DME nightmare(S)

[GumbyCT]

And I just bought my wife an S9 AutoSet ... Don't really want two different machines ..

I understand that... so you know what the answer is?

[Lizistired]

If you can get a PRS1 Auto, considering the DC issue, that might be your best bet. The big difference was that Encore sucked compared to ResScan. Sleepyhead has fixed that. I don't know about the Mac issue.
Have you talked to Apria? I don't think DME's "carry" any of the machines. They order them. The data argument isn't a good one because that's taking money out of their pocket for future billing opportunities. It almost sounds like the DME's in your area may have a coordinated effort to reduce the sale of apap's.
Note that the cost of STL Mark's Elite is about equal to your co-pay through a DME if it's 20%. I know that sucks, but it is true. That's about what I paid for my S9. You could have a machine for now, if you have an inverter in your truck, which would give you more bargaining power on your insurance purchase. Then you would also have a good back up machine.
Many of us have autos and use them in cpap mode. Just sayin... Once your wife is dialed in, you could swap machines.
I wish you luck with getting a specific script with the doctor, but I doubt you will get everything you want. You might want to focus more on the data capable and auto function. Your wish list is pretty long.

[123.Shawn T.W.]

I have a small cheap 300w msw inverter that I plug into the cig outlet ... But would prefer a real 12v setup ... At the moment I'm using my old taken out of mothballs laptop to down load my SP02 stuff ... But it is slow, and has a unique HP power cord, and the fitting in the laptop is kinda wornout, and the battery will not take a charge!

If I have to buy the 12v converter, I'll do it myself! Just prefer to get ins to pay as much as I can, considering what I pay them!

[123.Shawn T.W.]

In some ways I feel bad the the sleep study place I went to twice doesn't carry what I want ... As they gave me FREE second night! viewtopic.php?f=1&t=79446&p=722754#p722659

I was set on the S9 as when I was doing my research, I did not find a 12v power supply yet, now I see that it is a available ... BUT, cpap.com needs to remove there little note that says its not available yet ...

It would be nice to have the same machine as my wife, but I also can see the opportunity to try BOTH, and then my wife and I can see which we each like better ... I'm gonna sleep on it ... But would be easier if there was MAC software for 60 series ... Available now, but I could just take the 60 on the road til SleepyHead is compatible ...

It will be asking a bit, to get my wife to down load every week, as I'm not home to do it, maybe she will get into it more, I pray!

[123.Shawn T.W.]

Well ... I slept on it! Kinda, I was still a bit wound up, I stayed up an hour later than "normal" and had trouble getting off to sleep ... And woke up an hour early! (4:00)

I will talk to my Dr, and once we both agree that I need an APAP machine with a heated hose (shouldn't be to hard to convince him that it would be helpful living in the desert to have humidity, and we live at 4,300' elevation, so winters are below freezing) that I will consider the series 60 which I can get from the same place I had my sleep study (they were extremely helpful in answering LOTS of questions, and gave me a free night too!)

However ... If the dr will NOT do it, I will just take the Rx (so I can buy masks) and find a older system one on CL ...

I currently have $325 left to meet my deductible, then by staying in network I have to pay 20% I'll be better off just buying a full data APAP on my own ... If I can't get what I want via ins, I'm not gonna give them $500 - $700 for a straight cpap "brick" and not be happy, when I can take that same money and get a full data APAP for the same money!

Am I making more sense today?

Yesterday I was kinda ranting (a little bit) and a bit cranky too ... !!

[squid13]

This is what I use to power my S9 when I have to use my battery. https://www.cpap.com/productpage/DC-Con ... hines.html Works on 12 or 24 volts DC.

[Lizistired]

Yes, you are.

[Tarutan]

I had a similar experience with Pulmo-Care in southern california. I had the talk with my doctor before she sent in the order for a cpap. She ordered a Resmed S9 for me, even though she seemed unfamiliar with the specific device, I asked her for it and she was totally supportive.

I get a call from my doctor 24hours later with the number of the DME to call. I called Pulmo-Care and they didn't talk to me at all, just told me they are waiting on the insurance authorization. I called the next day, and she responded with a tired attitude "I told you, I will call you when we get the authorization". I called them everyday just to check, and they said they checked everyday and still no authorization.

I called my insurance company after a week and a half to see whats up and they said they authorized it 24hours after they got it, so basically Pulmo Care had not even checked for the authorization all those days even with me calling to have them check. I called them and told them and instead of apologizing and explaining they just say they will have a technician call me back.

The technician doesn't call me for 3 days, and after a few more calls to their office she finally calls me and can't schedule a time to drop off the machine for another week because she is busy working in a hospital. So I decide to deal with it, and make that appointment a week later. Then I ask, what kind of machine were you going to give me because my doctor ordered a specific one.

She said Respironics Sleap Easy. I told her no, my doctor ordered a Resmed S9. She then said, "what do you want me to do about it? I have to give you whatever we have on our shelves" verbatim! I got so frustrated, I was like "well why dont you order an S9" and she said she can't, the whole time with attitude and I got so frustrated I just said "well what the hell". I got so frustrated because I felt like she wasn't explaining anything to me at all. She hung up on me for my language, and I called the office back and they said they will no longer be supplying me with a machine.

