Philips Dreamstation >>>> DME Starting to Stress Me Out!

[cpap82]

Hey guys,

My mom just got a Philips DS through United Health and Medicaid. I'm assuming it was covered it full because she didn't pay anything out of pocket, but when I went over to her house earlier this evening to help set up her machine, some of the menus were locked. My mom also wanted a Mirage Liberty mask but the RT wouldn't release the machine until they got the mask in which would have taken another 14 days. I even offered to give my mom one of my new unused mask to use until hers came in because her AHI is 82 and needs to start therapy ASAP, but the RT wouldn't go for it.

And the bullshit begins...

Why is the DME locking menus on my mom's machine and how do I go about unlocking them with out the pin number the RT set?

Let me also state, that I had the worst ever experience with two DMEs when I got my Resmed machine about 10 months ago, so now I'm very distrustful of these places and people. My mom's RT also told her that if she doesn't use the machine they'll be held liable. By who? So, I guess they're going to check her usage via wireless, but I don't like that at all. And I'm also not feeling the Dreamstation machine, in that I can't figure out its features and how to maneuver the menus with out turning off the machine. Which machine is preferred here, Dreamstation or AirSense 10?

I just don't want my mom tied to this RT and DME and it seems like thats EXACTLY what they want.

If my mom's insurance paid for this machine 100% doesn't that mean she owns it?

How should I go about handling this? Because when I went through my hell of getting my machine, I honest to god thought I was having a heart attack one night due to Linacre /BCBS/and some other DME stressing me out. But now I think it was a panic attack--it was the craziest thing I'd ever felt. Anyway during this ordeal, I posted here about it and someone posted to pay for it out of pocket because its not worth the grief. At the time, I thought it was crazy to pay for something your insurance would cover BUT NOW i understand. Unfortunately, my mom has to use her insurance and medicaid.

/rant off.
Thanks in advance for your feedback and sorry that my post is all over the place. The idea of having to call my mom's DME in the morning has my stomach in knots. I hope I'm not sounding too overdramatic, but my experience was so awful when I finally did get my machine I didn't even use it right away because I was so upset about everything that went down.

[Pugsy]

Why is the DME locking menus on my mom's machine and how do I go about unlocking them with out the pin number the RT set?

She told you she used some sort of special pin number to lock it? What a load of bull shit.

Go here...and request the provider/clinical manual for the machine. Instructions down the page just a little on how to request it via email.
It will be a combo manual most likely but that's okay.
http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-p ... tup-manual

Now here is the short version for getting past all those locked menus (no secret pin numbers).
http://www.apneaboard.com/dreamstation- ... structions
But please also get the manual via email because it has a LOT more information in it that could be very useful to you than the short version has.

If my mom's insurance paid for this machine 100% doesn't that mean she owns it?

There's usually a time frame involved before someone technically "owns it free and clear".
with Medicare and Medicaid...usually the person has to meet "compliance requirements" which for Medicare is they must use the machine at least 4 hours a night for 70 % of a 30 consecutive night period and there's 90 days to get that requirement met...and sometime before the 91st day she must have a face to face with the doctor.
Medicare and Medicaid don't usually pay for the machine in one lump sum...typically they may a small monthly rent to own payment over a period of 13 months.
They don't normally do any other "compliance" checks beyond that first one within the first 90 days though.
When someone has both Medicare and Medicaid I think Medicaid picks up any co pays the patient would normally have...so everything is tied to what Medicare does first. I don't think that Medicaid will throw up any additional road blocks in this situation because they really don't have all that much to pay after Medicare pays.

You know you can go to another DME...but sometimes they don't all take both Medicare and Medicaid...so you might check around but your choices might be limited depending on where you live.

[cpap82]

Thanks Pugsy. Checking out links now.