Do compliance checks see if you messed with settings?

[thellraak]

I had a new study earlier this year, and am finally at a point where I can afford a new machine through insurance.

The provider wrote a script for CPAP therapy, and the DME says they'll be sending me a Dreamstation APAP in CPAP mode if I give them the green light.

Will it cause issues with my insurance paying for things if I change my new machine, to my old machine settings (APAP 13.5, on a PRS1)

[Julie]

No, they couldn't care less... all they care about is that you're using it and so they have to pay. No one at the insce co. knows or cares about how, when etc. you use it once compliance times are satisfied, and even before that, they don't care about settings.

[Uff Da]

In my case the DME sent a printed copy of the compliance report to the doctor and the report does show what the pressure settings are at the time. I think some doctors view the reports more directly. At any rate, it is the doctor with whom you could "get into trouble" if they get upset that you aren't following their prescription. Some may, others might not even notice.

My doctor chose to ask the DME to override my settings and I had the surprise of higher pressures blasting my face and vibrating my mask in the middle of one night. I only left those settings as they were for about two minutes, the time it took to find the "off" button on the machine in the dark, then change them back. However, after a two-page single spaced letter to my doctor explaining why I felt I had to make the changes I did, we are still talking and she let me continue to do things my way.

[D.H.]

First, the technical answer is that they can tell that you changed a setting, if they would bother to look.

The "real" answer is that they will look only at how many hours, and possibly (but unlikely) the quality of your sleep.

The bigger danger is that they might just - for some reason - reset your machine to what they think it should be. This is unlikely, but I can't say impossible. If that should happen, you can simply undo what they did.

[palerider]

I had a new study earlier this year, and am finally at a point where I can afford a new machine through insurance.

The provider wrote a script for CPAP therapy, and the DME says they'll be sending me a Dreamstation APAP in CPAP mode if I give them the green light.

Will it cause issues with my insurance paying for things if I change my new machine, to my old machine settings (APAP 13.5, on a PRS1)

The actual "compliance" is just whether you're using the machine four or more hours a night.

[Gryphon]

what everyone else has said... For "Compliance" they care about "Time & Use"



I got my new Bi-PAP and went for a week - being good IE: using the settings the doctor prescribed - (mind you I've been using PAP for over 10 years now so I know what settings I like)

I waited a week to humor the doctor - the numbers weren't that bad - but I knew I could get better. Soon as the week was up I tweaked my pressure settings and some other settings back to what had been working better for me. My Centrals dropped down from about 8 to 12 a night to 1 or less. and my overall AHI went from 3.5 to 5 to something more like less than 1 to 1.5 per night.

No one at the insurance company has cared two toots in a hurricane what I do with my machine so long as I'm using it.

I did get fussed at for making changes by one of my DME's and a Sleep Doc Nurse when they assumed my results would be worse. The fussing stopped as soon as they confirmed I was doing even better.

You'll find that most people you might find yourself working with are going to frown upon making your own changes. However, most of the people I worked with were reasonable and were less upset once I showed them my process for making changes... IE: Data from sleepy head and tracking results. My last Doc was even impressed.

If you find yourself working with someone who's so dense that they care more about their own ego than the results of your treatment - Fire them - and find a new doc.


Rest well,

Gryphon

[Janknitz]

The DME, which is responsible for setting up your machine, may get their knickers in a snit if they see that the settings are different than what they set up. They will use all sorts of scare tactics, like telling you it's illegal. It's not, and there are no CPAP police who will come knocking at your door. Your doctor MIGHT notice (unlikely) and might be upset about it, but most don't pay any attention to the settings (so why do we need them???). If you have a doctor who gets genuinely upset about you making informed decisions to optimize your treatment, you need a different doctor.

Nowadays, modems are built in to the machines, so the DME can check your compliance remotely, and may take it upon themselves to re-set the machine remotely as well. So you should know how to check your settings and re-set them as needed. Once your compliance is met, you should be able to put your machine in "airplane mode" so it will no longer transmit data until you choose to allow it to. Then you don't have to worry about anybody changing your settings. My machine asks me every day if I want to take it out of airplane mode, I simply leave it on airplane mode all the time.

[old dude]

Speaking of which, I've wondered: any reasonable way to remove, unplug or otherwise disable the modem on the Airsense machines?

[Stom]

Speaking of which, I've wondered: any reasonable way to remove, unplug or otherwise disable the modem on the Airsense machines?

There is a thread on the board about disconnecting the connector for the modem module. So it is possible, and even reversible, but takes some disassembly and risks damage since you can break circuit traces by bending the board too much.

[Janknitz]

Speaking of which, I've wondered: any reasonable way to remove, unplug or otherwise disable the modem on the Airsense machines?

No need. Just put it in airplane mode. It will ask you if you want to take it out of airplane mode, but you don't have to do anything--it will stay in airplane mode until you take it out of airplane mode.

[old dude]

Speaking of which, I've wondered: any reasonable way to remove, unplug or otherwise disable the modem on the Airsense machines?

No need. Just put it in airplane mode. It will ask you if you want to take it out of airplane mode, but you don't have to do anything--it will stay in airplane mode until you take it out of airplane mode.

Thanks Janknitz. Do you have to dismiss the nag screen every day before moving on or can you just ignore it?

[D.H.]

I noticed that my modem didn't work when traveling in most (all?) foreign counties. The never called me, and it got caught up when I returned.

For what it's worth, I reset the clock manually to record the correct times for my location.

[chunkyfrog]

I resent the term "messed with . . . "
It implies mindless twiddling, which is the exclusive domain of idiot providers.

[djams]

I know when some "outsider" has done a compliance check on me, because when I look at my sleep report on the machine, the "duration" has been changed from 1 day to 30 days.

I've been messing with my settings(@chukyfrog ) a lot over the past month or so. Haven't heard boo from anyone

[old dude]

I know when some "outsider" has done a compliance check on me, because when I look at my sleep report on the machine, the "duration" has been changed from 1 day to 30 days.

I've been messing with my settings(@chukyfrog ) a lot over the past month or so. Haven't heard boo from anyone

I tried airplane mode last night just to see what the nag screen took to dismiss it, which I did upon arising.

When I dismissed the nag screen and took the machine off airplane mode, the time period had changed from 1 day to 30 days. Given that this is a used AS10 Autoset I just purchased there's nobody looking in on me or making changes. Nobody knows I have it. So I'm guessing there must be some glitch in the software causing that to happen.