Cpap Machines

Its been a while since I've been here. Way back when I was diagnosed I found this forum and was helped by all these knowledgable people taking time to help those who were struggling. I know I'll get answers to my questions. My current machine, a Resmed S9 is giving me an error message the "motor life exceded,please contact service provider" (Apria, Yikes). It has 22,500+ hours. My backup machine ia a RemStar Auto M Series A Flex has 14,200+ hours. I have no idea how long the error message has been there. Its hidden from view, I just noticed it this morning. It appears to be working fine. Do I continue to use it until it stops working? Is there a chance it will blow up on me or cause a fire? If I use the RemStar I have not been able to figure out how to remove the humidifier. I can't remember how. I will have to get a new machine and will start looking at them on line. I'm also wondering what is new and improved in the world of c-pap machines. I'd appreciate and pros and cons on machines. I'm still using the Swift nasal pillow masks and have had no issues for ever. Thanks in advance for the help!

Go here and request the clinical manual for the M series machine you have. It should show how to take the humidifier off...there's a little hidden release button/switch on the bottom or the side (I forget exactly where but it is hard to find once someone forgets where it is).
http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-p ... tup-manual

What model S9 machine are you using now...model name should be on the top of the machine next to the LCD screen?
Are you planning on using insurance to get your new machine and going through Crapria again or will you just be buying it out of pocket?

Once I know which model you are using I can tell you what is available in the same current model line.

H5i? Does that sound right? I couldn't find anything else on the machine. I had to use Apria when I has insurance thru work. Totally usless company. Now that I'm retired I have Medicare which I don't know anything about how they do machines. I have ordered masks and filters using Medicare and everything seemed to be higher in cost than with insurance. I'm guessing they are going to want to rent it to me for x amount of months to make sure I am complient. Never mind I have used a cpap machine for 17 years , never missing a night or a nap! If it gets to crazy I"ll check out to see if I can buy it myself. Thanks for helping!

Maybe EPR for a model #?

Is this the humidifier info you need?

http://www.directhomemedical.com/pdf/re ... manual.pdf

Should the motor actually fail, I saved a link where this company will replace the motor for $199: https://cpap-repair.com/

I know nothing about the company and have never used them, but the price did not sound unreasonable.

Your profile now shows the S9 AutoSet...maybe I missed it earlier because once I start composing a reply I don't see the equipment list.

So if it says AutoSet I know the machine.

It's not going to blow up or anything like that...just keep using it until it up and dies and you will know it if/when that happens.
The warning is more of a general reminder thing...there are machines out there going strong after 20 years of use so until it dies...use it.

ResMed's equivalent to that model machine is this one
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... idair.html
and I would actually suggest that you stick with the ResMed AutoSet unless you are buying totally out of pocket and money is extremely tight and a hardship that the slightly more the ResMed would cost when compared to the Respironics equivalent.
Your body is used to the ResMed way of doing things and might not like it if you changed and the ResMed is a really good brand to be using.

Will you be using your insurance and a local DME or will you just be looking to buy online and not use insurance?

She is on Medicare...She should get a new machine through Medicare. It is normally rent for 12-13 months and then you own it.

https://www.medicare.gov/supplierdirectory/search.html

https://www.resmed.com/us/dam/documents ... achine.pdf

By all means...if on Medicare then let Medicare pay its share.
Only downside...dealing with Crapria but they have to abide by Medicare rules and regulations.
Or...check with Medicare and see if there is another DME in the area that also works with Medicare.

The price you end up paying through Medicare is much less than what you will pay out of pocket for a new machine. You will be charges 20% of the monthly charge Medicare pays for the machine, not what the DME tries to charge them. After renting the machine for 13 months, it is yours. Check the list of approved DME providers for your area if you live in a competitive pricing area. I found a supplier at the bottom of the list that is located in Florida, and I live in Oklahoma. I have been very happy with them. When my wife got her machine, their local representative brought it to the house and showed her how to set it up. I get all of our supplies through them, and can order them on line. It normally takes around ten days to get supplies once I order them.

Pugsy wrote:Go here and request the clinical manual for the M series machine you have. It should show how to take the humidifier off...there's a little hidden release button/switch on the bottom or the side (I forget exactly where but it is hard to find once someone forgets where it is).
http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-p ... tup-manual

The M series also had a little plastic adapter, without which you can't attach the hose directly to the machine. The adapter gets removed to use the humidifier, but needs to get replaced in order to use the machine without the humidifier. Hopefully, you still have that piece.

