Went to Get my New APAP Today

[Boston Guy]

Thanks for all the advice. As for the people saying to exchange the s8 escape I currently have before it's to late. I have had this machine for 2-3 years already. I am an experienced CPAP user, I would like to begin my journey into being an experienced APAP user.

Thank you for recommending I ask my insurance what other DME's they use, I'm hoping I find a big list with one of them being filled with employees who know something about the products they're selling. By the way what does "DME" stand for?

I have already received the secret private message containing the valuable S9 information from a good guy on this forum. Thank you once again my friend.

If it just so happens that every DME in Massachusetts doesn't carry the S9 yet then I guess I'll have to wait 2-4 weeks. But I can handle that.

[DreamOn]

Boston, DME means "Durable Medical Equipment." We really mean "Durable Medical Equipment Supplier" when we use the abbreviation around here.

The S9 machines have been sold in the U.S. since early this year. They should be available everywhere.

[elena88]

the DME stands for

durable medical equipment...

so that would be a DME provider.. I didnt know what that meant either

all these abbreviations... PCP didnt know that one either. primary care physician..

the list goes on and on.. just ask anytime you have a question.

p.s. read everything before you sign!
ask them about return policies and how long you have to trade in masks, machines, and ask them when is their
billing dept available..

I could not get my dme's billing dept to call back before a forty eight hour period had elapsed every time, I called..
"sorry, the billing dept cant call you back for forty eight hours." WTH? who does business like that?

[LoQ]

The acronyms here are NOTHING compared to over at Curl Talk. They don't even use actual words any more, just strings of abbreviations and acronymns.

[Janknitz]

I don't mind the satellite monitoring device, seeing that the company's will contact you via phone and tell you if they see any leaks, apneas, or other issues over the initial ten month period. After ten months it's an option to sign up for the service or let it cancel itself out.

I hope you get that this company has a vested interest in NOT giving you access to data because then they can't make money off you and your insurance company charging for it. It's a clever way for them to make money and probably not too bad an idea for the people who would never even be curious about their data in the first place to at least have someone checking their AHI's, but my guess is that this is going to motivate this particular DME to stall you like crazy so you don't get the S9 machine you want. They'll keep telling you their satellite set up for the S9 is coming "any day now" until you either give up or get stuck with the S8 because you've had it too long.

[Boston Guy]

I don't mind the satellite monitoring device, seeing that the company's will contact you via phone and tell you if they see any leaks, apneas, or other issues over the initial ten month period. After ten months it's an option to sign up for the service or let it cancel itself out.

I hope you get that this company has a vested interest in NOT giving you access to data because then they can't make money off you and your insurance company charging for it. It's a clever way for them to make money and probably not too bad an idea for the people who would never even be curious about their data in the first place to at least have someone checking their AHI's, but my guess is that this is going to motivate this particular DME to stall you like crazy so you don't get the S9 machine you want. They'll keep telling you their satellite set up for the S9 is coming "any day now" until you either give up or get stuck with the S8 because you've had it too long.

No this lady actually said "I encourage you to wait, seeing how you have your heart set on the S9," if she doesn't call me Monday to tell me the exact date, which she said she would do. I will have to call her Monday evening and get an answer. I'm not just taking whatever answer they give me, I never have and I never will..with anything.

And I've already had the s8 for two years, this is an early upgrade that I had to force upon my insurance.

[Janknitz]

OIC, then you are in a good position, because you don't have to play their game if you don't want to. That's always a good position to be in!

[Boston Guy]

the DME stands for

durable medical equipment...

so that would be a DME provider.. I didnt know what that meant either

all these abbreviations... PCP didnt know that one either. primary care physician..

the list goes on and on.. just ask anytime you have a question.

p.s. read everything before you sign!
ask them about return policies and how long you have to trade in masks, machines, and ask them when is their
billing dept available..

