What to do with an extra machine?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 8:31 am

I have a REMStar Plus C-Flex with just over 600 hours on it. When I was put on treatment last June, this is the machine that I started with. After 2.5 months my sleep doctor agreed to put me on an auto. Small problem insurance had already purchased the machine. Long story short, insurance also bought my auto and now my cpap is just sitting in the closet collecting dust. At first I thought I would keep it as a spare but I feel guilty letting a perfectly good machine sit when others could use it.

Since they are medical equipment that require an Rx, can we legally sell them or give them away? I offered it to a friend, who was recently put on cpap. When he took my machine to DME he was told that since he needed the humidifier also it would cost more to order the humidifier alone than to purchase a whole new set up.

I have heard that they can't be sold on ebay. So I am looking for some advice. Thanks.

DrainedDad · Post by **DrainedDad** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 8:34 am

This was my post. I haven't figured out why I get bumped into the guest category even though I am logged in.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 8:54 am

No, you cannot sell it on eGay. Try either Yahoo Auction or Sell.com.
Yahoo gets more 'hits' than Sell.com.

KansasRT · Post by **KansasRT** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 9:02 am

The humidifier their DME is trying to sell him must be made of solid gold. Even a heated humidifier for any machine, regardless of brand, even with a DME markup should be no more than $350(and that is inflating it a lot) I cannot imagine that an entire set up is cheaper than that. If they have a script for a humidifier, their insurance should cover just the humidifier and accessories(mask,tubing, filter, etc.) I think they are trying to sell him an entire set up.

inacpapfog · Post by **inacpapfog** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 9:07 am

I agree with Kansas, DME just wanting to make a bigger $!

tomjax · Post by **tomjax** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 9:08 am

I had 2 extra ones.
My aunt called and told me about her 50 y/o overweight son who had absolutely no extra money for anything and she thought he may have OSA.

I called my cousin and told him to come up for my opinion. He had all the classical sx.
I put him on my apap for one night at 9/16 since he did not olike it at 4 which would have detected more events,

Bottom line- I gave him my old but lightly used machine and set it at 12 with a breeze mask.

He reports a totally new life with no eds or snoring.
He cannot believe how much better he feels.
I guess I should have not done this legally, but I think I did the proper thing in his case. No way he could have afforded a sleep study.
Any opinions?

snoregirl · Post by **snoregirl** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 10:38 am

Have your friend order the heated humidifier for $154 from CPAP.com and forget the dme. I assume he has a prescription and setting? You can set up your old machine in 5 minutes for him with his doctor's prescripted pressure.

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 10:40 am

Ya done the right thing, Tom.

Den

DrainedDad · Post by **DrainedDad** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 10:53 am

Like so many of us going into this for the first time, he followed the DME recommendations and purchased the new equipment. It cost him $200 total. A quick check of cpap.com show he could have gotten his mask, humidifier, tubbing and filter for around $300. At his 20% copay, the DME would have had to have charged more than $1000 dollars for it to be more expensive than the set up that he bought.

I tried to warn him about DMEs but somethings you just got to learn on your own. He is happy with his machine and feels that he got a good buy, so who am I to burst his bubble. I did point him to this forum. Hopefully he'll take advantage of it so that next time he won't be taken advantage of by the DME!

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 11:10 am

[quote="tomjax"]I had 2 extra ones.
My aunt called and told me about her 50 y/o overweight son who had absolutely no extra money for anything and she thought he may have OSA.

I called my cousin and told him to come up for my opinion. He had all the classical sx.
I put him on my apap for one night at 9/16 since he did not olike it at 4 which would have detected more events,

Bottom line- I gave him my old but lightly used machine and set it at 12 with a breeze mask.

He reports a totally new life with no eds or snoring.
He cannot believe how much better he feels.
I guess I should have not done this legally, but I think I did the proper thing in his case. No way he could have afforded a sleep study.
Any opinions?

krousseau · Post by **krousseau** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 12:17 pm

Tomjax wrote

I had 2 extra ones.
My aunt called and told me about her 50 y/o overweight son who had absolutely no extra money for anything and she thought he may have OSA.

I called my cousin and told him to come up for my opinion. He had all the classical sx.
I put him on my apap for one night at 9/16 since he did not olike it at 4 which would have detected more events,

Bottom line- I gave him my old but lightly used machine and set it at 12 with a breeze mask.

He reports a totally new life with no eds or snoring.
He cannot believe how much better he feels.
I guess I should have not done this legally, but I think I did the proper thing in his case. No way he could have afforded a sleep study.
Any opinions?

I'd agree-GREAT! Wish there was a way to do that without a thought of legality. Probably a lot of people here have equipment gathering dust in closets.

TXKajun · Post by **TXKajun** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 1:03 pm

Only things are, tom, first off, if your cousin has anything go wrong with his health in the next, oh, 30 or 40 years, he's gonna have every right to turn around and blame/sue you for it and second, you just practiced medicine (diagnosing a medical condition and prescribing for your diagnosis as well as filling the prescription) without a license. Other than those 2 little things, yeah, no problems. Right?

Just want to give you something to think about.

Kajun

This therapy really works! But we ain't docs to be prescribing and filling prescriptions, at least most of us here ain't.

DrainedDad · Post by **DrainedDad** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 1:19 pm

Kajun

This therapy really works! But we ain't docs to be prescribing and filling prescriptions, at least most of us here ain't.

That's the point I was getting at when I started this thread and it brings me back to my original question,

Since they are medical equipment that require an Rx, can we legally sell them or give them away?

What are we do do with perfectly good equipment that I know would benefit others and save them some $$. How do I take my excess and meet someone else's need?

oldgearhead · Post by **oldgearhead** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 1:23 pm

..and I said Yahoo Auction..and don't look back..Of course, you can find a lawyer for either position....

oldgearhead · Post by **oldgearhead** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 1:27 pm

..or..maybe..we are susposed to have our xPAP buried with us..

What to do with an extra machine?

What to do with an extra machine?

extre pap

Re: extre pap