My Air /mask leaks

[babydinosnoreless]

Anyone who has read my posts knows about my heartburn with the first dme. So I called my insurance directly. Got a list of dmes and finally selected one for the proximity more than anything as It appears they are all bad.

The first dme after all the mask kerfluffles wanted to give me two nasal pillows a month and kept trying to send me filters every 2 weeks. This one says no need to switch pillows every month but we can send you a new mask every three months and you should probably change the filter about every 3 months.... What the heck how can this stuff vary so widely from dme to dme?

Oh and in pulling my sleep study for the new place I found out that the sleep center had recommended the Amara view for me, it's right in the study paperwork. Yet no one apparently bothered to read as they gave me the dreamwear instead.

[palerider]

. What the heck how can this stuff vary so widely from dme to dme?

Because the whole replacement "schedule" shit is just made up bullshit to make them more money.

[Okie bipap]

I only replace items when I think they need to be replaced. The mask cushion my wife is using is close to a year old. The one I am using I got from Resmed last year and I agreed to use it for 13 weeks as a test for them. Obviously, they will last much longer than what the DME tells you. I am going to go to a new DME this week and pick up a few supplies. I had to replace my hose a few months back and do not currently have a spare. I am changing DMEs because my old one would always send me what they thought I needed, not what I asked for.

[Sheriff Buford]

Tho' there are good DME's somewhere..... not sure where.... I have found that you work with the DME you can tolerate. As Pale stated, it a money thang. I replace my filters on a bi-weekly basis.... if I can remember.... certainly on a monthly basis. My machine manufacturer (Resmed) states every 3 months.... I think . Anyway, replace them before they change color. Replace your supplies as YOU need to.

Sheriff

[babydinosnoreless]

I bought my own filters off of Amazon taking that out of the equation for the next year. Every three months ? No! I have 3 big dogs and now that my kid and SO, have moved in 4 cats so once a month at the least. Smh. What I really want and why I am trying to get set up with a new dme is the hose. I need a back up. Also thinking I may want to try the bleep but unless insurance pays its cost prohibitave. Everyone has different rules and getting set up (they all want my sleep study and blah blah blah). The whole process is maddening.

[Goofproof]

Tho' there are good DME's somewhere..... not sure where.... I have found that you work with the DME you can tolerate. As Pale stated, it a money thang. I replace my filters on a bi-weekly basis.... if I can remember.... certainly on a monthly basis. My machine manufacturer (Resmed) states every 3 months.... I think . Anyway, replace them before they change color. Replace your supplies as YOU need to.

Sheriff

A air filter works better when it dirty, it picks out even smaller particles when dirty. The problem comes when too much dirt on the filter, causes a lowering of flow thru the machine. My room is clean, at two weeks it's barely grayer than the new ones. I change mine when I think of it, mainly to keep the flow cool. I get hot before the machine does. Jim

[Gryphon]

It also depends on the "Type" of filters your using in your machine.

Think of it like the Filters for your house AC system.

If your using those cheap blue fiberglass filters that are just there to keep your AC system safe from being clogged up with big chunks of hair or dust bunnies then if you forget to change them every month it's no big deal. However if your using the Supper fine, High grade allergen filters you need to keep a close eye on them as they can become so clogged so quickly that they can seriously cut down the flow of air and damage your "central air system in your house"

So the same way, If your using the Standard filter for your CPAP machine if you change them now and then when you think about it, your most likely fine. It's not a big deal - unless you have a bunch of gunk in your house, like pets and extra dust.

However if like me, your using the "Ultra Fine, Allergy filters" you need to keep and eye on them and be good about changing them regularly - Monthly is a good goal to keep. Also if your happen to use the "Inline Bacteria" filters - you also need to keep an eye on these and change them properly as they're so effective that once they become clogged they can block up the airflow from your machine and lower the delivered pressure and possibly even mess up the blower on your machine by over working it.

Using a tool to measure your pressure output is rather over the top but to be 100% sure if you need to change a filter you would need a manometer to measure the actual delivered pressure from your machine. If you have a dirty filter but your machine is still delivering proper pressure - you may not need to change the filter unless you feel like it. But if you see a drop in pressure you need to change out the filter and see if that allows the pressure to go back up to what it should be.

It's easier to just change filters once a month, unless your really good about keeping dust levels in your bedroom down and or have a hepa filter air cleaner in your bedroom.

As far as Annoying DMEs, I prefer the ones that pester the snot out of you to deliver stuff to you when they can ( I have good insurance ) vs the ones who never bother to call or send you what you need, Ever... I have a low deductible - so once I hit it - I prefer to have stuff sent my way so I can keep a small stock pile - I've been with out insurance for 3 years in the past and it's nice to have supplies to fall back on that are already yours. As long as things don't get silly, it doesn't hurt to have some extras of what you need on hand. Weather to stockpile extra supplies is a whole other topic that lots of people like to jump in on with very strong opinions so I'll try and leave it at that. Stock piling is your choice - up to you if you do it or not. It just helps to have a DME that will help with that endeavor rather then one who is so incompetent that they can't get any supplies to you even when you really need them.

Your mileage may very. 3 months to change out a filter doesn't sound right. If I remember correctly, the correct Suggested time frame to change filters on your machine is once every month. I think that's the "Medicare Standard" for replenishment and maybe what the manufacture recommends. So at the minimum I would expect to get 6 filters every 6 months.


Hope this wasn't too much info.

Rest well,

Gryphon

[palerider]

My machine manufacturer (Resmed) states every 3 months.... I think . Anyway, replace them before they change color. Replace your supplies as YOU need to.