On the issue of the "exceeded motor life" message, how interesting that it showed up after 5 years, when most insurance companies will pay for a replacement every 5 years. My first thought is that the message is set to go off at 5 years, regardless of what's happening with the motor, but I don't have experience with your machine to know for sure.

My first machine was an M series, which I handed back to Apria when I learned that they were defrauding my insurance company. Prior to that, my copay was $7-8 per month, almost $100 per year, and the defraud was that they started the rent to own over, so I kept paying and paying. I replaced the M series with a $500 Puritan Bennett Sandman that lasted 9 years, which averages out to about $56 per year. My apnea is too mild to get Medicare to pay for treatment any way, now that I'm retired, so for me, it's working to get the inexpensive machine and get the most life out of it that I can. For you, if Medicare will cover your machine, then you have more options.

Bonnie wrote:H5i? Does that sound right? I couldn't find anything else on the machine. I had to use Apria when I has insurance thru work. Totally usless company. Now that I'm retired I have Medicare which I don't know anything about how they do machines. I have ordered masks and filters using Medicare and everything seemed to be higher in cost than with insurance. I'm guessing they are going to want to rent it to me for x amount of months to make sure I am complient. Never mind I have used a cpap machine for 17 years , never missing a night or a nap! If it gets to crazy I"ll check out to see if I can buy it myself. Thanks for helping!

Given the timing you specify, it is quite possible that you may need a new sleep study for Medicare. I think they require one if you cannot prove compliance and if the original sleep study is more than ten years old. If you are on straight Medicare with no advantage or supplement plan you should have no more than the 20% copay for supplies if you maintain Medicare's schedule of replacement. AFAIK, this is true of new machines too. With certain supplement plans (the full F plan, for example) your copay would be zero. What the various advantage plans offer and require I don't know. Give we are currently late in the open enrollment period, you may be well advised to factor your xPAP needs into selecting and advantage or supplement plan - this means a lot of rapid research. Medicare.gov would be a good place to start and an article from Huffington Post states:

"The options and choices available to Medicare beneficiaries today can be overwhelming. In addition to original Medicare (Part A and B) that has been around for 49 years, you also have the option of enrolling in a Part D prescription drug plan and a supplemental (Medigap) policy — both of which are sold by private insurance companies. Or, a Medicare Advantage plan which covers health care, prescription drugs and extra services all in one. These plans, which are also sold by private insurers, are generally available through HMOs and PPOs.
To help you figure out the Medicare plans for you, there are a variety of services and tools available today depending on how much help you need. Here are several to get you started.
Free Resources
A good starting point to get familiar with Medicare is the “Medicare & You” 2014 handbook that overviews the program and your options. You can read it online, or you should receive a free copy in the mail one month before your 65th birthday.
The Medicare website also offers a free “Plan Finder” tool that can help you find and compare health plans, supplemental policies and prescription drug plans in your area. Or, if you don’t have Internet access, or don’t feel confident in working through the information on your own, you can also call Medicare at 800-633-4227 and a customer service representative will do the work for you over the phone.
Other free resources that can help include planprescriber.com or ehealthmedicare.com, two websites developed by eHealth Insurance that will compare Part D, Advantage and supplemental plans in your area and connect you to a licensed insurance agent.
In addition, the Medicare Rights Center staffs a hotline at 800-333-4114 to help answer your Medicare questions.
And your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) provides free Medicare counseling in person or over the phone. To find a local SHIP counselor see shiptalk.org, or call the Eldercare Locator at 800-677-1116.
And, for tips on choosing a top Medicare Advantage plan, see the HealthMetrix Research Cost Share Report. This resource lists the best Advantage plans by area based on your health status."

One caveat for supplement plans is that if you did not choose one when you initially signed up for Medicare, you may find availability and pricing now problematical (they can't refuse to sign you up nor can they stray from a preset pricing schedule initially; later, they can). Supplemental plans offer many real advantages (no networks or referrals, and the ability to go to any doctor or hospital that accepts Medicare anywhere in the United States just to name a few) but the premium cost can seem high. The actual cost is sometimes very different, for example: last month my pacemaker battery reach end of life (the battery's, not mine). The device itself cost more than $15,000, I paid zero; the procedure cost more than $30,000, I paid zero. Had I needed to pay the 20% it would have been more than $9,000. The premium has returned its cost many time over for this example and many others, as well.

Thank you Jim, very useful info on Medicare! I hope not to have a sleep study, at this point I have myself trained NOT to fall asleep with out Cpap. And thanks to all for the info also. Some research is needed so I have an idea of machines, costs and my Medicare options. Thanks again, I knew I'd get answers!