Newbie needing advice for DME - ResMed S9 VPAP S

I could really use some advice I have learned a good bit from reading your posts, and I am so appreciative of you who try to help us inexperienced newbies.

I have recently been diagnosed with sleep apnea, and due to my results, it was recommended I get a Bi-Pap machine.

I received a call from a DME rep informing me that my script for a BiPap had been received and that my setting would be 13/6. The rep proceeds to sternly inform me that she has ordered my ResMed S9 VPAP S machine, and that my responsibility would be $$ upfront and monthly rent of $19.25. I do have insurance and it pays 85%.

Is it common that patients are not given the option in selecting a machine based on their doctor’s recommendations and that someone else would just choose it for us? She said that I did not need any other machine. I was not pleased with her attitude and I was assertive right back in saying that I like to take an active role in my healthcare. I feared we were not getting off to a very good start and that is not my intention at all.

I don’t know much about this machine as I am naive and am very interested in hearing if it is a good machine for my needs. She also said I would get a humidifier and that I would come in next week to buy my mask.

Can anyone offer any advice? Is this machine data capable? Is there anything else I need to know before going in to get this in a few days? Thanks again for all of your help on this board.

The S9 VPAP S is a full data machine. Software is easy to obtain and use.
It offers 2 modes of operation.....straight cpap mode like the Elite offers and fixed bilevel pressure mode.
It doesn't offer auto adjusting bilevel mode...the machine that offers auto adjusting bilevel pressures is the S9 VPAP Auto.
Sometimes the auto adjusting ability comes in handy if pressure needs during the night happen to vary a lot.

The 2 main bilevel pressure machine manufacturers are Respironics and ResMed.
Respironics call their bilevel machines "BiPaps"....ResMed calls their bilevel pressure machiens "VPAP".

The S9 VPAP S is a great machine. Only drawback is the lack of the auto adjusting bilevel mode and getting the DME to supply that model might be a bit difficult unless the doctor writes a range of bilevel pressures beyond EPAP/IPAP exhale/inhale which is what 13/7 is. The 7 is exhale and the 13 is inhale.

Ms Debi wrote:I could really use some advice I have learned a good bit from reading your posts, and I am so appreciative of you who try to help us inexperienced newbies.

I have recently been diagnosed with sleep apnea, and due to my results, it was recommended I get a Bi-Pap machine.

I received a call from a DME rep informing me that my script for a BiPap had been received and that my setting would be 13/6. The rep proceeds to sternly inform me that she has ordered my ResMed S9 VPAP S machine, and that my responsibility would be $$ upfront and monthly rent of $19.25. I do have insurance and it pays 85%.

Is it common that patients are not given the option in selecting a machine based on their doctor’s recommendations and that someone else would just choose it for us? She said that I did not need any other machine. I was not pleased with her attitude and I was assertive right back in saying that I like to take an active role in my healthcare. I feared we were not getting off to a very good start and that is not my intention at all.

I don’t know much about this machine as I am naive and am very interested in hearing if it is a good machine for my needs. She also said I would get a humidifier and that I would come in next week to buy my mask.

Can anyone offer any advice? Is this machine data capable? Is there anything else I need to know before going in to get this in a few days? Thanks again for all of your help on this board.

You were recently diagnosed with a pressure of 13/6 and your doctor has ordered you go on BiPap? Those are low pressures in my opinion; I would say CPAP pressures. For years I was on 18cm straight CPAP; just had a new study done a few months ago; my newly diagnosed pressure is 22cm IPAP/18cm EPAP and I'll be sleeping on a BIPAP soon; hopefully before Christmas.

Stevoreno_55 wrote:You were recently diagnosed with a pressure of 13/6 and your doctor has ordered you go on BiPap? Those are low pressures in my opinion; I would say CPAP pressures.

Higher pressure needs aren't the only reason for using a bilevel pressure machine. There could be any number of reasons not related to high pressures.
Aerophagia, centrals, lung issues making it difficult to exhale against 13....just a few examples.
I am sure there is a reason that the doctor felt was important enough to prescribed bilevel and insurance wouldn't pay for it if it wasn't a good reason.

Steve, we don't know anything about her situation. That a sleep doctor would prescribe a bipap with 13 as the high pressure suggests the doctor knows something we don't.

I do have chronic lung issues and had difficulty exhaling while using the CPAP during my sleep study.

My biggest fear was being taken advantage of by an uncaring DME rep. Naturally I wanted what my Dr. recommends. Did you guys help select your machine or what options you wanted or were willing to pay for?

Thanks again to each of you willing to help me. I am just naive as to how this process works.