Ontario CPAP Newbie - little help?

[palerider]

Respironics System One. .... The DME charged me $75 for the SD card which is rather steep, but given that was the only out-of-pocket expense I had, I didn't complain. Much.

urm, ... which?

220 PR System One REMStar 60 Series SE CPAP Machine
260 PR System One REMstar 60 Series Plus CPAP Machine with C-Flex
460 PR System One REMStar 60 Series Pro CPAP Machine
560 PR System One REMStar 60 Series Auto CPAP Machine
660 PR System One REMStar 60 Series BiPAP Pro with Bi-Flex
760 PR System One REMStar 60 Series BiPAP Auto with Bi-Flex
960 PR System One REMStar 60 Series BiPAP autoSV Advanced
150 PR System One REMstar DS150 CPAP Machine
250 PR System One REMstar Plus CPAP Machine with C-Flex
450 PR System One REMstar Pro CPAP Machine with C-Flex Plus
450autoiq PR System One REMstar Pro CPAP Machine with AutoIQ
550 PR System One REMstar Auto CPAP Machine with A-Flex
650 PR System One REMstar BiPAP Pro with Bi-Flex
750 PR System One REMstar BiPAP Auto with Bi-Flex
950 PR System One REMstar BiPAP Auto SV Advanced
1150 PR System One REMstar BiPAP AVAPS Machine
PR System One REMstar BiPAP ST Machine

75$ for a sd card is criminal, it's just a plain 2gig sd card, and it comes included in the machine.

[Ontario CPAP]

450 PR System One REMstar Pro CPAP Machine with C-Flex Plus.

When I questioned the $75 for the SD card (I also do a lot of digital photography, so I've bought more than a few CF and SD cards over the years) the DME said the fee was more to cover their cost to produce the physician's reports from the SD card data, which I do not pay for separately. Since it was truly the only out-of-pocket expense I had in the entire process, including the sleep studies and consultations, I shrugged and paid for the card (even though I could just as easily produce similar reports myself using Sleepyhead.)

[Elle]

I think they were snowing you. Ask them if every time they read the card (which I think they are required to do periodically to prove compliance) you will be charged for the report being sent to your doctor. My doctor received reports from my DME every time I saw them. They are required to report back to physicians so that doesn't make sense.

I have had about 4 or 5 DMEs and I move on when I see them doing something sketchy. The last one said they were out of filters and to call back in a few weeks. When I did call back the owner was driving and on his cell phone and said that they always have filters so I went to the office and asked for them and the person said they didn't have any. I told her the owner said they did and she went in the back room and brought out two filters and handed to me. I asked if they had any in sealed packages (they looked used and I wouldn't be surprised if she took them out of machines in the back. She asked why I needed them in sealed packages and I said "because you are handling them". She went back to the back and I left. I was imagining creepy crawlers off her sandwich or whatever she had been handling before mauling the filters. ....but then I am a germaphobe.

anywho....I hope they don't charge you again.

[palerider]

450 PR System One REMstar Pro CPAP Machine with C-Flex Plus.

hopefully, you're mistaken, since that's an old, discontinued, failure prone model.

[Wulfman...]

450 PR System One REMstar Pro CPAP Machine with C-Flex Plus.

hopefully, you're mistaken, since that's an old, discontinued, failure prone model.

Maybe they work better in Canada.


Den

.

[Ontario CPAP]

I'll check the model # again -- I was working from memory, which is probably not a good idea. It is definitely a CFLEX+ model, as it's my favourite feature. The machine has been working for almost a year and a half without any problems, but it needs to hang in there for 5 years before my insurance will cover a replacement.

As for the $75 SD card, I've read horror stories from others on this Forum being charged $1,000's for their sleep studies. Through my entire diagnosis and testing process I paid nothing -- no deductibles or co-pays for anything other than the card, so I'm not all that concerned. I won't buy another $75 card however.

[Sleeprider]

Charging $75 for a 2 gig SD card is pretty indefensible, since any card will fit (I actually use a 16 gig card). It looks like you got your machine before the 60 series was in common distribution. It's dong the job for you and you don't need to make apologies for it. It is very frustrating for those of us that have been at this a while to see DMEs continue to dispense the lowest possible machine, when the price differential for the best data capable unit is inconsequential. Don't take it personally, but we see you as another of many victims of this practice.

[ChicagoGranny]

I won't buy another $75 card however.

So you learned that. But the more important lesson to be learned is to check prices on any item before buying one for the first time.