Need new prescription from sleep doc

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
Mr Tired
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2005 8:09 am

Need new prescription from sleep doc

Post by Mr Tired » Fri Jul 22, 2005 9:54 pm

My sleep doc prescribed the c-flex. I would like to get the auto c-flex so I have an appointment with the doc to ask for a new prescription. What are my chances of getting the prescription changed? If he won't change it what are my options?

Mr Tired


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rested gal
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Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2004 10:14 pm
Location: Tennessee

Post by rested gal » Sat Jul 23, 2005 2:10 am

Just depends on how your doctor feels about autopaps in general as to whether he might go along with your request.

And after that, you might still face a battle with your DME to get them to go along with the doctor's Rx. Some DMEs might try to tell people, "Your insurance won't cover an autopap" when in fact insurance companies consider an autopap to BE a cpap machine...reimbursing the same price for either type of machine. Some DMEs don't want to make less profit by giving you an autopap rather than the less expensive straight cpap, so might try to mislead just a bit about what your insurance will or won't do.

Other options? You can always just use a copy of your original prescription - the one for "cpap" - to buy any autopap you want from an online store. I don't know how the other online stores treat Rx's with the word "cpap" rather than "autopap" on them, but cpap.com will accept (as far as I know...I don't work for them) a prescription that simply states "cpap" on it, even if you order an autopap. The Rx doesn't even have to state "C-Flex" in order to purchase any machine with the C-Flex ... C-flex being simply an extra comfort feature, not a type of machine.

After all, an autopap IS a cpap machine...it's an auto-titrating cpap machine. And since the autopaps come from the manufacturer already preset to a pressure range of 4 - 20 cm H20, it's not even necessary for the prescription to state a range of pressures for the autopap. Whatever single pressure is already mentioned on your original "cpap" prescription would naturally fall within that 4-20 range anyway, thus the original Rx would buy you an autopap with no trouble...from cpap.com, anyway....I think. Just call their tollfree number and ask.

Another alternative is to watch the auction sites. Occasionally you'll see machines offered on Ebay, but you'd have to be quick in contacting the seller, since Ebay often pulls cpap equipment off the auctions.

Guest

How to change a RX

Post by Guest » Sat Jul 23, 2005 6:11 am

If you have a copy of your prescription, make another copy, white out the parts you do not like and then put giant exes next to what you do want. Might have to xerox and white out several times to get it to "look" right, but if you are ordering online you can scan and get away with a little more. My prescription is just a printed out sheet with all the options on it, that the doctor justs marks...it is not dated and all the doctor's signatures are preprinted on the prescription. Make sure to get the auto with CFLEX and INTEGRATED heated humidifier.

I plead the fifth...


gracie97
Posts: 149
Joined: Fri Jul 01, 2005 10:02 pm

Post by gracie97 » Sun Jul 24, 2005 2:47 am

Check with your insurance before buying on-line.

Mine told me first that I'd have to pay a $450 deductible if I bought on-line because of the non-preferred provider status. Then got back to me and said that they would not reimburse me at all for an on-line CPAP purchase because they did not consider the warantee sufficient.

One DME (the owner who is an RT) told me that "doctors NEVER prescribe autopaps for people to purchase, only to rent for a few months to resolve pressure questions."

You might trying your primary care doctor for an APAP if your sleep specialist is balky about giving you a tool you could use to do future titrations on your own.

Finding the whole issue of buying such equipment -- dealing with the doctor, the insurance, any DME as well as figuring out what to get without much help from profit-oriented 'helpers' -- very confusing!
Started CPAP on 7/1/2005
Mild apnea
Plus upper airway resistance syndrome with severe alpha intrusion

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loonlvr
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Post by loonlvr » Sun Jul 24, 2005 10:27 am

I agree with gracie. If the sleep doc balks, then go to your reg doctor, Thats what I did. Always keep a copy of the prescription. I also had list of reasons why I wanted the auto: unneeded high pressures sometimes, mask leaks from them, future changes in apnea condition, wanting to follow my progress with the software, the fact that it could be used as a straight pressure machine if need be, and the relatively small price increase. Tell him you use this one third of your life.You want to know whats happening! My reg doc was impressed enough to write the prescription.

Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever. Lance Armstrong

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SnoreNoMore2005
Posts: 228
Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2005 12:58 pm

Rx for autopap

Post by SnoreNoMore2005 » Sun Jul 24, 2005 8:44 pm

The RT at my second DME told me that many sleep docs don't like the AutoPaps. According to the RT, with an AUTOPAP you really don't need a sleep study and there's big money in sleep studies for the sleep docs and all the associated people who make big bucks from sleep studies.

(btw, I fired my first DME because they insisted on giving me an CPAP even though my doc wrote an RX for an Autopap)

SnoreNoMore2005
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