must be for a reason. I've been spending literally hours every day lately reading all I can online and watching YouTube videos of CPAP related topics. I've read so much telling me not to fully trust any DME as they might have a different agenda in what they lead you to purchase. I am hoping to know which machine I want to buy before my visit to the DME to purchase my own machine.

I appreciate any and all help I can get on this!!

cate1898 wrote:Well here goes again. Thought I already replied but it disappeared LOL.

So I went to the Oshawa-Durham Sleep Clinic on King Street Oshawa and it sounds like it works a bit different. 1st sleep study that determined OSA. Then appt with sleep Dr. there to discuss. Then appt made for another sleep study this time in addition to the usual wiring up, also will be on a CPAP for the night there. Then the DME that I advised them I will be using will contact me within a week or so to have me come in and get a loaner machine which I am to use for 8 weeks (in my case 10 week as I will be away) before going back in to see the sleep dr. for a consult and prescription. Then back to the DME to I guess buy my own machine.

Anyway, I found a YouTube video comparing the ResMed S9 Elite to the ResMed AirSense 10 Elite but it did not go into enough detail. If I don't get a ResMed it will likely then be a Phillips Respironics as those seem to be the most popular brands and I assume they must be for a reason. I've been spending literally hours every day lately reading all I can online and watching YouTube videos of CPAP related topics. I've read so much telling me not to fully trust any DME as they might have a different agenda in what they lead you to purchase. I am hoping to know which machine I want to buy before my visit to the DME to purchase my own machine.

I appreciate any and all help I can get on this!!

Sounds like you're becoming informed! Whatever brand you end up using, make sure you get the newest model - there is no reason why you shouldn't be given the best machine in each companies' stable: whether it's the newest Resmed or Respironics machine.

Just saw online there is a new PR machine coming out. DreamStation. Looks good from the posted pic. Love to know when this one will hit the Cdn market. Not sure about the specs yet.

@ramblingasian I was under the misguided impression that the ResMed A10 Elite did not supply the user with as much data information as the S9 Elite. I believe I have now resolved this and this is not the case. So, so far the top runner for my money will be the A10 Elite.

cate1898 wrote:Just saw online there is a new PR machine coming out. DreamStation. Looks good from the posted pic. Love to know when this one will hit the Cdn market. Not sure about the specs yet.

@ramblingasian I was under the misguided impression that the ResMed A10 Elite did not supply the user with as much data information as the S9 Elite. I believe I have now resolved this and this is not the case. So, so far the top runner for my money will be the A10 Elite.

Knowing Ontario, it probably will be a while before the government even updates it's files to allow the DreamStation to be covered under ADP. You're not the only one hunting for solutions - I'm currently on an APAP waiting for OHIP to approve a BiPAP titration. It's great to see someone else in the GTA that wants to be involved in their apnea care. It seems that we're in the extreme minority.