Apneaics, sleep docs & DMSs

lostone · Post by **lostone** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 9:44 am

Why is there such animosity between us and them?

tater pie · Post by **tater pie** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 9:57 am

I think part of the reason is probably betrayal of trust and money. We go to them and want to trust that they will give us the best treatment and equipment available for a reasonable cost and many, many (and might I say most) times, we are betrayed because making a large profit is much more important than the care and welfare of the patient. They take advantage of our weakened emotional and physical state when we come to them for help and mislead and just plain old "cheat" us because they can put more bucks in their pockets. It doesn't matter to them at all that many times we are continuing to needlessly suffer and pay outrageous prices for second rate equipment and they knowingly do it to us. I'm not saying all DME's and doctors are that way but far too many are.

lostone · Post by **lostone** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:02 am

Is this a recent thing? I have just been diagnosed since February this year and when I started researching and joining forums I started running across this. I even found there to be some animosity between my sleep clinic people and my DMS!

lostone · Post by **lostone** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:24 am

I'm surprised no one else is posting on this because in almost every post subject I find someone upset with sleep lab people or DMSs. Is there proof that DMSs are padding their pockets at our expense? Has a study been done on this? I am not on anyones side I just am very curious to know.

Nitro Dan · Post by **Nitro Dan** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:52 am

I'm not sure doctors really understand apnea. If they can't treat you by cutting, medicating, or burning you, (chemo) they are lost. There is no lost love between doctors and I. The DME's just flat rip you off. One of the greatest things for us apena sufferers is the internet, as it has leveled the playing field between "us" and "them."

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:54 am

Recent thing? I think so. I believe that this field of medicine is in the process of "exploding". Doctors and big clinics have determined that this is one of their new "cash cows" and they're going to milk it for all it's worth. And, when you're the only "sleep doctor" in a given area, you can pretty much get away with treating your patients and the local DME suppliers any way you want. They're (we're) stuck with them unless we want to drive a LONG ways or take control of our own therapy. According to one DME I recently talked to, our local sleep doc is alienating most of his patients....after one or two trips to him, they've had about all of the abuse they can handle. Problem is, almost all of this stuff requires a prescription....and in that respect we ARE stuck with them (unless we can get our MD's to write the Rx's).
If you're overweight and snore, there's a (good) chance that your MD may refer you to a sleep clinic these days.....especially if they all work for the same BIG clinic.....they're all working for the bottom line.....taking your money. I really pity the other CPAP users who are blindly being led by these sleep docs and DME's. This same local DME told me that I was the first person she'd ever met that was so INTO my own therapy (being proactive, learning as much about all of this medical stuff, etc.). I felt that I done a lot of research before getting my equipment, but this forum has also been of great value to me. (You get to meet people from all over the world, too.)

To all of you other contributing forum members "THANK-YOU"!!!
And, "THANK-YOU" to Johnny for hosting this site.

Keep contributing and keep asking questions.

Den

(Sorry if I got off the subject, but I couldn't help it.)

snowdog · Post by **snowdog** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:58 am

Well, I don't hate my DME like a lot of people here seem to. The tech dropped off the machine and showed me how to use it. He even told me about this site and recommended that I visit it. The one time I called with an issue (which I also posted here) I was told it was an issue with getting used to the machine. About half the responses here said the same thing so I can't complain.

Now, my sleep doctor... I only met her the one time, at the initial physical to get the sleep study approved. I got the results from both sleep studies over the phone from someone in her office. I never got hard copies of anything to do with the studies which people here seem to have gotten. I'm not sure when I'm supposed to schedule a follow-up other then the person at her office telling me something like "when she sees you again next year...".

For both, I've been on CPAP for about five weeks or so now. No one from either the DME's office or the doctor's office has called to see how I'm doing. I guess they both take a "no news is good news" view of things.

I've gotten the card reader and software for my machine and have been watching my numbers on my own. My AHI number has been hovering around 4 so I guess this is working for me. I'm still tired but not as bad as I was. If I could just get used to the mask I'd probably be a lot better.

