12 yr cpap user - New Sleep Study???

snowbaby · Post by **snowbaby** » Thu Mar 26, 2015 3:30 pm

I've been on cpap for probably 12 years. I have replaced my machine probably 3-4 times since I started. My current machine is sounding like it could be on its last legs so I contacted my Dr. to get a prescription to get a new one. My insurance company is now saying that I need a new sleep study to check the pressure. I really DO NOT want to have another one done! I use an APAP so why would I have to be concerned about my pressure changing? They could save themselves a lot of money and me the inconvenience if they'd just bypass that. It's been a long time since I've been on these boards but I'm hoping someone has suggestions.

BlackSpinner · Post by **BlackSpinner** » Thu Mar 26, 2015 3:48 pm

Buy one off craigslist or from one of our members. Probably ends up being cheaper.
You could even buy off our host cpap.com - you get them to fax the doctor for a prescription.

archangle · Post by **archangle** » Thu Mar 26, 2015 3:59 pm

snowbaby wrote:I've been on cpap for probably 12 years. I have replaced my machine probably 3-4 times since I started. My current machine is sounding like it could be on its last legs so I contacted my Dr. to get a prescription to get a new one. My insurance company is now saying that I need a new sleep study to check the pressure. I really DO NOT want to have another one done! I use an APAP so why would I have to be concerned about my pressure changing? They could save themselves a lot of money and me the inconvenience if they'd just bypass that. It's been a long time since I've been on these boards but I'm hoping someone has suggestions.

Welcome back.

What model of machine do you have? There's a link on how to tell this in the Useful Links in my signature line at the bottom of this post.

You may or may not really need a new sleep test, but it wouldn't be surprising if insurance requires one. The medical mafia likes to maximize profits for it's members with unnecessary $leep te$t$ many times.

Who said you that you need a new sleep test? Sometimes DME's or doctors lie about that, but it could be true.

Just having an auto machine is not really an adequate substitute for a sleep test, although if it's a fully data capable machine, any competent sleep doctor could look at the data and tell whether your therapy is working OK. Doctors still love to have $leep te$t$.

You might be able to get by with an in-home sleep test. Whatever kind of test you have, be sure to insist the doctor give you a sleeping pill, since it may be really hard to get any sleep without CPAP.

Wulfman... · Post by **Wulfman...** » Thu Mar 26, 2015 3:59 pm

I agree with BlackSpinner. If you have a copy of your prescription, you can buy a new machine from online sellers like CPAP.COM.
And, even if you don't have it, there are still many avenues to acquire the machines and supplies.
If you already have an APAP, it should be data-capable so you can monitor your therapy.

I also have no intentions of ever having another sleep study done. That's why my machines are data-capable.

Den

.

snowbaby · Post by **snowbaby** » Thu Mar 26, 2015 4:17 pm

Thanks for the replies! I think I'm going to avoid the DME's and buy from cpapxchange where I get all my supplies. I was hoping to avoid the expense and have insurance cover it but its really not worth the hassle of another sleep study. Sometimes I think the insurance companies make people jump through hoops in hopes that this exact situation occurs. So freaking annoying!

I am researching the latest and greatest APAP's - open to suggestions if anyone has good recommendations. I'm wondering, are there any machines out with data that can be viewed at home vs. having to take a card into the DME provider?

LSAT · Post by **LSAT** » Thu Mar 26, 2015 4:26 pm

archangle wrote:
snowbaby wrote:I've been on cpap for probably 12 years. I have replaced my machine probably 3-4 times since I started. My current machine is sounding like it could be on its last legs so I contacted my Dr. to get a prescription to get a new one. My insurance company is now [/color]saying that I need a new sleep study to check the pressure. I really DO NOT want to have another one done! I use an APAP so why would I have to be concerned about my pressure changing? They could save themselves a lot of money and me the inconvenience if they'd just bypass that. It's been a long time since I've been on these boards but I'm hoping someone has suggestions.

Welcome back.

