Definitely Newbie

[Ellen521]

I am a Kaiser member who has a mild case of sleep disorder and was charged $975 from the sleep clinic who issued me a machine for 24 hours to determine this. I was shocked at the cost.

Now, they want me to come back on the 29th where they will go over the results and issue me a CPAP machine to use for 1 week and return. I am told that cost will be $113 for the machine and $75 for the visit.

My guess is that then I will be asked if I want to buy a machine and Kaiser has told me that cost will be $734.

My questions to the forum are:
1. Doesn't this seem to be outrageous prices?
2. Would I be better off buying a machine on my own vs through Kaiser
3. What type of machines and head gear is the best?

Respectfully submitted,
Ellen521

[AuntieNae]

I am not sure what to say other than the $900 bill must have included reading the data?

I am guessing they will be giving you a loaner "Auto" machine to determine what pressure is best for you before they give you a barebones model. just my 2 cents

[elader]

my sleep study cost 4000.00

I wouldn't buy their machine without talking to folks here. You can probably get a much better deal with your prescription on cpap.com

[BeanMeScot]

my sleep study cost 4000.00

I wouldn't buy their machine without talking to folks here. You can probably get a much better deal with your prescription on cpap.com

This. The $734 isn't outrageous and is probably pretty low by DME standards. But it will probably be the cheapest thing they can give you and you could get something top of the line for about $600.

[tomjax]

So what is the difference in buying an APAP online for 350.00 and doing your own study and having the machine without all the hassle?

I do not in any way suggest self treatment for a newbie, but this is realistic for a person who is up to speed on OSA.

Why 975 for an overnight loan of an APAP?

[TheDreamer]

Ya, I was thinking about how much all these things were....

The hospital billed for $3540 for the sleep study, and the sleep doctor billed for $525. They were in network, so after writeoff, my share was $99.37 and $16.60 respectively.

The DME billed for over $2000 for the CPAP & mask, and $350 for the humidifier. Don't know what my share is going to be yet...haven't gotten the bill yet.

The Dreamer.

[OmniMarconi67]

I never realized how good my student health insurance was until reading this thread. I paid $15 for the doctors visits and my machine is 90% covered.