Question for people interested in the Bleep DreamPort no headgear cpap mask

[Pugsy]

viewtopic/t174807/BleepDreamPort-nasal- ... hread.html

If you don't know about the Bleep...see the above thread.
I am starting a new thread because the other one is massive and I really only want to get some specific feedback here and not really discuss problems or other stuff...and some people might have quit following that thread anyway.

We all know that monthly cost sort of suck for those ports. The hose and frame...they will last forever with common sense care but those ports can't be reused. I know there was some talk about making your own adhesive from used ports but I haven't seen anyone be successful with it or maybe they are just laying low which is fine. I have sort of looked at it to maybe help out people who simply can't afford the monthly outlay and they really, really want to use the Bleep but I haven't been able to find a workable alternative.
The only adhesive that I have been able to find that might work...if we could glue those ports onto that adhesive...actually costs more than the ports with adhesives could be bought for. It was nearly $9 for a sheet of adhesive (and not for sure it would even stick all night) that I could only make 4 ports out of. That's 4.50 a night at that rate.

So my question now....is at what price point would people need to see those replacement ports be at to get them to suck it up and just pay out of pocket for them. How much per night would it be worth it to you ....assuming you really like the Bleep and want to use it as your primary mask and the only thing holding you back is the cash out of pocket.

I do realize that any extra cash outlay is a deal breaker for some people on a fixed income...but it is what it is and a good many of those people will maybe have Medicare to help out.
Nationwide Medical...online cpap supplier....has agreed to sell the Bleep and file insurance (private if they have a contract with them and Medicare who they already have a contract with)....so that is an option for those who want to or have to use insurance. I still need to get with them myself to see what all is involved and if they will work with my Medicare Advantage plan. I will keep you posted as to how it goes for myself. They wont'/can't do Medicaid though.
If you want more information about getting in touch with Nationwide Medical...
https://bleepsleep.com/
Here is a direct line to NationWide set up just for Bleep wanna be customers....818-338-3025
Use this number directly...bypass the website phone numbers and forms. Speak to a live person.
I just got off the phone...Takes about 10 or 15 minutes to get all the information they need and then a few days to find out if my insurance will work with them or not...I have a sort of weird Medicare Advantage plan. Very nice and helpful...they will need at least your primary care physician name and I think you have to have at least seen him in the past 12 months for something...doesn't necessarily have to be sleep apnea related. Doesn't have to be a sleep doctor thing and they didn't ask for copies of any records or anything like that.


But for those of you with no insurance or really high deductibles that you won't ever meet...and you really want to maybe use the Bleep as your primary mask but the nightly port cost has been a deal breaker.....at what point would you or could you want to give it a go?

This is strictly a fact finding mission on my part...I am curious as to just how much a person is willing to pay assuming that the only drawback to using the Bleep has been that nightly port cost.

[realshelby]

Hmmm...you won't like this answer. I would not pay $0.50 per night for the ports. I would pay $0.25 per night if the mask was so good I would not want to use anything else.

I can pay any reasonable price per night without it being a burden. But $2 per night is way out of line for the two plastic parts and some adhesive tape. I understand this is small operation, I can relate directly. But the price of the disposables is simply excessive at the current rate.

I hope I don't get on any "list" for this........

[Pugsy]

I hope I don't get on any "list" for this........

No you didn't get on any "list" but I probably won't be sending you out any Christmas cards either....but wait...I don't ever send Christmas cards anyway.

Obviously it's not worth it to you really it sounds like. That's fine. I do appreciate the honesty.
This is just another one of those things in regards to cpap that comes with a huge YMMV sticker.
Perhaps if you had some sort of significant want or need that only this mask fulfilled you might feel a bit differently...maybe not.
It's not going to be the mask for all people for any number of reasons...not just the cost.

[booksfan]

This is just off the top of my head, without really thinking it through, so the actual if it came right down to it answer might be different. I'm thinking probably about 50 cents a night, just because that's getting close to $200/year ($180). I don't work, my husband is getting ready to retire. I would have to buy my back up nasal pillows out of pocket. Hubby is also on CPAP and RARELY replaces his supplies (like less than once a year ), so doesn't bother to do it through insurance because it's more trouble to do it that way. BUT, and it is a big but...the Bleep has been a HUGE success for me in my 15 months of CPAP therapy! I just found out yesterday (after 6 weeks of back and forth with my DME) that they finally got authorization to ship to me and I'm all set to receive my Bleep shipments! I am SO excited. But would I have sucked it up otherwise? Part of me thinks (knows) that, at least for a while, yes, I would have. I really am that happy with. Which pretty much makes nonsense of this entire post and the 50 cents/night!

