Can I request a different CPAP machine from my DME?

[Mollyangela]

Hello everyone.

This is only my 2nd night on this board, so please forgive my ignorance. And also, bear with me, as I'm legally blind and reading so much is sometimes difficult, but I'm trying!! I have a question, or two:

When I went to the pharmacy to pick up my CPAP machine, the man who helped me fill out my forms and instruct me on how to use the machine gave me the Philips Respironics machine. He said he LOVED LOVED LOVED this machine and so I will love it to. All I really wanted was to know that I could somehow get info OFF of the machine and into my head, because I am eager to know and learn about HOW my night went-- did I have any apneas? Did I have mask leaks? I am new to all of this, so i want to be INFORMED!

I went home and read every piece of info in the bag that came with my machine. Then I went to Phiiips site and Respironics sites and read all I could, watched videos, etc. I found out about the DreamMapper software. I immediately downloaded it to my iPhone. I thought it would tell me STUFF. But all I really tells me is how many hours I slept last night!

I then heard all about the SleepyHead software from this board. So tonight I d/l it, to my iMac and popped the SD card from my Respironics machine into my iMac, but I couldn't see squat!! After I registered with the SH software and got it all set up, it told me the following:
The last time you used your Philips Respironics CPAP...
was last night (on February 18, 2018)
You had an AHI of nan, which is considered horrible, please consult your doctor
You only had the mask on for 0 hours, 0 minutes and 0 seconds.
Your mask is leaking way too much.. Talk to your CPAP advisor.
Your CPAP machine blasted you with a constant 0cmH2O of air


NOW, hahahah, I know I got blasted with air, haha, how funny! So you see, it's useless for me. I can't find any download link for Encore software either.

So I'm disappointed. SO SO SOOOOOOOOOO DISAPPOINTED!

I have no idea HOW I am doing. Am I doing this right? I wake up and my mask IS leaking, sometimes. I pull the velcro straps tighter and wake up with lines and marks all over my face and forehead that are still there 2 hours after waking. My forehead is SORE! My skin around my nose is sore. (But they told me it had to be TIGHT!)

I'm getting NO feedback other than how many hours I slept.

Can I request a different machine from this DME??? My insurance paid for it already. What can I do? I want to use this SH software too-- and learn all I can about my health, sleep, and well-being.

Sorry so long.

Thanks so much for reading and helping me out.

[greatunclebill]

the guy loves, loves, loves the machine because it makes him the most money, money, money. cpaps are paid by medical code, not model number. so whether you gotthe most expensive one like mine or the cheapest one like yours, the cost is the same. in other words he makes the most money on your machine and the least on mine. the contract was written and the money was paid so i think you're stuck with it. you could talk to your doctor and make sure thats the machine he wants you to have. in that case you're stuck with it. i would definitely talk to the doctor to see if he can do anything to amend the order to get the good machine.

[Pugsy]

Yes, you can request a different machine.
See this blog and read what was said when "help I have been given a brick"
Some of the machine data is outdated as it was written before the DreamStation models but the basics are the same.
Scroll down the page to see the "help I have been given a brick".
https://maskarrayed.wordpress.com/

SleepyHead isn't compatible with the DreamStation DSX200xxx because the needed files for calculation the data are absent so SH can only report 0 everything.
Now Encore would at least show you the limited data your machine gathers but Encore is Windows only software. Do you have a Windows computer handy? If you do, send me a private message and I will point you to where you can get Encore Pro. It's a POS software though...high install failure rate and PITA to use and in the end you only send up seeing what you can see on the LCD machine.

Go here and request the manual for your machine. You will get a combo manual. It will explain how to get to the clinical setup menu area and in that menu there is a setting for "Show AHI"...by default it comes from the factory to "Off"...turn it "On" and then you can see the limited data your machine gathers. To be honest...it's not worth trying to use the software because there's nothing but the summary data anyway and you can see that on the LCD screen.
https://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap- ... tup-manual

To get full data the Respironics DreamStation must be at least the model DSX400xxx.
Take your back and explain that this machine doesn't give you what you want and request they swap it out. Stand your ground and be firm. They may or may not throw up some road blocks.
Don't let them tell you "this is all your insurance will pay for"....that's a bold face lie.
Insurance companies pay by the HCPCS billing code and not model name or brand.
Insurance pays the same for the half assed brick as it does the full efficacy apap model DSX500xxx because the HCPCS billing code is E0601 for all cpap/apap machines.

People can get them swapped out but they have to ask and then sometimes threaten to go elsewhere. That usually does the trick....the old "if you don't give me what I want I will go to so and so and they will".
Not only do they lose the machine sale but future mask and other equipment sales.

[lilly747]

Molly,
Pugsy is right. Demand a different machine. Five years ago I was like you and knew nothing, they gave me a brick. After Pugsy informed me of this and what it ment, I when back and through a fit and got the machine I wanted. Like she says, stand your ground....they are taking advantage of you.

[ajack]

jump up and down, cry if you need to, Take the machine back and leave it at the shop..don't take it back home with you. I'm in the school of, the longer you have it, the greater the odds of making it harder to swap.

then demand a resmed airsense autoset 10 for her. it has a hard and soft auto setting as well as the cpap fixed mode you have now..

if need be because they are putting up a fight, go back to your doctor and get the prescription changed to specify a resmed airsense autoset. then it has to be supplied.

[Mollyangela]

OMG Thank you all SO much for this help!!!!!!!!! I surely do appreciate it so much! I WILL Go back and return this machine and pitch a FIT!! Thank you for letting me know I can do this, or if I need to, the dr. can write a new script, and for which machine/model to get. I feel like there IS hope! Thanks so much you guys!!!!!!!!!

PS-- going to screenshot this thread so I can have the info and the insurance codes, etc. and know what to say to the medical supplier. I feel like there IS hope now!!

Just wondering one more thing: (Not that I am going to do this, but curious to know): I see every make/model of machine for sale online. For hundreds of dollars, plus all of the masks and tubing and whatnot you could ever want or need. Can a person just go online and BUY a machine to use at home? You know, without letting any insurance company know.....could you do that? How would you go about setting the machine to your needs? I don't know what it's called, but the output flow of my machine--is that how you describe it?--is set to an "11." The dr. said it's my "magic number" hahahah. So I was just curious to know-- could a person just pay the money, buy a machine, mask, etc. and when it arrives, could you set it to your magic number too and just use it that way??

[Pugsy]

Just wondering one more thing: (Not that I am going to do this, but curious to know): I see every make/model of machine for sale online. For hundreds of dollars, plus all of the masks and tubing and whatnot you could ever want or need. Can a person just go online and BUY a machine to use at home? You know, without letting any insurance company know.....could you do that? How would you go about setting the machine to your needs? I don't know what it's called, but the output flow of my machine--is that how you describe it?--is set to an "11." The dr. said it's my "magic number" hahahah. So I was just curious to know-- could a person just pay the money, buy a machine, mask, etc. and when it arrives, could you set it to your magic number too and just use it that way??

Yep, it is done all the time. Now some places online will require a RX from the doctor for machines and masks some places won't require a RX.
You don't have to use your insurance if you don't want to.
You can buy your machine privately and still use your DME for masks if you wish. That's what I do...my insurance has never bought me a machine but I use my insurance through my DME for my 1 per 6 months replacement mask allowance.
You don't have to buy a machine from a DME to use them for other stuff.

Setting up a machine is super easy. If you can handle doing all you do and with the eyesight limitations you have....figuring out a machine will be a piece of cake for you.

[ajack]

you can get a resmed auto for under 600 and a dreamstation auto under 400. Depending on your copay, it could be a lot cheaper.