System One REMstar Pro CPAP Machine with C-Flex Plus ?

[zrons]

I had a second night at the sleep clinic. My AHI was 43 and my O2 sank to 60%. The pressure setting was 10. I will get my RX early next week. I am looking at the PR System One REMstar Pro CPAP Machine with C-Flex Plus and humidifier? I have not picked out a mask yet but I think that info is on my RX. Does this machine need a separate power connection for its humidifier or just one power source when run in tandem? I like this unit because if its ability to run directly off of 12v deep cycle batt for camping. I am aware that the humidifier can be bypassed to conserve power. Is this unit a lot of overkill? It sure is expensive. I don’t know how much the insurance will pay yet. I need the RX first. It does have the software option. Any known negatives to this machine? The DME folks said my insurance will allow me to rent different machines before deciding. Any free advice on buying a first machine? Thanks

[brazospearl]

zrons, there is one absolute must with a new machine, and that is FULL DATA CAPABILITY. This is not the same as compliance data. It is handy to have an autotitrating machine, as initial pressures are often figured on the strange characteristics of our sleep studies, which may not mimic what occurs on a typical night, resulting in the need to tweak pressure settings. Humidifiers are great to have, although many users keep them in passover mode. C-flex is a comfort feature that reduces pressure when exhaling, making it easier to tolerate cpap therapy, especially in the early days.

Regarding mask selection, the best way to go is for the prescription to read "mask of patient's choice," or words to that effect, because there's just no way to tell which mask is going to work out best for you.

Keep reading on this site, and ask us anything, we're here to help.

[Janknitz]

I have the System One Auto and it's an excellent machine. I think you will be fine with the Pro--it is fully data capable. The one caveat is that you will need to purchase additional software (Encore Viewer 2.0 which costs about $100) in order to access the data. The screen data is too limited to be very useful. The machine is definitely not "overkill"--it has features less expensive machines don't like Flex which will help you breath out against the fairly high pressure you are going to require.

The humidifier connects to the main body of the machine, so the unit is half it's size if you are traveling without the humidifier. That's pretty compact. And, no, the humidifier doesn't have a separate power source--it runs off the machine's power. The machine sort of acts like a docking station for the humidifier--if that helps you understand the set up.

Your first step should be to call your insurance company tomorrow and find out how they reimburse for CPAP machines. Most insurance companies pay by HCPC codes--these are billing codes. There is ONE code for most CPAP machines covering CPAP or APAP. This means that the insurance company will pay ONE set amount for the machine (humidifier is a separate one time only payment). If you are on Medicare (and aslo many other insurances) it may be a capped rental--meaning that the insurer will pay for 13 months, and then it's YOURS. Medicare pays 80% of it's monthly capped rental fee and you or your supplemental insurance have to pick up the remaining 20%. Insurers vary on what percentage they will pay, depending on you DME coverage.

The reason you need to know this is that if you look online for the machine someplace like CPAP.com, you will see that it costs around $500 for this machine. But, if your insurance covers it the cost will be MORE--up to $2000, in some cases. So you need to calculate your co-pays and deductibles (remember you may pass through more than one deductible periods) to figure out if it’s cheaper for you to pay out of pocket online or purchase through your local DME.

You should be knowledgeable before you ever contact the DME because they are likely to play bait and switch with you. For example, they may want to give you the System One Plus (a non-data capable machine) or an older non-data capable model because it costs THEM less and therefore they make more profit off of YOU. If you walk in educated to the realities, you can avoid being suckered by them.

You should also inquire about a DME’s mask return policy before doing business with them. If the mask you choose doesn’t work for you, you need them to have a liberal return policy so that you can get a better mask. Most will allow you to return masks within 30 days (not because they are so generous, but because the mask manufacturers underwrite it), but some of them will try to stall you to prevent you from taking advantage of this policy.

Walk in as a knowledgeable consumer and you’ll be on your way to successful therapy.