[Pugsy]

Me personally....what would be my line in the sand??? I have thought about this a lot and prior to actually using it I thought the anticipated $2 a night would be a deal breaker for me. I am too much of a tight wad and it's not like I just hated, hated the P10.
BUT....then I used the Bleep and I got spoiled big time.
Now I am fortunate...I have some insurance coverage available if I can just get someone to let me use it...but if I didn't...man I might even do the $2 bucks a night as long as hubby was working and maybe cut down on my Keurig coffee pods.
Might have to go dig out the old regular drip coffee maker.
I would try like hell to find a way....it's that important to me but I understand that it isn't that important to a lot of people.

I would probably bitch, whine, moan and groan about it but my sleep is so fragile that anything I can do to help it out....worth its weight in gold to me.

And lets face it...I am vain enough that the lines on my face from straps (even when using good quality strap pads) plays a big factor.
I don't get those lines now and I am loving it.
Add in the no wake ups in the middle of the night to pull that annoying back strap down from the top of my head where it slid to and messing with my sleep which is already extremely fragile....no brainer for me. It's all in where my priorities are.

But what is important to me isn't always what is important to the next person...that's fine and as it should be. The only person I have to please though....me. I look better and sleep better...I have a hard time putting a price tag on that.

[salinas212]

Ms Pugs I'm sorry to inflict myself on your post but seeking answers to how the VA might be handling the adhesive replacements. Personally haven't tried or asked them yet but don't wanna set myself up and possibly love something only to later find out its more expensive or complicated than my current '2-masks-per-year-freebie arrangement. Any vets with experience regarding this? Until I know I'm avoiding trying it... figuring its better for me to tempt not/want not.

[dreamingofdreaming]

It would be one thing, if I wasn't happy with my mask and was having a hard time sleeping. Since I think my mask is very comfortable and I am having success with it, I wouldn't pay $2 a day for it. I would try it, if it was more in the $0.50 a day price range.

[Pugsy]

It would be one thing, if I wasn't happy with my mask and was having a hard time sleeping. Since I think my mask is very comfortable and I am having success with it, I wouldn't pay $2 a day for it. I would try it, if it was more in the $0.50 a day price range.

You've got no reason to really want or need to change masks...don't blame you one bit for thinking the way you do.

But not everyone is that satisfied for whatever reason and it's those people I am really targeting...I was happy enough with the P10 but it wasn't perfect for me. There were some things with/about it that I didn't care for but of all the other pillow masks out there...it met bulk of my needs with minimal negatives. Up until the Bleep...it was the best of the choices I had available to me.

Strap marks and bags under my eyes...serious negative in my book.
Headgear stretching and sliding up...minor negative in my book.

To everyone:

We all have different preferences, wants and needs and that's as it should be and there's no reason to feel bad about having different wants, needs or preferences than I do. I really do believe in the one man's treasure is another man's trash thing and I don't hold it against anyone that thinks my treasure is trash.

My job isn't to sell you something or get you to change anything or switch masks...my job is to help you be happy and successful with whatever mask you choose to use. I really don't care what mask anyone uses as long as they are happy with it. Now I will offer ideas for alternatives IF someone expresses the fact that for whatever reason they aren't totally happy with what they are using.

What I am trying to do with all this Bleep discussion is help people who want to use it....get to use it and be happy and successful with it. If you don't want to use it for any reason at all....won't hurt my feelings one bit. I don't own stock in the company.

I have had people express to me privately "man, I really think I would like it but that monthly cost would take food off the table so I just can't do it"...it's those people I am asking what price could/would you do it.

[Rexlan]

This is not totally on subject but possibly relevant.

I have medicare advantage with BCBS and after they totally PO'd me I went to war with them and I am winning. I have got them to pay for my CPAP machine as a purchase and initial supplies supplies as they should have. it took some arguing but I prevailed. Now I am "billing" them monthly for supplies and have found nowhere that it says I must purchase for anyone special other than if I want to be in-network. I am getting screwed in that they say I am out of network and only pay 50%; however, I bill for the allowable charge monthly and buy on eBay so I am even. They all have simple claim forms and I complete them, code them and fax directly to their claims department.

