Using 2 macines possible?

[aliinfl]

Hi,
I currently use a resmed airesense 10 autoset and am doing great on it. I have been tossing around the idea of a second machine because several days a week I end up staying at my kids house as my job is mid point between both houses and traffic to mine is a bear. The problem is a have to plan for it and pack up my machine and I hate the idea of it sitting in a hot car for 12 hours during the summer as I live in Fl. If I had a machine there, I could decide that day if I dont want to deal with traffic which would also take off a lot fo stress. I just had my check up this week and asked my Dr for my prescription so I could get another machine. I have tricare and know they wont pay for a second machine as I am not active duty so I am ok with paying for it, but the Dr said that if I were to do this, I might end up being out of compliance since he would only being getting reports from my original machine. I've had it for over a year now so I believe I own it now, but he said it would affect the quarterly supplies and future machine in 5 yrs. I mentioned travel cpap to him for ppl who would need that and he said it didnt matter, the insurance companies only will use the data from the one machine.Does anyone else have a similar situation? Does compliance go by total hours per month or per day? Thanks for any insight!

[Pugsy]

he said it didnt matter, the insurance companies only will use the data from the one machine.

Incorrect. You can combine usage and meet any requirements very easily.

BUT....call up your insurance company and tell them what you want to do and ask them to verify EXACTLY what they want in terms of compliance requirements to continue to get supplies. You might be surprised and they don't need anything special after this length of time...and even if they do it's usually a once a year thing and not quarterly.
Not all insurance companies require verification of compliance after the initial requirements have been met.

While you are at it...ask them what happens after 5 years...do they automatically pay for a new machine or do they require the machine to be broken beyond repair??? More and more insurance companies aren't doing the automatic 5 year thing anymore as they have adopted an "only if broken" policy. Even Medicare has adopted this policy.

[SleepGeek]

Contact your insurance directly to find out about your compliance status. You might also mention your plan.

It may be time for another doc but ...

Your doc may be thinking "this is how s/he thinks it should work. Certainly, insurance only cares about the cpap they are paying for but if you are beyond the compliance point I doubt they care at all.

btw - IF you get a used cpap you won't need a script. Just make sure to get the same make & model cpap so not only will you be familiar with how it works - you will have spares of everything you need and your insurance supplies will fit.

Go for it.

[SleepyCPAP]

I did what you are talking about - my main machine, and then one at the second location.
My sleep doctor’s office asks me to bring in the cards for both machines when I have an appointment. They read both cards and can verify compliance (if they get the software to work).

OSCAR can read the card for both machines into the same profile. The only problem is if you used both machines in the same reporting day (for instance a nap at one place, then night sleeping at the other)… mostly what happens then is OSCAR counts only one machine (and if it is the nap, it will show too short of hours). So I don’t use two machines in the same day. If your OSCAR reports are good enough for proving compliance, that works. I send an OSCAR overview report to my doctor on the online portal once a month, just FYI.

But I paid for my machines myself, so no one cares about my compliance.

Most compliance rules say at least a certain % of nights of use over 4 hours. If you are 80 days in your usual location, and 10 days at the second location, does that meet the criteria your insurance wants to see? If so, the other alternative is turn over just the info for the 80-days machine.

By the way, I set the pressure slightly higher on one machine. That way it is easy for me to spot when I was switching in OSCAR’s overview screen.

- SleepyCPAP

[ChicagoGranny]

Using 2 macines possible?

One for each nostril

[zonker]

Using 2 macines possible?

One for each nostril

[chunkyfrog]

Obviously, they cannot screw over firefighters
--and others with similar work arrangements.
Just line up all your ducks and
GET IT IN WRITING.

[babydinosnoreless]

I use two machines, one in my travel trailer and one at my house. I own both machines. If my sleep doc doesn't like it he can pound sand. Of course as I haven't gone to see him since the pandemic started it might be a moot point.

[Miss Emerita]

btw - IF you get a used cpap you won't need a script.

This is true if you buy a used machine from a private party, but the online used machine places do require a script. Some of them will help you get one if you don't have one.

[chunkyfrog]

Some of us like to keep insurance in the loop, since accessories, masks, etc.
are not cheap--and if insurance will pay, let them.
Paying premiums, but not using the benefits, is silly.

[JLROhio]

I have tricare and know they wont pay for a second machine as I am not active duty so I am ok with paying for it...

Quick question for you...
If you are no longer on Active Duty and have Tricare, I can only "assume" one of two things:
- You retired from the military - and thus have Tricare
- You are a family member of someone who's on/was on Active Duty and thus have Tricare through them??

If the 1st option, have you tried getting your supplies through the VA

If the 2nd option - try to get out of that arrangement - I despise that Tricare or your DME requires you to get annual checks with a sleep doc JUST to obtain supplies through a Tricare DME - find a different DME that will provide your sleep supplies, bill Tricare (with copay), and NOT require an annual visit to your sleep doc. I don't know if it's the DME's or Tricare requiring the annual visits to the sleep doc just so you can keep getting supplies but it's BS if so. My DME tried that crap with me and I just stopped talking to them. It's as though they're in cahoots with the sleep docs in keeping the insurance gravy $$ train running.

[a1albert]

I would check with someone else in the Tri Care system other than your Tri Care Doctor. I am through the VA care system and I have had two machines before I got on VA care back in 2014, they just gave me a new machine last December and they want to do a follow up in April to see how I am doing. I am sure that filters and hose's will be for my new ResMed machine and not my two older Phillips machines. The VA knows I use one of my Phillips for camping and in my RV and they do not have a problem with that. Can you use both Tri Care and VA?