Aaack! Foiled again!! That elusive M Series Pro......

Just got off the phone with the DME rep, who assured me of several things.....

1. The M Series C-Flex Plus has all the info I will ever need, and all I need to do is bring it in and they can print up a report of leak rate, AHI's, etc.
2. The Plus is the top of the line machine, and the Pro is an older model with fewer capabilities, and they don't even sell it.
3. If I want the Plus, insurance probably won't even cover it.
4. I don't need any of the information on the smart card anyhow.
5. All the information is super technical and unnecessary.
6. If I still really REALLY want the Pro, then I have to go back to the dr (this is the THIRD time...I guess i should have been more specific the FIRST time, but I was still so clueless) and get a rx for the PRO, specifically, AND the dr has to give permission on the rx for me to have access TO MY OWN INFORMATION.

Wow. This is getting really discouraging. I'm starting to think I'll just stick with the M Series Plus, and let it go....I was really looking forward to monitoring my own therapy, but this is ridiculous.

BTW, I actually managed to keep the mask on the entire night last night. It really wasn't bad at all, except I had all kinds of crazy dreams. So....that's good.... I guess.

Any thoughts and advice is appreciated....I guess I have to go back to the doctor the third time to ask for the specific machine....ugh.

Victoria
If you can get your Dr to write the prescription .. you would be set! I would stick to it .. remember it will be a few years before your insurance will purchase a new machine for you.

Stand firm! It's your money, your insurance, your health, your machine . . . It's ALL you. Amazing how they try to talk you out of what you really want, a machine that offers you all of the options to help assure optimal CPAP therapy. Good luck!

I did it! I was in the same position as you!! I am so glad I stuck to it and went back to my Dr. My first machine was that dang Plus, I used it for 2 weeks before I knew.

The M Series Plus does not have all of that information that your DME is promising. This one does: M Series Pro with C-Flex, Heated Humidifier, EncoreViewer and Card Reader

Call your doctor's office, you don't need another visit, and ask to have a new Rx that specifies this machine, that your DME is giving you a hard time.

You see, the insurance company will send the DME a flat amount that is the same for either machine, so if they can sell you on the cheaper Plus model their profit is higher. But you will have to live with this machine every night. You will eventually want to know how well your therapy is working with different masks, etc. You will need the smart card and reader to do this. You are the patient. It is your health you are fighting for. Go get um!

Susan

Victoria wrote:
Wow. This is getting really discouraging. I'm starting to think I'll just stick with the M Series Plus, and let it go....I was really looking forward to monitoring my own therapy, but this is ridiculous.

Victoria, please read this thread....see if it sounds familiar.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33171&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

DO NOT quit.
It is worth the fight.

PLEASE, DO NOT quit.

They're either liars or idiots or BOTH.

NEVER GIVE UP!

Den

Thanks so, so much you guys.....sheeesh....why does this have to be so darn hard??

1. The M Series C-Flex Plus has all the info I will ever need, and all I need to do is bring it in and they can print up a report of leak rate, AHI's, etc.

WRONG.

2. The Plus is the top of the line machine, and the Pro is an older model with fewer capabilities, and they don't even sell it.

WRONG. I just got a Pro last month, the DME opened the box right in front of me, it is brand new.

3. If I want the Plus, insurance probably won't even cover it.

WRONG: They all bill under the same code: E0601, go to this link and print the document. Take it with you. It will explain to your DME how to bill it.

cpapscience.com/media/hcpc%20referense.pdf

4. I don't need any of the information on the smart card anyhow.

WRONG: Already explained at length by others, but valuable....very, very valuable.

5. All the information is super technical and unnecessary.

WRONG: See #4.

6. If I still really REALLY want the Pro, then I have to go back to the dr (this is the THIRD time...I guess i should have been more specific the FIRST time, but I was still so clueless) and get a rx for the PRO, specifically, AND the dr has to give permission on the rx for me to have access TO MY OWN INFORMATION.

WRONG: Can you spell runaround? Tell them that if you have to go back to your doctor, you will also have to see another DME to obtain the equipment, since the misinformation and runaround is getting old. You might add that if they are that obviously uninformed, then perhaps a different DME would be best (check to see if you can use another with your insurance first.)

Debjax .. you brought up a good point.

Next thing she will have to watch for is that she gets a NEW, zero hour, non-refurbished machine. Been there, done that ..

Victoria wrote:

Just got off the phone with the DME rep, who assured me of several things.....

1. The M Series C-Flex Plus has all the info I will ever need, and all I need to do is bring it in and they can print up a report of leak rate, AHI's, etc.
2. The Plus is the top of the line machine, and the Pro is an older model with fewer capabilities, and they don't even sell it.
3. If I want the Plus, insurance probably won't even cover it.
4. I don't need any of the information on the smart card anyhow.
5. All the information is super technical and unnecessary.
6. If I still really REALLY want the Pro, then I have to go back to the dr (this is the THIRD time...I guess i should have been more specific the FIRST time, but I was still so clueless) and get a rx for the PRO, specifically, AND the dr has to give permission on the rx for me to have access TO MY OWN INFORMATION.

Wow. This is getting really discouraging. I'm starting to think I'll just stick with the M Series Plus, and let it go....I was really looking forward to monitoring my own therapy, but this is ridiculous.

BTW, I actually managed to keep the mask on the entire night last night. It really wasn't bad at all, except I had all kinds of crazy dreams. So....that's good.... I guess.

Any thoughts and advice is appreciated....I guess I have to go back to the doctor the third time to ask for the specific machine....ugh.

They do wear you down - then you give in. But Don't. Get the doc to write the script for what you want.

I thought in another thread you were looking for another DME? What happened?

This is actually the SECOND DME company. Believe it or not,the first was even LESS helpful.....as in, they denied there were even such things as smart cards.

I'm going to call my doctor with the name of the machine I want, and I *hope* it won't be too big of a deal to right ANOTHER (third) rx......I'm just wondering if there's a point at which the doctor's office gets sick of me calling them....

It's funny, I can be a total advocate for my kids when needed, and I could care less what people think (our youngest has medical/ developmental issues), but when advocating for myself, I suddenly feel shy and embarrassed.

Victoria wrote:This is actually the SECOND DME company. Believe it or not,the first was even LESS helpful.....as in, they denied there were even such things as smart cards.

I'm going to call my doctor with the name of the machine I want, and I *hope* it won't be too big of a deal to right ANOTHER (third) rx......I'm just wondering if there's a point at which the doctor's office gets sick of me calling them....

It's funny, I can be a total advocate for my kids when needed, and I could care less what people think (our youngest has medical/ developmental issues), but when advocating for myself, I suddenly feel shy and embarrassed.

Your story reminds me of the saying:

"Sometimes you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince."


Den

Victoria,

Have the doctor give you the prescription(physically) - that way you can read it and know what it says. You wouldn't be the first person who a DME has tried to give them less than what the prescription called for.

BTW - 1,2 & 3 are lies. Refer your DME to http://mseries.respironics.com/
4 is only true if you never have any problems
5 is not true, even my husband understands the reports and he needs my son's help to log onto the computer
6 it all depends on the whether the DME thinks they can get you to accept a lesser machine (if the doctor leaves out
that part out about accessing your own data, don't worry - there are people here that can tell you how to turn that
screen on.)

I just find it amazing that there are business that think their customers are incapable of doing research.