DME/insurance or buy online? Same price, what do I do?

[ChicagoGranny]

I wonder if these jacked up prices allow providers to claim losses for income tax purposes???

No, that's not the way taxes nor GAAP works.

[Becca8104]

If buying equipment through insurance/DME costs the SAME as if I purchased it out of pocket, I would definitely not use the DME/insurance. No rules to abide by regarding equipment & compliance, you can order parts individually that may not be the same brand, but compatible with each other to provide a better fitting mask for you. One example is the new dreamwear nasal headgear with arms. I ordered it for my Resmed N30i based on others doing the same. Guess what? it works, & I love my N30i more with the dreamwear headgear with arms. Those of you who currently use the dreamwear nasal or nasal pillow mask, I recommend you try the new headgear with arms even if you have to purchase it out of pocket like I did. I am going to ask my DME if I am "allowed" to mix & match my equipment & order the dreamwear strap with my N30i and see what they say.

[Suenyo]

I priced this out myself just recently. What I didn't realize is that if Medicare is involved the price goes way up.

I called the DME and asked how much is an AirSense 10 Autoset? They said if bought outright without insurance it is about $650. So I mentioned that I have insurance, and my insurance is a Medicare Advantage company. So Medicare rules apply.

Medicare dictates that you rent-to-buy. 13 payments spread over a year, and you will pay on a monthly basis and they have to collect regular compliance data. This is easier than it used to be. With the new wifi-enabled machines the data goes to the DME automatically via wifi. The bottom line is $1597 including one mask, a Climateline hose and a pair of filters. Now, my insurance pays 80% so it isn't a big deal, but still with the increase due to rental my cost more than doubles.

I looked on Craigslist and bought a machine with 3600 hours for $200.

Your mileage may vary.

[RLMMG]

My 2 cent if you use your insurance and buy through the DME won't that satifiy a good bit of your deductible for the rest of the year if all things are essecially the same price. One goes towards your deductible that you can also benefit with other things where the other may not. IMO

[YawnGone]

I ended up going thru my DME. Cost me a bit more than an online vendor ($150 or so) but figured that's a small tradeoff when I can apply it to my deductible.

[chunkyfrog]

Some DME's will tell you that if you don't buy the machine from them (and through insurance),
then they cannot sell you supplies.
It's a bald-faced LIE.
Shop around. You may never need to visit the clip joint again.

.

[palerider]

With the new wifi-enabled machines the data goes to the DME automatically via wifi.

Your machine does not use WiFi

[ragtopcircus]

My DME was going to charge me $1400 for a Dreamstation Pro CPAP. That's the discounted rate. I'm on a high deductible plan, and that was going to be spread across two plan years. In other words, 100% out of pocket, and they would not let me choose what to order. The same machine is available online for $600 new.

So, I waited for a great sale on a brand new Resmed For Her (around $530). Later, I gave that to my wife and bought a low-hour Resmed Vauto for even less.

Really, considering what you can buy the Vauto for used, there is little reason to even consider anything else unless you have a Central Apnea diagnosis. My wife did use the "For Her" mode briefly, and that is the one thing the Vauto cannot do, but the pressure is limited in that mode. At this point, she could be served just as well by a Vauto too.

[klv329]

I only get my ASV machines second hand. Much cheaper than the insurance route which for me would be cumbersome and expensive, if not impossible.

I dont mind using my HSA for medical expenses and it is pre-tax and pre-soc sec taxes, but it may decrease your soc sec benefit later in life if you live long enough and dont hit the soc sec income limits ($132,900 per annum 2019) and dont have a maxed out soc sec history. The secondary cpap market is pretty good if you know what you need and can program it yourself. Some secondary market machines have zero hours, usually from DME liquidations.

[chunkyfrog]

Every car is used once it is driven off the lot.
Every cpap is used once it is powered on at home.

[zorki1c]

Last year I got an S9 with less than 100 hours on it for $35 on a local on line auction. I was looking for a backup machine and at that price I couldn’t afford not to get it.

[chunkyfrog]

Always compare prices.
There are your local DME's and alternatively, cpap.com, and other online dealers,
including secondwindcpap.com. and individuals here and there on the internet.

[Suenyo]

Palerider, so how does the ResMed MyAir website get the data?

[palerider]

Palerider, so how does the ResMed MyAir website get the data?

Via the cellular modem that's in the machine.

Think about it, if it was wifi, you'd have had to put your wifi SSID and passphrase into the cpap.

[Suenyo]

User avatarpalerider

Post by palerider » Sun Jan 26, 2020 6:41 pm

"Via the cellular modem that's in the machine.

Think about it, if it was wifi, you'd have had to put your wifi SSID and passphrase into the cpap."

Mr. Palerider, thank you, but I am a simple man. If it sends out radio signals without my being able to hear it, it is WIFI.