need a new cpap suggestion

[janecraft]

hi
Just tried a luna II cpap yesterday. Been married for 47 years, used a cpap for about 8 and this is the first time my husband slept in another room. The in-out of breathing on the machine drove him crazy.

Suggestions on a new machine that doesn't do the in-out breathing sounds as I breathe?

[LSAT]

What machine have you used for 8 years?

[janecraft]

The recalled one. REsmed. I had been using my travel one after the recall until now.
I just went on medicare so the dr insisted she set all this up. I would rather have taken the prescription and shopped myself.

[Pugsy]

The recalled one. REsmed.

ResMed hasn't been recalled.
Philips Respironics is the brand of the recalled machines.

I just went on medicare so the dr insisted she set all this up. I would rather have taken the prescription and shopped myself.

Hmmmm....is the doctor affiliated in any way with the supplier he/she pointed you to and said you must use?

Medicare doesn't allow that sort of thing. You are free to shop around if you wish.....or should be.
You might call Medicare and ask them.

[Pugsy]

The Luna is made by 3 B Medical which is a company based in China.
https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/ics/advisor ... -17-227-01
It costs roughly 1/3 of ResMed machine cost.
Since Medicare pays a fixed set amount by HCPCS billing code and not brand/model name guess which brand DME/equipment suppliers want to dispense???? Obviously the one that they make the most money on.

Look for a supplier that will work with Medicare (you are legally entitled to use any supplier you want) that will supply you a ResMed brand machine. The ResMed is what we are all telling people to try to get. Yes, it costs a lot more but they are just better built machines.

The models we are recommending when someone is just needing treatment for plain old OSA (if something else is going on then we might recommend a different model).

ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet
ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet for Her
ResMed AirSense 11 AutoSet

[ChicagoGranny]

I would rather have taken the prescription and shopped myself.

Yep, that's a good way to do it. Can you return the machine? As for the script, in the US, it's your legal right to have a copy. The doctor cannot deny you a copy.

From the little posted, your doctor might be a butthead. Many are, but there are also some very good ones.

[chunkyfrog]

. . .
From the little posted, your doctor might be a butthead. Many are, but there are also some very good ones.

Agreed 100%.

I was unlucky enough to have a couple of butthead doctors-
-I changed doctors before they could do much permanent harm.

[palerider]

The recalled one. REsmed.

Resmed hasn't been recalled. check to see what kind of machine you actually have.

[Janknitz]

Look for a supplier that will work with Medicare (you are legally entitled to use any supplier you want)

UNLESS you have a Medicare Part C Advantage or PPO plan. In which case you may only get your machine paid for by using a preferred provider, or in the case of a self-contained HMO like Kaiser you have no choice whatsoever. They decide what machine you get and choose the supplier.

If that is the case, you can still get whatever machine you want, but you may not get it covered by your Medicare Part C plan.

[janecraft]

You are correct. It was the Philips. Haven't used it since the recall.
Thanks for all the input.
Trying to return this one and get my script to shop myself.

[janecraft]

Finally was able to talk to the office that gave me my cpap. I return it next Thursday; the specialist there suggested a "S11" which she assured me was a "better" machine. She only referred to it as a S11.
I bit my tongue and didn't ask why, if it was a 'better' machine, it wasn't prescribed for me in the first place but I'd rather do that in person.
At this point, I'm just trying to get as much info together on machines as I can.
I've searched for an "S11" and found nothing. Airsense11? I don't know. All I do know is that I will be using my tap pap with whatever machine I get because I have never been able to stand anything around my head.

I'm taking off to, hopefully, research at a local med store.
Any suggestions for me to peruse later today or next week greatly appreciated.

[Pugsy]

There were S9 official name models from ResMed (they also had S7 and S8) but when the AirSense 10 models came out ResMed called them "AirSense/AirCurve 10" and not S10.
Then the AirSense11 came out...and again ResMed has never marketed them as S11
BUT that hasn't stopped others from using the S10 or S11 nomenclature.
It's a pet peeve of mine that people don't use proper terminology for anything but I can't do anything about other places.
Heck, even secondwindcpap referred to the AirSense 10 as the S10 and they should know better.

Anyway...The AirSense 11 is the latest model after the AirSense 10.
There are 3 different AirSense 11 models so far.. There are not any AirCurve/bilevel 11 models yet to my knowledge.

1....AirSense 11 CPAP.... DO NOT ACCEPT OR BUY THIS MODEL.....this is the fixed CPAP machine with limited data collection. ResMed did improve the data collection somewhat as it now records detailed data and you can see it on OSCAR software.
BUT....big but here....it does NOT do any FOT which is needed to distinguish between obstructive apneas and central apneas.
It makes use of the UA or unclassified apnea basket so centrals and obstructive go in one basket and no way to know which is what. Been helping a guy over on Jason's forum who seems to have developed treatment emergent central apnea.
Everyone was having him increase his pressure assuming all those UAs were obstructive and big surprise...more pressure didn't help. I need to make a special thread to alert people to this problem with this model.

2....AirSense 11 Elite....fixed single pressure machine but it is full data and does have the capabilities to tell a central apnea from an obstructive apnea

3...AirSense 11 AutoSet....this model is probably going to be the most preferred model. Full data like the Elite but actually has 3 modes of operation. It has fixed cpap mode and will function like the Elite functions. It also has the regular auto adjusting mode PLUS a 3rd mode which is the For Her auto adjusting mode. ResMed finally got smart an put all 3 modes on one machine. With the AirSense 10 models the for Her mode was only available on the For Her AutoSet.

I've searched for an "S11" and found nothing. Airsense11?

So as explained above...AirSense 11 is the proper nomenclature but some people/places persist in sticking with the S10/S11 name calling.
During your shopping....totally avoid the AirSense 11 CPAP model as explained above.

Do note that if using insurance to pay for any machine that insurance companies pay by HCPCS billing code.
They do NOT pay by brand or model or features.
Regular cpap/apap machines will be using the E0601 HCPCS billing code.
All 3 of the above mentioned ResMed machines will be using the E0601 billing code. Insurance companies pay a fixed amount for that billing code no matter which model or brand.
The AirSense 11 CPAP model....it's the cheapest model in terms of what they pay wholesale and if they get the same amount for it, from insurance, as they would a more expensive AutoSet guess which one they make the most money on and will push to sell??? Yep...the CPAP model that they clear more profit on.

[janecraft]

Wow Pugsly
Thank you so much for all your information. I'm printing it out to take with me
You're amazing.

[Pugsy]

You are most welcome.

I need to find the time to compose a new thread about what I have discovered about the AirSense 11 models but I just haven't had the time yet. When I get it done I will most likely copy/paste the above response to save my bruised fingers from typing it all again.

[D.H.]

On most (all?) machines, you can disable the "exhalation relief" feature or set it to zero. On Philips machines, it's called A-Flex or C-Flex. On Res-Med machines it's called EPR.

It might not be on the patient menu, but you can change it anyhow no matter what they tell you.