I could not get my dme's billing dept to call back before a forty eight hour period had elapsed every time, I called..
"sorry, the billing dept cant call you back for forty eight hours." WTH? who does business like that?

Thanks for all the help

[Boston Guy]

The lady at the dme called back at 9am today which was a pleasant suprise. She said the S9 would definitely be available in 2-4 weeks.

[howkim]

... the company's will contact you via phone and tell you if they see any leaks, apneas, or other issues over the initial ten month period...

If you believe that, I have some beach front property in South Louisiana I can sell you.

ETA: My doc doesn't have any software to read my card. (WTF?) My DME hasn't seen my card since I originally took it our of their hands. If my doc wants to see my charts, I get to print them out for him.

[DreamOn]

Boston, I'm wondering, "Why wait up to 4 weeks for an S9 machine?" If you haven't already, I suggest that you ask your insurance company for the names of other in-network DME providers and start calling around to see who has this machine available for you now.

You should have your written prescription in-hand anyway. It would be preferable to have your Rx specify the exact machine make and model that you want plus humidifier. If the prescription is machine-specific, then request that the Rx specify "dispense as written" or "no substitutions", so the DME won't try to pull the old switcheroo on you. After you identify a DME willing to sell you exactly what you want, with the machine in stock, then take your prescription to them. I assume that you haven't signed a contract for the machine with your current DME yet, so you can shop around and call them to cancel your order when you actually have the machine you want in your hands from the other DME. When you're calling around, ask about each DME's mask exchange policy too. They should give you up to 30 days to try a mask because that's what most manufacturers honor.

The person that you've been dealing with at your current DME has been either less than honest or ignorant (maybe both!) about the differences between the S8 and S9 machines. Either way, that's not good for you. And they obviously want you to be dependent on them to get the data that you yourself can get by reading the results numbers on the machine's LCD screen and via software. I sure wouldn't want to be dealing with them--now or in the future.

[Boston Guy]

Yea I am calling my insurance Monday to find other dme providers. I hope there's a place out there that is run by some professionals possibly. Maybe some people that actually know about the products their selling. Someone that knows more than I do, that would be amazing!!

[rested gal]

The person that you've been dealing with at your current DME has been either less than honest or ignorant (maybe both!) about the differences between the S8 and S9 machines. Either way, that's not good for you. And they obviously want you to be dependent on them to get the data that you yourself can get by reading the results numbers on the machine's LCD screen and via software. I sure wouldn't want to be dealing with them--now or in the future.

DreamOn's right.

I don't mind the satellite monitoring device, seeing that the company's will contact you via phone and tell you if they see any leaks, apneas, or other issues over the initial ten month period. After ten months it's an option to sign up for the service or let it cancel itself out..

That is possible. More likely, they are only going to check "compliance" data. How many nights did you use the machine for more than 4 hours?

That is the only data they care about, and in some cases the only data they know about, 99% of the time.

I agree with unadog -- most likely the only thing the DME company would even glance at is "compliance" (hours of use.)

I doubt if many DMEs care at all how the treatment is going, what the leak rate is, etc.

I doubt if many DMEs would bother to look even at "hours of use" if Medicare or the insurance company didn't require documentation of "use" to justify continuing to send the DME those rental dollars.

Glad to hear you're getting the software yourself, Boston Guy.

I'd bet you're quite capable of handling your own treatment just fine.

[frh]

Boston Guy, my wife and I had to give the DME an extra $250 each to get them to order a pair of S9s for us. It only took 2 days for them to get the machines. If I had it to do over again, I would have found the Resmed rep for my area and asked him for a list of DMEs that are more likely to provide the S9.

[Boston Guy]

I'll first try seeing if a different DME has the s9 available right now. If they do I already have insurance approval to get a new machine. It's crazy how far behind this DME industry seems. A new model of something comes out a year ago and your just getting it now???

Maybe I'm just dealing with a bunch of losers at my DME, maybe the grass is greener at another place...maybe.