Intellipap Auto users...need advice

[Emilia]

I am at my wits end with my insurance. First my doctor's Rx for a ResMed S9 Auto was denied by my HMO because it didn't meet their criteria for 'medically necessary'.... so he wrote another Rx for the ResMed S9 Elite w/EPR .... and now that is being sent for 'medical review' because of the 'special' feature EPR! You can see where this is going.... It was alluded to that a plain Rx for a cpap would be approved right away... in other words, give us a generic Rx; we'll give you a basic box.

So... I have decided I need to buy my own machine; however, $1k for a ResMed S9/Humidifier combo is a chunk of change. I've been looking at the Intellipap Auto w/A or C Flex and was wondering if the data via the Smart Link or Smart Codes is good. Any insight would be appreciated. The Intellipap Auto is considerably less money than the ResMed. I am sure that is with good reason, but budgets are budgets.

[cflame1]

Intellipap doesn't have AFLEX or CFLEX... those are Respironics terms.

[Emilia]

Actually they now have Smartflex which is the same as A/C flex. Interestingly, I found that DeVilbiss has submitted a trademark application (in June '10) for a new product name called Sleep Cube Auto Plus with Smartflex which I assume means a new machine on the horizon.

I found a Intellipap Auto Cpap w/Smartflex for sale on another site other than our host's. This is a quote from that site:

"For many years the marketplace had only two major manufacturers that offered the expiratory relief technology - Respironics has CFLEX/AFLEX, and ResMed has EPR. On August 1st, 2010, all that changed when DeVilbiss released the IntelliPAP Auto with SMARTFLEX. The IntelliPAP Auto was already a consumer challenge winner over the Respironics REMstar Auto with CFLEX - this challenge was won before the release of the SMARTFLEX technology. Consumers are now presented with the same machine, with all the features of the previous Intellipap Auto, plus the added, important feature of expiratory pressure relief."

[ozij]

If you're ready to pay out of pocket anyway, wait for the insurance confirmation, and then offer to pay the DME the difference between the machine the insurance OK's and the one your doc perscribed.

[Nancy1]

A godsend if.....any word on whether we can regulate the intervals between the expiratory pressure relief on the DeVilbiss? I need this feature but had an aversive reaction to the Respironics used at my sleep study because the intervals between the air pressure changes did not fit with my breaths, which are long and deep. The Respironics was not designed for anyone who has ever done yoga.

Also my doctors are not liking the DeVilbiss because they say it doesn't provide as much info as they want. Is this true for the new Intellipap?

[Emilia]

@ Nancy --- on cpap.com they show Advanced Software for the Intellipap Auto and above. Not for the plain cpap.... So, if you are using auto you can get this package of software: https://www.cpap.com/productpage/devilb ... ystem.html Not sure what else your doc would need. But I am no expert!