Cost Differences?

[Slapnea]

I'm just wondering if anyone can shed light on the state of online purchasing regarding these machines.

Most places I'm seeing for a fully loaded S9 Autoset with the humidifier and the climate line and everything (less mask) is in the 900-1300 range. The local company that administered my trial wants 2500 dollars for that.

I'm in Canada but I'm heavily considering checking with my extended benefits provider to see if they will cover it purchased online simply because it could save me 200-500 bucks.

Is there any reason why they are quoting to me so seemingly high? Am I crazy and online isn't legit? I'm terribly confused.

[Mary Z]

Your local DME will always charge more than your online retailers. The online folks just don't have the overhead for one thing. Most of them are legit. Cpap.com sponsers this forum and they are very nice to deal with. If you choose an online retailer check with the folks here to see if anyone has experience with them. The advantage to buying locally is easier service should that be necessary. If you find you would perfer another machine than the one you bought you may be able to swap it out (if you're renting on insurance prior to the insurance company buying the machine). You're also on your own when it comes to setting up a machine you buy online.
I think you did this, but make sure you're including the cost of the humidifier in the online price.

[6PtStar]

If you are in Canada, the last I have heard. ResMed won't allow the on line companies in the US to ship to Canada. They can ship the other brands but not ResMed.

Jerry

[purple]

Beware, CPAP. com themselves say they will not work with insurance carriers. Make sure your carrier will reimburse you if you use CPAP.com.

The other benefit from a brick and mortar DME is service. If my machine stopped functioning in the morning, there is a good probability that one of their techs would come to my house before evening (I am in a small town fifty miles from the DME (DME located in Tyler Texas)) and would either get my machine working or give me a replacement without my putting down any money. Or a rental. If I need supplies, filters, a new mask, hose, they will ship it, bill Medicare and I will not pay anything for several months. Same if I got a completely new machine, I would not see bill for months. The brick and Mortar DME will answer questions, help me with issues. CPAP.com (that I know of) is a strictly a pay for it in advance.

Someone had an issue with a CPAP machine that stopped working. Manufacturer said they would not talk to an end user, user/patient must go through a DME to have machine tested before they would replace it. I think actually a DME may have done that for free to the user. My local DME can make settings to machine, which I might not want to learn how to do. DME will only set the machine to what the doc tells them to.

If you really need to get a machine for the least amount of money, there is CPAP auction and secondwind. While I have not used their services, others here have said they are professional, and know how to test, sterilize the equipment from the last user.

[tschultz]

I'm just wondering if anyone can shed light on the state of online purchasing regarding these machines.

Most places I'm seeing for a fully loaded S9 Autoset with the humidifier and the climate line and everything (less mask) is in the 900-1300 range. The local company that administered my trial wants 2500 dollars for that.

I'm in Canada but I'm heavily considering checking with my extended benefits provider to see if they will cover it purchased online simply because it could save me 200-500 bucks.

Is there any reason why they are quoting to me so seemingly high? Am I crazy and online isn't legit? I'm terribly confused.

Unfortunately we in Canada seem to get plagued with inflated prices and these are further supported by distribution agreements. I believe the fault lies with both the suppliers and manufacturers, but regardless the patients are the ones that pay the price in the end. I can tell you that what you have found is correct but this is not the end of the road. It is possible to purchase the equipment in Canada and at prices very comparable to those you find on-line from the US.

You indicate that you are in Canada, but not what province. This may further complicate things are here in Ontario there is an ADP program that helps pay for 75% of the equipment costs but has some rather inflexible constraints that affect getting an AutoSet. This program has also assigned "fixed" costs to the equipment which it bases its reimbursement on which I feel also contribute to the inflated costs. In many cases what is quoted/charged is grossly inflated compared to what it should be.

It may still be possible for you to purchase on-line however do please check with your insurance company first as they may have further "guidelines" or constraints on where and/or what you can buy. Feel free to PM me if you want some more details.

[Slapnea]

Thanks everyone...

I called my supplier or whatever and they said that they would service the device and what have you for its life and all that Jazz. They tried to tell me I couldn't see my results without them (laugh) but other than that they didn't have a lot of good reasoning for their higher prices.

Regardless I think I'm going to go through them. The issue is that I'm not really broke and that this whole dealing with my insurance company and getting approval and everything seems more of a pain in the a$$ than my 20% of the cost would be. I'll go through online retailers maybe on my next unit or when I need replacement supplies

I'm in BC btw tschultz.

[nanwilson]

Hi there
If you are in BC just order from clinicalsleep.com they are on the lower mainland. I am in Alberta and I have bought several things from them including a Resmed mask. Their prices are the same as cpap.com and they don't charge shipping.
For example, I could buy a $5 item at cpap.com and they charge $17 for shipping, not so at clinicalsleep.
Good luck and welcome to the forum and the land of better sleep.
Cheers
Nan

[Otter]

Is there any reason why they are quoting to me so seemingly high?

Because medical insurance will pay that much. It's supply and demand. Your local DME is selling equipment in a market where there is a lot of cash, so they charge more because they can. Wouldn't you?

In contrast, the online DMEs are serving a more cash poor market. They're dealing mostly with careful shoppers who are paying out of their own pockets. If they raise their prices, someone with more cutthroat pricing will take their customers.

Both are legitimate, and the pricing makes sense if you consider the markets the two types of DME serve.