Can't afford sleep study

[dos coyotes]

I've suspected for years I have sleep apnea. Heavy snoring, overweight, always tired, nap during the daytime. I've got several friends who - once diagnosed and having started CPAP, swear by it and tell me how much more rested they are, how much better they feel.

My problem is I'm self employed with no insurance. I just can't afford the $2000 sleep study. I've done a lot of reading online, including from this forum - which is why I just joined - but it's all from 2010. I was told today that I could by an auto machine (APAP?) - and as noted, I've read some on the idea of doing this and beginning self treatment. I'll accept that the BEST thing to do is to have the study, but I'm asking for advice when the situation is I CANNOT have the study done. I'm hoping perhaps there is some newer info on the idea of buying an auto machine and beginning the treatment myself. It would seem that doing something positive is better than doing nothing. I'm almost 60 years old.

So my question is what are thoughts on going the APAP self treatment direction? And accordingly, I've narrowed my choices to the DeVillbiss auto or the ResMed S9 auto -- I'd appreciate thoughts on which is better and finally if some one has a lightly used machine I might purchase.

Thanks

[chunkyfrog]

I'm going to suggest you read many of the posts by restedgal, who managed this, sans MD.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33067&p=281606&hili ... on#p281606

[cosmo]

http://1800cpap.com/home-sleep-testing- ... apnea.aspx

How about a home testing kit for $350?

I've narrowed my choices to the DeVillbiss auto or the ResMed S9 auto

Don't buy a DeVillbiss. You will want a full data machine like a Resmed or Respironics with the route you're on....But what if you buy an APAP but then find out you need a bipap, vpap or one of the other varieties?

[quietmorning]

http://1800cpap.com/home-sleep-testing- ... apnea.aspx

How about a home testing kit for $350?

Wow, I'm going to forward this link to a friend of mine. Thank you for posting it, Cosmo!

[Nooblakahn]

I've heard of some people negotiating medical procedures down. For example, the place im using charges $2000(using your number.) but my insurance pays 750. Offer them 1000 and they may accept it since its more than they get from insurance. Might not work... worse they can do is say no... good luck!

[stage0]

Call some local sleep testing facilities...ask about any clinical trials going on needing volunteers, testing new equipment or if they offer a cash price that could be signifacantly less than $2000.00. Include testing facilities that are college/university oriented.

[hyperlexis]

http://1800cpap.com/home-sleep-testing- ... apnea.aspx

How about a home testing kit for $350?

I've narrowed my choices to the DeVillbiss auto or the ResMed S9 auto

Don't buy a DeVillbiss. You will want a full data machine like a Resmed or Respironics with the route you're on....But what if you buy an APAP but then find out you need a bipap, vpap or one of the other varieties?

Wait just a second here -- the DeVilbiss auto is an excellent, high quality, durable machine! With a 5 year warranty. And fancy S9s have a history of break downs. Absolutely he should consider the DeVilbiss! It shows AHIs and efficacy data which is more than sufficient. No it doesn't show actual waveform data (only a handful of machines even do), but the DeVilbiss has numerous great features, is a full APAP and has built in, accessible patient data that doesn't require paying for added software to access (just enter codes into a web site). Plus, it's an affordable machine!

For someone with no insurance, I would absolutely, positively go with the DeVilbiss. It is FAR, FAR cheaper than the S9 autoset and the PR560. And at the end of the day, it's an auto machine. Turn it on, go to bed, and let your MD look at the data and tweak it if need be. It's far better than going without any therapy whatsoever. For goodness sakes, even one of those cheap Chinese auto boxes would be better than nothing.

Go with the DeVilbiss -- and have no have regrets whatsoever.

Oh, and yes, lose some weight.

[chunkyfrog]

Having both the Devilbiss and the S9 Autoset, I have to agree that therapy is nearly identical in both;
and data is nearly as complete with the DeVilbiss as with the Resmed--and for a much lower price.
I bought the Intellipap because it can run on 12 volt DC without an inverter, hence I will not have to dread another power outage.

[jweeks]

My problem is I'm self employed with no insurance. I just can't afford the $2000 sleep study.