So I called their corporate office to file a complaint. It finally felt like I was speaking to someone knowledgeable and sensible, she told me it was my right to call them and get information. I told her everything that happened verbatim. She sounded shocked about the whole "we have to give you whatever we have on our shelves" and told me she will investigate and get back to me. She called me back within 5min and told me that the "girls in the office" had me on speaker phone and had witnesses that I was cussing at them and insulting them, that they informed me of everything I needed to know and that I was just being rude and thats basically how they played it. I got a letter from them later on with my official complaint, which is an even more exagerated bias of events. In the letter, it said that they informed me that all they carried was respironics when I started to "cuss" at them.

Was such a lousy experience, all they had to tell me was that they are only contracted with respironics, instead of just whatever they have in stock. I called my insurance company and within 24hours they refered me to Apria, and got me my S9.

Apria Healthcare is one of the nations biggest DME's I think. Give them a try if you need to find someone to get you an S9.

Also the difference between an Elite and an Auto is $30, its nothing. You just need a prescription for the min and max pressures for the auto.

[123.Shawn T.W.]

I just spent over 15 minutes talking to my Dr ... Finally got him to re-write the Rx!

He really wanted me to stay with the original DME ... Who had actually faxed the Dr stating that I had called wanting a APAP, and that I was going to call around looking for a different DME!

He is going to write it for the Series 60 APAP with heated hose, and any mask!

Now I just need to hook up with the DME when they open, and get home for my appointment!

[DiverCTHunter]

I will talk to my Dr, and once we both agree that I need an APAP machine with a heated hose (shouldn't be to hard to convince him that it would be helpful living in the desert to have humidity, and we live at 4,300' elevation, so winters are below freezing) that I will consider the series 60 which I can get from the same place I had my sleep study (they were extremely helpful in answering LOTS of questions, and gave me a free night too!)

However ... If the dr will NOT do it, I will just take the Rx (so I can buy masks) and find a older system one on CL ...

I currently have $325 left to meet my deductible, then by staying in network I have to pay 20% I'll be better off just buying a full data APAP on my own ... If I can't get what I want via ins, I'm not gonna give them $500 - $700 for a straight cpap "brick" and not be happy, when I can take that same money and get a full data APAP for the same money!

Am I making more sense today?

Yesterday I was kinda ranting (a little bit) and a bit cranky too ... !!

Everyone needs a good rant now and then, especially if they have to do IT for a bunch of Luddites :LOL:

I know nothing about truck electronics, but unless you can get regulated and filtered +24VDC, then I seriously think the PR System One 60 series is your best bet. Yes, you need a Windows emulator to run the Encore software on a Mac, BUT Sleepyhead will eventually support the 60 series.

[123.Shawn T.W.]

My iMac G5 running on Leopord 10.5 doesn't do windows, which is fine with me! One of the reasons I bought it! Don't miss windows at all either ...

[RandyJ]

I just spent over 15 minutes talking to my Dr ... Finally got him to re-write the Rx!

He really wanted me to stay with the original DME ... Who had actually faxed the Dr stating that I had called wanting a APAP, and that I was going to call around looking for a different DME!

He is going to write it for the Series 60 APAP with heated hose, and any mask!

Now I just need to hook up with the DME when they open, and get home for my appointment!

Good for you. You can use Encore until Sleepyhead is compatible with the Series 60.

Now just to make sure that the DME doesn't ask you for an upcharge...

[Janknitz]

One thing that burns me is that Brad from Lincare in Sierra Vista told me that he WOULD NOT order it because BCBS wouldn't pay enough! When I questioned him as to wether it was that BCBC would to cover that machine or not, he said that it was that they would not pay ENOUGH to make it worth his time.

I actually think that this was the best DME you've spoken to so far. He was at least being honest with you, saying it's not worth his time to make a smaller profit on the autoset. Most of the other DME's were feeding you a load of bullsh*t. They think the exact same thing, but they want to make you think they are "patient oriented" and give a darn about you when they are really all about the bottom line every bit as much as the Lincare DME you spoke to. They are businesses first and I don't have a problem with their need to make a good profit, but it really ticks me off when they lie about it.

I'd much rather do business with this Brad if he can supply you with the PRS1-60 (if you decide you want it) than all the liars you have spoken to. At least you know he will be honest, even if not much of an adovcate for your quality of care. DME's are (for the most part, I know there are some better ones out there, too) not out there to be our advocates in health care, though we have this fantasy that they are. Which is why you can save yourself a boatload of hassle and probably some money by ordering from an online supplier instead. If DME's want our business, then they need to be doing something to earn it.

[GumbyCT]

She called me back within 5min and told me that the "girls in the office" had me on speaker phone and had witnesses that I was cussing at them and insulting them, that they informed me of everything I needed to know and that I was just being rude and thats basically how they played it. I got a letter from them later on with my official complaint, which is an even more exagerated bias of events. In the letter, it said that they informed me that all they carried was respironics when I started to "cuss" at them.

I had a similar DME liar experience. It seems if you file a complaint with a DME corporate they will document and support the lies.

I now order all of my cpap supplies thru my State Representatives office. But even that didn't stop the lies, I just no longer have to put up with it.

The moral of the story is if you file a complaint with DME corporate - have a plan C such as filing with the state licensing agency or consumer protection agency.

And while you are waiting for them to "get back to you" contact other DME's if your insurance allows it.

[GumbyCT]

Am I making more sense today?

Well you were until...

You said

(they were extremely helpful in answering LOTS of questions, and gave me a free night too!)

You do understand - "There is no such thing as a FREE Lunch", right?