Now the DreamPort issue. Medicare and all the advantage plans will pay on pretty much the same schedule. I am in Alabama which is jurisdiction C. You can find the allowable charge for any code here: https://www.cgsmedicare.com/medicare_dy ... search.asp

CPAP supplies from medicare allow (2) nasal pillow or cushions per month.
Cushion code is A-7032 and eligible charge is $30.40 ea == $60.80/month
Pillow code is A-7033 and eligible charge is $22.53 ea. == $45.06/month

So ... possibly talk with the DME and ask them to order the Dream Port and bill it to the insurance as a Bleep Dream Port Cushion or Pillow and agree that you will pick up the balance of the cost so the make their normal margin and you get the benefit of your insurance. That should work out to ~ $48 savings in the $60/month cost bringing it to $12 to the user. The DME would get their normal fee and you got a "legal" deal.

From my POV there is nothing dishonest in this, the insurance/BCBS is paying what they expect and you get the benefit to apply it to your need.

Worst case is they tell you no but they will be on very shaky ground if they do and you press it. If you DME won't help then do it on your own and at least recover 50%.

[Pugsy]

Ms Pugs I'm sorry to inflict myself on your post but seeking answers to how the VA might be handling the adhesive replacements. Personally haven't tried or asked them yet but don't wanna set myself up and possibly love something only to later find out its more expensive or complicated than my current '2-masks-per-year-freebie arrangement. Any vets with experience regarding this? Until I know I'm avoiding trying it... figuring its better for me to tempt not/want not.

We both know the VA is pretty much in a world of its own. I don't know of any vets who have even tried using the Bleep or tried to see if the VA would supply one.

My suggestion...at least ask for it and see what they say. If you don't ask the answer is always no but there is a way for the Bleep to be special ordered by any cpap supplier if they would just do it. Ask them to at least check into it....heck, they might surprise everyone and do it. The phone number listed at the Bleep website above...have them call it. There is a way to order just one mask...obviously the more a supplier orders the better wholesale price point they get but suppliers can order just one if that is all they want.

[Pugsy]

CPAP supplies from medicare allow (2) nasal pillow or cushions per month.
Cushion code is A-7032 and eligible charge is $30.40 ea == $60.80/month
Pillow code is A-7033 and eligible charge is $22.53 ea. == $45.06/month

Do you happen to know the allowable fee from Medicare for a full nasal/pillow mask package?
I do understand that DMEs always part the full mask package out especially the headgear part.

Do you happen to know the allowable fee for the A7034 code?

I have been trying to navigate through the documents at the medicare DMEPOS but my computer won't open their documents. I need a different program to open those documents and I refuse to buy it and the free one I got last night was useless.

I do understand that allowable fees vary somewhat from place to place but in general unless someone is in a competitive bidding area there is not a huge difference in allowable amounts. I just want a rough estimate.

[Rexlan]

Nasal Pillow Mask is A-7034
Allowable is $88.66

If you use that link I gave you can put your state in and the code.

Or, do a keyword search (upper right) here: https://www.cgsmedicare.com/jc/index.html

You need to verify that your zip is rural ... most all I have found are and BCBS actually allows a bit more than than.

[djont57]

At $1 per night I would think about it; at $0.50 I would definitely try.

[Pugsy]

Nasal Pillow Mask is A-7034
Allowable is $88.66

If you use that link I gave you can put your state in and the code.

Or, do a keyword search (upper right) here: https://www.cgsmedicare.com/jc/index.html

You need to verify that your zip is rural ... most all I have found are and BCBS actually allows a bit more than than.

States are limited...no choice for Missouri and I couldn't find out how to change jurisdictions.
$88 is about what I have seen when I got a new P10 package...and the headgear was separate and I see it's approved at about $28 for Alabama and I am betting Missouri is close to that amount if not the same....Arkansas is.
Makes total price approved around 108...my 20% copay would be a little over $20...this is per the 2019 fees...last time I paid my co pay it was around $29 for a complete mask....so Medicare cut allowables again.

Thank you for your help. This gets me close enough. I just haven't bought a full package in a long time and couldn't remember exactly what was allowed.

[Dog Slobber]

I would love the idea of a strapless mask.

I guess my cost threshold would be about a buck a day.

Having said that, I don't think I would ever consider using the Bleeps unless the plastic ports could be re-used somehow.

I have been trying to cut back on single-use plastic. Those ports seem like an awful lot of plastic to be used once and then throwing away. If the Bleep-2's allowed for re-use by solving the re-application of the adhesive, I'd be all over them.