Newbie - Respironics brick question

[Anj6787]

I have a question about the Respironics basic brick machine. I was given this machine by my doctor six weeks ago. I understand from what I've read here that it's basically useless to ME as far as any information on the SD card, but does the machine record any advanced information that the doctor can somehow access?

I go back to the doctor in two weeks for my first check since I got the machine. I haven't seen any improvement in how I feel (except for a lot of annoying side effects) and I'm hoping the doctor will make some adjustments or something, but I'm wondering what he would base it on if there's no feedback from the machine?

My basic info:
Age 57. Respironics CPAP and Amara full-face mask. AHI of 83. Pressure is 19.

[Pugsy]

Welcome to the forum.

To see what the doctor sees from the machine go into the clinical setup menu area and see if there is a setting called "Show AHI" and if there is...turn it on. Then you can see on the machine LCD screen whatever the doctor can see.
The doctor only gets whatever the machine records and shows and if you can't see anything beyond hours of use...neither can he.

If you don't know about the clinical setup menu and how to get to it go here and request the provider/clinical manual an dread it as it explains how to get to the special setup menu.

https://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap- ... tup-manual

The doctor doesn't have a magic wand that lets him see stuff that the machine doesn't record. Doesn't work that way.
He can only see what the machine records.

[OkyDoky]

I have a question about the Respironics basic brick machine. I was given this machine by my doctor six weeks ago. I understand from what I've read here that it's basically useless to ME as far as any information on the SD card, but does the machine record any advanced information that the doctor can somehow access?

I go back to the doctor in two weeks for my first check since I got the machine. I haven't seen any improvement in how I feel (except for a lot of annoying side effects) and I'm hoping the doctor will make some adjustments or something, but I'm wondering what he would base it on if there's no feedback from the machine?

My basic info:
Age 57. Respironics CPAP and Amara full-face mask. AHI of 83. Pressure is 19.

This makes me angry that you would have been given a machine without full data to treat Severe Apnea at a high pressure. Did you get this machine thru a DME? Is Medicare or Insurance involved?

I don't know if your doctor is aware of you being given a machine without info that is important to your treatment but you now have the knowledge for a good reason for a different machine. Regular Cpap machine pressures only go to 20 so you are close to needing a bilevel machine which can go to 25. Maybe he would write you a prescription for a bilevel such as the ResMed AirCurve 10 VAUTO.

If not there are members here that have slightly used machines for sale sometimes. And other places with a prescription such as Secondwindcpap.com or new ones through our sponser CPAP.com.

[Anj6787]

My doctor is actually the one who gave me the machine! And this is in a sleep center. It's their only business. Not like it's a GP who orders a home study. I did the sleep study there and then a titration study.

I'm pretty frustrated with them. They give you virtually no information about anything. I wasn't told if I had options to get my equipment elsewhere. They gave me that machine and a mask. I wasn't told there were different kinds of masks to try, so of course I wasn't told that I had 30 days to speak up if I wanted to try a different kind. (And of course I hadn't found cpaptalk at that point and had no idea that I needed to ask about things like that.) So when I finally called them to see about trying a different mask (because the one I have is seriously beating up the bridge of my nose), I was told that my 30 days were up. I said no one told me about the 30 days. They said "We ALWAYS tell people that. You can wait until another two months and then your insurance will pay for a new one. Or we could sell you a different mask now."

SO. NOT. AMUSED.

I'm getting the distinct impression it's all about the insurance money with them. And I'm wondering if they'll want another in-lab sleep study "to see how I'm doing" since they're not going to get any data from the machine.

I plan to ask if I can get a different machine when I go for the checkup. If not, I'm very fortunate in that my mother has a hardly used ResMed machine that I can have that I believe has all the data capabilities.

[OkyDoky]

I would dare say most of us go into this blind. I know I did but I got lucky with a good machine. I have since bought others on my own from users here.

I do think they have taken advantage of you. And yes insurance pays by code so bricks (cheaper machine) makes more profit for the center. Call your insurance company, talk it over with them, and see what other providers you can use. Get a copy of your Sleep Study and your prescription. With those you can buy wherever your insurance allows or buy out right online where insurance doesn't usually pay but you can ask. They are your medical records and you have a right to have them. You can always say you travel and need it in case you need something.

[Goofproof]

They can get all the info they want from your machine, (Hours and days) That's all they care about. So if you do your part you are covered, if not, well. If they set you for 19 cm, you should have been given a BPAP! Jim

[Anj6787]

Looks like I need to read up on BPAP machines before my appointment.