So bottom line, I don't hate my DME or sleep doctor although I would have expected *someone* to have followed up with me by now. I've found this site to be priceless and have the tech to thank for steering me here.

lostone · Post by **lostone** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 11:57 am

My md has been really good about writting perscriptions for anything I have needed and I have gone from straight c-pap to vpap with lots of problems inbetween. My pressure is 20 and the DMS people started me off with their cheapest machine and mask (I found out later). I kept pushing and complaining until I got my vpap and it is set at 20/10 and a better mask that doesnt leak as bad. I got so upst with the DMS people that I called the sleep people and they sent a rep to do for me what the DME should have in the beginning which was show me how to use the cpap and how to take care of the equiptment and they gave me a couple to mask (free) to try and keep. They were very upset with the DMS people.

mary.ann1 · Post by **mary.ann1** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 4:10 pm

as i wa s re ading thrugh your posts i reALIZE THAT i di9dn't have any problems with my drs until i moved to south jersy andforced to find new ones and the pulminologist is trying to micromanage anad am very unhappy about some things he is doing, because there are someb surgury issues i can't change right now. but i don't like the fact that he takes so longe to answer questions and Ireaklly don't thinkn he like myntake charge attitue

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 4:54 pm

lostone wrote:I'm surprised no one else is posting on this because in almost every post subject I find someone upset with sleep lab people or DMSs. Is there proof that DMSs are padding their pockets at our expense? Has a study been done on this? I am not on anyones side I just am very curious to know.

That question can be answered if readers here will respond to this question:

What is the difference in price between what your DME charged you for a piece of equipment and that same piece of equipment ordered directly from cpap.com?

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 6:42 pm

ozij wrote: Most of the satisified ones are probably not here.

O.

Both of them! Jim

RedThunder94 · Post by **RedThunder94** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 8:10 pm

ozij wrote:I'ld like suggest an additional reason we find so much dissatisfaction on the forums: While some of us came out of curiousity, in order to learn ahead of time, many arrived after becoming unhappy with the attitude or treatment they got. Most of the satisified ones are probably not here.

So, it is possible that finding so many dissatisfied people at forums is a little bit like finding so many wet people at the swimming pool....

O.

wow old post, but i fit in the profile of someone who came in ahead of time to learn as much as i could before i went in for my polysomnogram, i was very lucky that i happened upon this forum.

beneyw · Post by **beneyw** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 5:21 am

I can only relate my experiences..you decide:

Doc- pleasant and outgoing but the only way I can communicate with his office is by making an appointment. This is tough to do when I am 1600 miles away during the summer, His office will not take faxes for him to see (printout of smart card) or respond to any telephone messages. All I get is.."you have to make an appointment."

DME- hangs around doc's office all the time...I had 3 visits all at different times and the DME always was there. The first time he did a printout of the smart card he charged me $75 cash and said it was for his time and equipment. You all know is took about 3 minutes to insert the card and get a printout. Finally, I am due for a new mask and I want to try the hybrid but he said I needed to be there for a fitting and I need to buy that mask elsewhere. No other DME will talk to me unless I pay cash for the mask at an inflated price. He also said if he got me the mask I needed to pay cash for the strap since I cannot get a new strap until 6 months is up (Medicare). He ultimately refused to deal with me on the new mask.

beneyw · Post by **beneyw** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 7:13 am

Sequel to the above:

ANOTHER DME where I am now has the hybrid for me...the cost?

$295.00....yes, I am a jerk...got taken again....

So, instead of you wondering about my opinion I will tell you...my conclusion...3 people...into it for one thing....$$$$....

jeepdoctor · Post by **jeepdoctor** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 11:28 am

Wulfman wrote “According to one DME I recently talked to, our local sleep doc is alienating most of his patients....after one or two trips to him, they've had about all of the abuse they can handle.” This is what my sleep doc did to me. He told me that if I could ask the kinds of questions I was asking, “You have too much time on your hands.” I am a retired engineer, so I do have more time available than employed persons, but that isn’t the point. But I am also a guy who believes in making decisions based on data. The more the better. The trouble with dumping the local sleep doc (pulminologist) is that I would have to drive 50 miles to go to another sleep doc since this guy is the only one in our town. On top of that, you wait a month to see him. He’s that busy. My first approach to resolving this will be to ask my internal medicine doc to take over my case management, what little there is. Further Wulfman said, “Problem is, almost all of this stuff requires a prescription....and in that respect we ARE stuck with them (unless we can get our MD's to write the Rx's).” This doc refused to run interference with Lincare when I asked for an auto cpap. He said my pressure (8 cm) being low and my AHI being 12, that I didn’t need that quality of machine.

I called for a paper prescription and a statement of medical necessity last week and was prepared for a confrontation that didn’t end up happening. The doc’s office called a day after I called them and said the stuff was ready for pickup.

I was about to pursue purchase of a cpap machine. However, a friend has been seeing a TMJ dentist who put her into a jaw positioner. She tested 94% SaO2 last week in an overnight analysis. The dentist said he will have her at 97% when he finishes the adjustments. This is causing me to change my thinking on auto cpap machine ownership and purchasing Encore Pro software. I do have an order in for a SPO 7500 Oximeter and Sleep Package. I figure that knowing my SaO2 is the most important thing at this point. Like I said earlier, I believe in making decisions based on data.