What model of machine do you have? There's a link on how to tell this in the Useful Links in my signature line at the bottom of this post.

You may or may not really need a new sleep test, but it wouldn't be surprising if insurance requires one. The medical mafia likes to maximize profits for it's members with unnecessary $leep te$t$ many times.

Who said you that you need a new sleep test? Sometimes DME's or doctors lie about that, but it could be true.

Just having an auto machine is not really an adequate substitute for a sleep test, although if it's a fully data capable machine, any competent sleep doctor could look at the data and tell whether your therapy is working OK. Doctors still love to have $leep te$t$.

You might be able to get by with an in-home sleep test. Whatever kind of test you have, be sure to insist the doctor give you a sleeping pill, since it may be really hard to get any sleep without CPAP.

Read his post AA.... The "medical mofia" had nothing to do with the request for Sleep Study..

Snowbaby · Post by **Snowbaby** » Thu Mar 26, 2015 4:42 pm

It was the insurance company that required a new sleep study. My Dr. thinks a new sleep study is unnecessary but of course the insurance idiots are making it difficult.

FYI - I have a Remstar Auto M Series

archangle · Post by **archangle** » Thu Mar 26, 2015 5:38 pm

LSAT wrote:Read his post AA.... The "medical mofia" had nothing to do with the request for Sleep Study..

The insurance companies make up one of the families in the medical mafia. Sometimes they fight with the MD family and other families, but sometimes they work together. Sometimes they have turf wars over who they get to rip off.

Also, sometimes, the doctor THINKS the insurance company requires a new study, but they don't. Sometimes Dr. Smith was told by one insurance company several years ago that they require a new study for a replacement CPAP, so he assumes all insurance companies require it.

Sounds like snowbaby is pretty sure it's the insurance company in this case.

snowbaby wrote:Thanks for the replies! I think I'm going to avoid the DME's and buy from cpapxchange where I get all my supplies. I was hoping to avoid the expense and have insurance cover it but its really not worth the hassle of another sleep study. Sometimes I think the insurance companies make people jump through hoops in hopes that this exact situation occurs. So freaking annoying!

I am researching the latest and greatest APAP's - open to suggestions if anyone has good recommendations. I'm wondering, are there any machines out with data that can be viewed at home vs. having to take a card into the DME provider?

Sometimes you can save a lot of money buying from a local seller off of craigslist. Even cheaper than the respectable second wind site.

Use the normal precautions for any craigslist purchase. You will probably see a lot of old, junky overpriced CPAP machines for sale, but you may find good buys, especially if you can wait a few weeks. In my major metro area, I usually see a good, fully data capable S9 AutoSet or PRS1 Auto machine for $300 or under at least once a month or so.

I've been involved in 8 CPAP purchases off of craigslist, and only one was sort of a dud, and that one was $150 for two top of the line PRS1 machines, one of which appears to be good, so I'm OK.

You often have to ask them to take a clear picture of the labeling on the machine to figure out, for instance, if it's one of the good S9 machines or the bad S9 Escape machine.

There is information on which CPAP machines are good in the Useful Links in my signature line at the bottom of this post.

Many of the modern CPAP machines will give you very good data using the free and open source SleepyHead program at home.

OkyDoky · Post by **OkyDoky** » Thu Mar 26, 2015 6:20 pm

You can find useful information on data capable machines at this site operated by Krevlin one of our members. https://sleep.tnet.com/equipment/cpapmachines

12 yr cpap user - New Sleep Study???

12 yr cpap user - New Sleep Study???

Re: 12 yr cpap user - New Sleep Study???

Re: 12 yr cpap user - New Sleep Study???

Re: 12 yr cpap user - New Sleep Study???

Re: 12 yr cpap user - New Sleep Study???

Re: 12 yr cpap user - New Sleep Study???

Re: 12 yr cpap user - New Sleep Study???

Re: 12 yr cpap user - New Sleep Study???

Re: 12 yr cpap user - New Sleep Study???