Resmed new Internet Policy

[jscorpio]

Well, Resmed is at it again. Just been informed that they are going back to an Minimum Internet Resale Price which means everyone who wants Resmed products are going to pay up to double what they are currently paying. Another kick in the gut for private pay patients. Everyone on this site needs to call their local congressman or woman to demand answers and advocate change with all of the manufacturers. Why are the private pay sector patients being penalized for not having insurance. Something is wrong with this picture.

[AirBreather]

I agree. This is a good example of why medical costs are so high. Medical equipment suppliers should be able to compete for business in the same ways suppliers of other products do. As common as sleep apnea is, auto CPAP equipment and supplies ideally should be sold, possibly even without prescription, by outlets such as Wal-Mart and Costco. What would be the problem with that? Are people who don't need CPAP going to want to wear a mask each night unnecessarily? What if they did? An automatic machine would keep the therapy pressure at a very low minimum value that wouldn't be apt to do any harm and, if that can be shown to be a legitimate concern, the machines could be designed to sound an alarm that notifies users that CPAP treatment isn't needed.

If sleep doctors think they really have just cause to write prescriptions to enable auto CPAP use, instead of written prescriptions, prescriptions could be saved on data cards that could be plugged into a machine purchased anywhere to set treatment parameters and enable operation.

There are many ways health costs could be easily reduced, but the "bottom-line" is that the medical community does not want them reduced, because they are the beneficiaries of current fraudulent practices.

[LSAT]

If this is true, it will be a great time for Resperonics and Fisher & Paykel to expand their market share? If the other two majors do not go along with ResMed, they will reverse the policy. Just like competition with the airlines. One carrier raises prices and if the other carriers do not follow they recind the increase.

[Slinky]

Eh, the online DME providers will most likely just go back to their "unadvertised sale prices".

[jnk]

I love my ResMed products. But the company? Um. Not as much. I tend to cheer for the underdog. ResMed is not an underdog.

One day an equipment-manufacturing company, perhaps one of the smaller ones, is going to figure out how to offer what we self-titrators want with the software we want at the price we want, and that company will not have to spend one penny to advertise--this forum would do that for them, with a little help from the search engines.

jeff

[fidelfs]

Well, Resmed is at it again. Just been informed that they are going back to an Minimum Internet Resale Price which means everyone who wants Resmed products are going to pay up to double what they are currently paying. Another kick in the gut for private pay patients. Everyone on this site needs to call their local congressman or woman to demand answers and advocate change with all of the manufacturers. Why are the private pay sector patients being penalized for not having insurance. Something is wrong with this picture.

I don't want to start anything but welcome to the UN-free market of health care.

[Paul56]

Oh boy... well I can see that I will need to research the other machines now for my next system.

[BlackSpinner]

Maybe we should start a facebook "boycott resmed" page.
It worked to get the Bay to buy Cowichan sweaters from the tribe instead of getting them made in China.

[dsm]

Well, Resmed is at it again. Just been informed that they are going back to an Minimum Internet Resale Price which means everyone who wants Resmed products are going to pay up to double what they are currently paying. Another kick in the gut for private pay patients. Everyone on this site needs to call their local congressman or woman to demand answers and advocate change with all of the manufacturers. Why are the private pay sector patients being penalized for not having insurance. Something is wrong with this picture.

Hi - do you have any links or proffs ? - anywhere we can read this for ourselves ?
Past anon posts always lead me to be cautious about fireball posts

TIA

DSM

[bearded_two]

That is one of the reasons I like IntelliPAP; DeVilbiss doesn't have any online price advertising or sale restrictions.

[dsm]

I love my ResMed products. But the company? Um. Not as much. I tend to cheer for the underdog. ResMed is not an underdog.

One day an equipment-manufacturing company, perhaps one of the smaller ones, is going to figure out how to offer what we self-titrators want with the software we want at the price we want, and that company will not have to spend one penny to advertise--this forum would do that for them, with a little help from the search engines.

jeff

Jeff, I agree wholeheartedly that Resmed is no underdog.

In the past month their shares have gone from a low of 50.93 to a high of 55.98 - largely on their past quarter results & the S9 launch.
What is a pity is that we don't have Respironics shares to compare because they (AFAICT) are now folded into Philips share price.

But based on the quality of products from both companies & their individual initiative, Seems it can only go up in leaps & bounds from
where they are today.

The US Resmed CEO in his Jan (or was it Feb) conf call, claimed that only 5% of the potential market was being met & the growth
potential enormous.

Yup Resmed ain't no under nuthin

DSM

[jnk]

. . . do you have any links . . .

I don't know how long this has been the policy, but is this link good enough? (Or, should I say, BAD enough?):

Our US Internet Selling Policies require that Internet Providers to do the following:

1.Advertise and sell ResMed products at or above ResMed’s Minimum Internet Retail Price.

http://www.resmed.com/us/dealers/intern ... nc=dealers

Color added, mine.

jeff

[dsm]

. . . do you have any links . . .

I don't know how long this has been the policy, but is this link good enough? (Or, should I say, BAD enough?):

Our US Internet Selling Policies require that Internet Providers to do the following:

1.Advertise and sell ResMed products at or above ResMed’s Minimum Internet Retail Price.

http://www.resmed.com/us/dealers/intern ... nc=dealers

Color added, mine.

jeff

Jeff,

Yes that link is pretty clear. Thanks.

What I note was the original poster said "are going to pay up to double what they are currently paying" & I wondered if there was anything anywhere that spells that out. If Resmed's policy does force us to pay double, I am in little doubt we will all go buy what we can afford elsewhere. Providing, the other vendors don't use Resmed as the shield to take the blame for their own price hikes

DSM

[patientadvocate]

I agree with everyone on here. When companies like the nationals have lobbiest in Washington, we are all screwed. I am on online dealer and started my company to help people like everone of you in obtaining affordable sleep therapy equipment. There is less restrictions in the porn industry than in the sleep industry. If we as owners and patients don't take this time to contact our senators then we allow the large manufacturers to win again. I have a tremndous amount of respect for John Goodman and CPAP.com and like him, strive to be a patient advocate. Companies like mine and Johns offer more support and information than any brick and mortar out there but it is us who are consistently attacked by various manufacturers on pricing. I ask every one of you to call Resmed, Respironics, Fisher and Paykel and you Senators to express outrage.

[dsm]

I agree with everyone on here. When companies like the nationals have lobbiest in Washington, we are all screwed. I am on online dealer and started my company to help people like everone of you in obtaining affordable sleep therapy equipment. There is less restrictions in the porn industry than in the sleep industry. If we as owners and patients don't take this time to contact our senators then we allow the large manufacturers to win again. I have a tremndous amount of respect for John Goodman and CPAP.com and like him, strive to be a patient advocate. Companies like mine and Johns offer more support and information than any brick and mortar out there but it is us who are consistently attacked by various manufacturers on pricing. I ask every one of you to call Resmed, Respironics, Fisher and Paykel and you Senators to express outrage.

Agree !!!

Cheers

DSM