Resmeds filters are every 6 months, or "as needed" (it's somewhere in the clinical manual), the fact that they're much larger than the Respironics filters means they can go longer between changes.

[palerider]

I bought my own filters off of Amazon taking that out of the equation for the next year. Every three months ? No! I have 3 big dogs and now that my kid and SO, have moved in 4 cats so once a month at the least. Smh. What I really want and why I am trying to get set up with a new dme is the hose. I need a back up. Also thinking I may want to try the bleep but unless insurance pays its cost prohibitave. Everyone has different rules and getting set up (they all want my sleep study and blah blah blah). The whole process is maddening.

Uh...
https://smile.amazon.com/ResMed-Climate ... ted+tubing

Or, if not the climateline:
https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no ... =cpap+hose

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R ... g&_sacat=0

Why fight with a DME?

For that matter, there's always cpap.com.

[palerider]

Your mileage may very. 3 months to change out a filter doesn't sound right. If I remember correctly, the correct Suggested time frame to change filters on your machine is once every month. I think that's the "Medicare Standard" for replenishment and maybe what the manufacture recommends. So at the minimum I would expect to get 6 filters every 6 months.

Page 20 from the clinical manual for your machine:

3. Check the air filter and replace it at least every six months. Replace it more often if there are any
holes or blockages by dirt or dust.

There is no "medicare standard", there *is* a "Medicare maximum replacement frequency", ie "we aren't paying for this any more often than one every x months/weeks/years".

Just because Medicare will buy another nasal pillow every two weeks doesn't mean you should throw away your old one every two weeks, those maximum replacement rules are there to stop people completely abusing the system buy ordering a new one every day.

[babydinosnoreless]

I bought my own filters off of Amazon taking that out of the equation for the next year. Every three months ? No! I have 3 big dogs and now that my kid and SO, have moved in 4 cats so once a month at the least. Smh. What I really want and why I am trying to get set up with a new dme is the hose. I need a back up. Also thinking I may want to try the bleep but unless insurance pays its cost prohibitave. Everyone has different rules and getting set up (they all want my sleep study and blah blah blah). The whole process is maddening.

Uh...
https://smile.amazon.com/ResMed-Climate ... ted+tubing

Or, if not the climateline:
https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no ... =cpap+hose

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R ... g&_sacat=0

Why fight with a DME?

For that matter, there's always cpap.com.

Its $$ Pale Rider. Believe me I would avoid dme's totally if I could, but its been an expensive 2019 already.

[palerider]

I bought my own filters off of Amazon taking that out of the equation for the next year. Every three months ? No! I have 3 big dogs and now that my kid and SO, have moved in 4 cats so once a month at the least. Smh. What I really want and why I am trying to get set up with a new dme is the hose. I need a back up. Also thinking I may want to try the bleep but unless insurance pays its cost prohibitave. Everyone has different rules and getting set up (they all want my sleep study and blah blah blah). The whole process is maddening.

Uh...
https://smile.amazon.com/ResMed-Climate ... ted+tubing

Or, if not the climateline:
https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no ... =cpap+hose

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R ... g&_sacat=0

Why fight with a DME?

For that matter, there's always cpap.com.

Its $$ Pale Rider. Believe me I would avoid dme's totally if I could, but its been an expensive 2019 already.

You get stuff free? must be nice

[chunkyfrog]

PR, I don't think she does . . .

[palerider]

PR, I don't think she does . . .

If she doesn't, then her copay with insurance may be more than buying from amazon or eBay, given the insanely inflated rates DMEs try to charge, and insurance lets them get away with.

[Gryphon]

Your mileage may very. 3 months to change out a filter doesn't sound right. If I remember correctly, the correct Suggested time frame to change filters on your machine is once every month. I think that's the "Medicare Standard" for replenishment and maybe what the manufacture recommends. So at the minimum I would expect to get 6 filters every 6 months.

Page 20 from the clinical manual for your machine:

3. Check the air filter and replace it at least every six months. Replace it more often if there are any
holes or blockages by dirt or dust.

There is no "medicare standard", there *is* a "Medicare maximum replacement frequency", ie "we aren't paying for this any more often than one every x months/weeks/years".

Just because Medicare will buy another nasal pillow every two weeks doesn't mean you should throw away your old one every two weeks, those maximum replacement rules are there to stop people completely abusing the system buy ordering a new one every day.

Sorry, what you said is more inline with what I meant. I was figuring once a month for the small ResMed filters, but I do use the ultra fine filters to help with my allergies. (and I have 4 cats... ... Never mind I digress)

I keep thinking about the replacement schedules that used to circulate now and then. IE: New mask cushion each month for FF, one filter each month, one hose every 3 months etc... Didn't mean to say it like it was doctrine. I'll make sure to remember the "max replacement frequency" term for future if I talking about what insurance will replace and how often. I don't think of the replacement schedule to mean that - you have to throw away the other parts... because you can clean or wash them... but with the fine filters you have to chuck them so... I figured once a month for filters, unless you can clean them.

I sometimes think of "Medicare" as setting like a "Standard" of what gets covered - and most other insurance companies will fall in line behind that as a minimum... but I'm finding that the world of insurance is a wild and crazy place and that's not always the case for everyone.

For me - because of my allergies - I tend to go with what ever is the quickest for replacement when it comes to filters... For everything else I'm like trying to pull off a never ending marathon - just waiting to see how long I can use my mask and hose before it breaks. I'm on year 2 for my hose and still using the same mask for over a year now, because I changed my mask type to a new style.

Thanks,

Gryphon