Time for a new machine?

[do57672]

Hello... I haven't posted here in years. Yall helped me a ton when I first got my machine almost 10 years ago. I never posted much but I was always lurking in the hallways reading post and such. Anyway I'm still using the Resmed Autoset I got all those years ago. No issues what so ever. A year or more ago I got the message about motor life exceeded. I searched here and seems like the general thought was, if it works then just disregard the message. So back when I got the machine I had killer insurance that paid 100% of my sleep study and machine. Fast forward to now and I've got a huge deductible that I've never even made a dent in. I recently had to take an emergency trip to the ER and from what I can tell in gonna hit my policy maximum out of pocket. So I'm kind of thinking this might be the time to see about replacing my machine. I haven't been to a sleep doctor in 9 years after I realized I could learn more about what was going on by the experts here. Just curious how this might work since it's been so long since I've seen a doctor. Do I need a prescription? Another sleep study? Should I just use this thing to it croaks? With that message about exceeded life, is it even "working" anymore? Etc....
Thanks!

[zonker]

Do I need a prescription? Another sleep study? Should I just use this thing to it croaks? With that message about exceeded life, is it even "working" anymore? Etc....
Thanks!

do you still have the original prescription? sometimes, they are written for something like 99 years or some such, making them pretty much forever. so see first if you still have that laying around.

if not, you can get any doctor to write a prescription. doesn't have to be a "sleep doc". whoever would be willing to do so.

if you want, you can go the used machine route. forum member lsat often has machines to hand that he could sell you. if you're comfortable going that route, send him a private message and see if he has anything.

whatever you do, i'd highly recommend you get a replacement machine asap. these things have a tendency to breakdown without a lot of warning.

good luck!

[ccompton]

I am going through this with my husband right now as his BiPap died, so we need a new one for him. This is what I was told by the medical supply company:

1) I have to have a prescription with the normal provider information on it, the patient name & DOB, the type of CPAP & supplies and pressure ranges. For us, we were able to get this prescription from his primary care physician, but some doctors only want you to go through the neurologist or sleep study specialist that you had your sleep study with -- it depends on your providers.
2) If you are trying to get it covered by insurance, you have to have a copy of the sleep study report as it has the pressure ranges and diagnosis. I got a copy from my husband's doctor along with his compliance report from his first BiPap machine to help get it covered by insurance.


Follow-up after learning the above from the medical supply company:

I contacted my insurance and got a list of medical supply companies that are in-network, and I sent the above to them actually in e-mail as my husband's doctor provided us the prescription, original sleep study, and the old compliance report. It takes time so they've told me that they'll contact me in about 48 hours with a quote. I am still in this process, but I know that the deductible isn't met for me so we mayn't be able to afford it as it was nearly $2000 the last time we got a BiPap.

I found in the past when I had to get a CPAP or APAP that it was actually cheaper to get it without insurance, as they excessively charged for the machine when they had insurance to bill then billed us too. It was just too much, so I've looked for other options.

For people like me that haven't met deductible this year or can't afford which is also my family, there are CPAP assistance places like DC's www.sleepapnea.org's CPAP Assistance program (asaa@sleepapnea.org) which they've suspended during COVID https://www.sleepapnea.org/community/cp ... plication/, https://www.sleepapnea.org/community/pa ... e-program/, California's http://www.breathebayarea.org/ (cpap@lungsrus.com) which said they usually only serve around them in CA but make some exceptions but they are a small non-profit. I've heard of Reggie White Foundation's application but it requires alot more info than the two aforementioned (http://www.reggiewhitefoundation.org/about/default.asp & http://www.reggiewhitefoundation.org/ab ... cation.pdf).

If you know of any other options, I'd appreciate a heads up!

[Okie bipap]

You can sometimes find lightly used machines for sale on your local Craig's List or Offer UP. I found my spare machine on the local Facebook Marketplace. LSAT, a member of this forum often sells lightly used machines. In fact, he has one for sell right now. Several people here on the forum have purchased machines from him with no problems.

[ChicagoGranny]

Just curious how this might work since it's been so long since I've seen a doctor. Do I need a prescription? Another sleep study?

You need to talk to your insurance company. Policies vary. No one here knows what your insurance company requires.

[SleepGeek]

Do I need a prescription? Another sleep study? Should I just use this thing to it croaks?

As mentioned do speak directly with your insurance if you plan to use insurance. IF you use OSCAR you can print out the report to take to a sleep doc (I prefer a pulmonologist who specializes in sleep) who is in network for you. They should be able to fill in the rest of the squares for you.

If you don't feel like waiting for all that to happen then search Craigslist under "Beauty+hlth" for a model similar to the one you have or want. Just be sure not to pay insurance price for it.

A year or more ago I got the message about motor life exceeded.

I can't believe you don't already have a "Spare" - it can go at any time and you see above how the DME will drag things out.

They don't consider a broke cpap an emergency and will not deliver until insurance approves the money and that can take a month or more as shown in the example above.

[Chikorita]

Anyway I'm still using the Resmed Autoset I got all those years ago. No issues what so ever. A year or more ago I got the message about motor life exceeded. I searched here and seems like the general thought was, if it works then just disregard the message.

I have an almost identical story to yours.
I had a Resmed 9 Autoset, got that same warning and kept using it but I had a backup machine in the cupboard that my husband wasn't using.
One night the machine just died and I had a mad rush to set up the other machine and change pressures etc. I would not recommend that experience.

I suggest getting a replacement machine asap and using the old one as the backup.
I can't sleep without my machine so waiting for a replacement was not an option for me.
Then comes the decision of what to replace with which is now the stage I'm up to as I no longer have a backup machine.