DME keeps trying to deliver a discontinued ASV machine

[johnthomasmacdonald]

My doctor originally didn't specify a unit so they are trying to give me a philips asv machine that was discontinued years ago and doesn't even have an sd-card. Dme is Community medical supplies. I've told them that I don't want it under any circumstances yet they keep calling up to set up delivery. I've reached the doctor's office and they supposedly have agreed to change the prescription to either an S9 vpap asv or a respironics system one ASV. What amazes me is that the sleep doctor ( board certified in sleep medicine and neurology) seems to know nothing about the specific units. It seems rather ridiculous that i am better informed about the specifics of cpap units rather than a specialist in the field. I guess for the DME the profit in palming off a discontinued unit is probably huge and thus their desire to pull it off no matter how often i tell them that i'd prefer nothing to their unit.

While typing this, the DME called and says that now they will deliver a Resmed S9 Asv machine - i'll believe it when i see it.

It just brings home how much with the way that medicine is delivered in the US and how it is all about PROFIT, not the patient's welfare ( that's incidental ), that you can't be too informed about your treatment options.

[123.Shawn T.W.]

Just be careful that they don't try to add a "upcharge" to the bill!

Read anything you sign, very well before signing!

My DME insisted last year that the system one 60 series was a "special" unit and I had to pay an extra $250 (IIRC) I refused, and found a new DME ...

[chunkyfrog]

Don't let them get away with it!
http://maskarrayed.wordpress.com/dont-p ... -upcharge/

[Janknitz]

I don't know what the model number is for the S9 ASV, but find out BEFORE they deliver the machine. When it arrives, turn it over and check before you sign anything accepting delivery.

[chunkyfrog]

If you don't see it taken from a sealed box, insist they turn it on and show you the run hours.
Anything over an hour or two is USED!

[allen476]

What amazes me is that the sleep doctor ( board certified in sleep medicine and neurology) seems to know nothing about the specific units. It seems rather ridiculous that i am better informed about the specifics of cpap units rather than a specialist in the field.

Actually the doctors keep up with medicine not continual treatments.......Let me explain.

I went to the neurosurgeon today for my 6 month post surgical follow up. I am still in agony and nothing is working. He suggested either shots or an implantable tens unit. We talked about which one would be better in the long haul. I elected to go the tens unit way and when I asked what the unit is that he used, he doesn't even know. His RPA does the consultation for the unit and settings.

His reasoning is that he determines course of action and that others follow through with it. I can see his point. Just too much to read up on and he is a well respected doctor in his field so he is constantly on the move.

Your doctor is no different. Let him keep up on new trends in medicine, not what machines there are. That is (Ok, I am going to try not to laugh when I say) DME's are for. The RT at the DME should know the in's and out's of the machines they sell and which one would be best for you.

(Ok now you all can laugh until you pee your pants at the above, but that is how it is supposed to work ).

At least you were persistent enough until you got what you wanted. Not many people can do that nor know to do that.

[Xney]

The resmed s9 ASV machine is called the S9 VPAP Adapt, FYI

[NateS]

If you don't see it taken from a sealed box, insist they turn it on and show you the run hours.
Anything over an hour or two is USED!

There is little difference in appearance between a sealed box and a re-sealed box. I would extend chunkfrog's good advice to whatever unit this DME presents to you, even if it appears sealed. Sealing machines are cheap and present in most retail establishments and warehouses nowadays.

Regards, Nate

[JamesAllen828]

The last DME I worked for would always give out the basic ResMed S9 machines and would only use another brand if the prescription stated the exact machine the MD wanted. We would get a lot of flack from the MD's because they had a specific machine in mind but would only write CPAP 10cmH2O on the script. It's like a MD writing "blood pressure meds" on a script and expecting the pharmacist to know what med, dosage and frequency that the MD was thinking about. It happens in my business 97% of the time.

I copied and pasted most of this response from a previous response from me in another thread

[johnthomasmacdonald]

Given that - as we can see here - the biggest difficulty with cpap is getting people to use it and stay with it. For that reason, I really think that it is unconscionable for sleep specialists NOT to keep themselves informed on the pluses and minuses for the various machines since relatively minor-seeming features can make all the difference in whether or not your patient will use the machine. There aren't that many machines and a lot of patients are old and sick and overwhelmed. Well, that's my opinion anyway.