[palerider]

Looks like I need to read up on BPAP machines before my appointment.

https://sleep.tnet.com/equipment/cpapmachines

You got shafted... insurance pays the same amount, so they screwed you with a cheaper model so they could get more profit!

[Goofproof]

Looks like I need to read up on BPAP machines before my appointment.

https://sleep.tnet.com/equipment/cpapmachines

You got shafted... insurance pays the same amount, so they screwed you with a cheaper model so they could get more profit!

His Doctor didn't help the matter, by not ordering a full data BIPAP in the first place at his pressure. At his pressure if they got it correct he really could use it. Jim

[Janknitz]

If your machine is not able to show efficacy data you were screwed. The doctor who prescribed the machine has a conflict of interest with you because it's an all-in-one shop. He makes more profit if your machine costs them less to provide, the insurance payment is the same whether or not you receive the brick or the top of the line machine. (In some states it's illegal for a doctor to have an interest in a DME provider's business).

This happens often. When you first start out, you have no way of knowing what a racket this is. Too many people go blithely on, never knowing if their treatment is even effective, putting their trust in crooks.

You can take a look at my blogpost "Help, I'm stuck with a brick", but these days it's nearly impossible to get your machine swapped out. If your mom is able to let you use the ResMed that's fully capable, that's a better option. But doesn't she really need to be using it herself???

BiPAP is a whole other level--more expensive machine and higher co-payments. Most insurers require you to "fail" CPAP before they will cover BIPAP, but how would they know whether the machine you got is effective or not if there's no efficacy data to see if you are being adequately treated by your current brick???

[Anj6787]

Belated thanks for the responses. It was very helpful. Here is a quick update on things.

1. Re my mom's ResMed machine: Her story is kind of tl:dr to post here, but the short version is that she bought that machine outright, had troubles with therapy (not the machine itself), ended up with a different doctor and DME who has now provided her with a different machine, which is working out well. She used the first machine for a few weeks max. Interestingly, she asked someone (not sure if it's the DME or insurance?) what she should do with it, and was told that she should just "throw it away, because it's used." I told her I read otherwise in the cpaptalk forum.

2. Mom also had extra masks that she used with that machine and I tried one of them, and now a very happy camper with an AirTouch F20 For Her mask. Such a HUGE improvement! I don't feel like I have a vise on my head anymore. I asked the guy at the dr's office if I could get those from them in the future, instead of the miserable mask they gave me. He said, well, no......they can't possibly carry ALL the available masks, you know. Yeah, they USED TO carry the F20, but not anymore. They weren't very good. Besides, they don't even make that one anymore. (See number 5 below.)

3. I went back to the dr for my two-month checkup, ready to fight for a different machine. Before I could, the dr said in the "old days" he would have given me the BiPAP right off the bat, but I had to go through that "failure" process with the brick first for insurance purposes. I understand that. I do. But, seriously, Doc....how about telling me that upfront? Might have saved me from being such a pissed-off and angst-ridden camper for two months. And while we're at it, how about bringing me back in a MONTH instead of TWO months if you expected this failure outcome?

4. My mom's new dr has her set up where the machine info is transmitted to them via the internet. They (DME folks?) called her every week in the beginning to see how she was doing and discuss the information. She went for her first appointment in one month. (And she's gone from an AHI of around 70 to 2 to 3. Dang.)

5. Yes, I am switching to my mom's doctor. The 50-minute drive to get there is worth it.

6. I'm posting my last two nights' Sleepyhead screenshots in another post.

[JimW159]

Having now woken up and finally able to smell the coffee, take full advantage of your new sense of control and empowerment. The fact that the Dr. issued you a brick knowing full well its limitations is all the proof one needs that he/she only cares about getting paid. That is: the machine can only report compliance data (hours of use) thus that is all he/she can see or report on to an insurance company. The only thing the insurance company cares about are the hours used in relation to their compliance model. You use, the doc reads data (hours in this case), he/she reports to insurance company, they pay him/her a rental fee for your use of the machine (you probably pay a co-pay, too). That brick, by the time it is put out to pasture, could have bought a few top of the line bipap units - truly the goose laying the golden egg.

[D.H.]

You asked about the most basic model, but that's not the model shown in your profile.

I'm pretty sure that if you have the model listed in the profile, it is compatible with SleepyHead.