Hi,

That is where I was 5 years ago. Only thing is that my daytime sleepiness was so bad that I could no longer work. My choice was paying for the sleep study, or going broke and losing my house. I ended up putting the sleep study on a credit card, and then paying it back after I was able to start working again. This was a little risky, but there really was no downside -- if it didn't get a good treatment, then there was no way to save my financial future.

I found that I was able to negotiate with the hospital where I had my sleep study. By paying cash up front (after using a credit card cash advance check), and agreeing to take a cancellation spot, they gave me a price that was 45% off of the normal rate.

One thing to be prepared for is that there are other fees involved, such as multiple doctor visits, plus paying for a specialist to read the sleep study results. That can add up, so try to get an all-inclusive price. In my case, I had a stubbon version of OSA that required a 3rd sleep study (one for diagnostics, one to try CPAP, and one to get titrated on BiPAP).

Going the APAP way might be a viable solution if your sleep disorder is a more common variety. It is certainly better than not getting into any kind of treatment due to not being able to afford the studies. The downside risk is that APAP isn't going to help you if you have a more complex case, and it can actually make certain types of breathing disorders worse. Either way, it isn't going to kill you, so it is worth giving it a try.

-john-

[ems]

S9 Autoset For Sale
by 89quest on Thu Feb 07, 2013 7:58 pm

This is still on the first page and something you might want to check out.


Edit: Just realized this is quest's first post... so, buyer beware.

[MaxDarkside]

My problem is I'm self employed with no insurance. I just can't afford the $2000 sleep study.

Hi,

That is where I was 5 years ago. Only thing is that my daytime sleepiness was so bad that I could no longer work. My choice was paying for the sleep study, or going broke and losing my house. I ended up putting the sleep study on a credit card, and then paying it back after I was able to start working again.

There is also medical financing companies that give you a cheaper rate than credit cards, well, there were. We used one some years ago when we could not afford to pay cash and had a gap in insurance. There wasn't much to getting the medical finance account and I think they charged like 8% interest. It was handy.

So, negotiate the price down, find a way to go "stand-by" maybe, work out a deal either with the provider for making payments (many do) or use a medical financing account etc.

It's a lot better than dying. I did. Luckily I busted the fatal v-fib and I got back up off the parking lot to get treatment.

Thanks.

[cosmo]

How close are you to Mexico or Puerto Rico? Medical tourism....

[Pugsy]

You will need a prescription for the cpap equipment before you can order online.
There is always the secondary market like craigslist.
Plain jane vanilla OSA (no other complicating factors) can be self diagnosed and self treated with some work and education.
I would opt for the S9 Autoset instead of the Devilbiss because the data is a little more comprehensive and if it were me I would want every bit of data that I could possibly have if I was going to self treat.
When buying from the secondary market there are going to be more S9 machines out there available to pick from. ResMed and Respironics are the 2 main players in the cpap market..they simply have a larger market share.

[growing]

Dos, I have also been on self-treating mode after 2 failures in the sleep lab. So, you are not alone. I am about to have a downloadable oximeter for my further study.

[dos coyotes]

Thanks for all the info folks --- I'm getting more and more educated every day.

The home test seems like a viable alternative in my case and is certainly affordable. Thanks for that pearl of wisdom! Yes, I know medical costs can be negotiated - part of my situation is I'm paying off a $8,000 hospital bill - negotiated down from about double that - from a previous episode where I had a bad reaction to a new drug I was prescribed but everyone thought I was having a heart attack.

I'm sure asking this next question is like asking whether to buy a Ford or Chevy, but - given the choice between a new Devilbiss @$525 and lightly used ResMed S9 at same price, which would be the better choice???

At this point I'm thinking of going forward with the purchase of a machine and then shortly after - a month or so - perhaps doing the home test. I'm a bit reluctant to spend half of my machine budget on the home test first, only to likely confirm what I already am pretty sure of, that I have obstructive sleep apnea. The value in the test would then be to learn a proper pressure and of course to get the valuable prescription that I otherwise will not have.