Did Apria inflate the cost of my machine/mask?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 7:37 am

I got my machine three months ago ( RemstarPlus m series) and heated humidifier (m-series). My co-pay is 20% , $120 for machine and $40 for the humidifier. My math is not that great, but that seems like a more expensive machine than I saw it priced for at cpap.com.

I also think it may be a used machine. It had numbers on compliance when I first got it, but I did not know what they meant. It now has 1553 on the compliance check. My total hours after 3 months are 450.5 .

I also am getting a new mask (Fisher and paykel 405) This is $17 . This again seems high at 20% compared to the price of the mask at cpap.com.

Can y,all let me know if I should have a talk with Apria?

Thanks,

Deb

debstieb · Post by **debstieb** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 7:40 am

This is my post . I did not realize I was guest until after I submitted.

Deb

The machine is a remstar plus m series

Deb

snoregirl · Post by **snoregirl** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 7:56 am

Your copay of $120 (is that in total over the term of the contract? or per month)

Prices at local DMEs are always more. I figure they try to get about $1500 for a machine with humidifier in general. Some more some less but never anywhere as low as online cash.

The catch is they get the same for a M series Plus as for a M series Pro and any other cpap machine.

So in terms of a talk with Apria, I would get them to give me at least the M series Pro (not the old model pro or you would need the pro2) so I could have a machine that gave useful data (not just compliance).

If your total copay is $120 plus $40 for the humidifier, you can't buy the plus machine and humidifier for that cash on cpap.com. So as long as you have the machine you want, swallow and the insurance company is overpaying but you are money ahead doing it this way vs cash with no insurance.

Just watch out what they are charging on supplies especially if you have a deductable that must be met annually before they pay (next year probably) Supplies might be cheaper cash online.

As for if the machine is used? Are the blower hours the same as your compliance hours? If not, it may indeed be used. I would have a problem with that, your insurance is most likely paying for a new machine. If so perfect time to get that M series Pro when they give you that NEW machine you insist on.

Be wary of anyting a DME says. Verify it for yourself with your insurance co.

debstieb · Post by **debstieb** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 8:05 am

my blower hours are only 450....The machine compliance check is 1529

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 8:44 am

You have a used machine. How long have you had it? It "might" be that this is actually a "loaner" until YOUR new machine comes in.

I had that happen to me. And I pitched a real fit. I'm not the nicest person when I've been sleep deprived for .... ever it seemed. The DME called and brought out my equipment w/in hours of my returning home after my titration study. My sleep doctor and I had specifically agreed on the RemStar M Series Pro w/C-Flex. I was given a RemStar Plus w/C-Flex w/13 hours on it. I refused to keep it and returned it.

I threw my tantrum for nothing. What the DME had failed to explain when they brought the equipment out was that this machine was just a loaner until they got the Pro as they didn't have that specific machine in stock.

But the damage had been done. I still wasn't sleeping. I refused ANY equipment until I got what I wanted. As it turned out when I told my sleep doctor what happened and we discussed why I wanted the Pro (fully data capable, software available, etc.) he brought up the Resmed S8 Elite. Given how easy the data was to access via the good size, easy to read, LED screen vs the Respironics I opted to go w/the Resmed S8 Elite.

Talk about a bull in a china shop! At that point in time I was so tired and witchy I didn't even like myself!!! Hopefully, you will handle this much more tactfully than I did. BUT DON'T PUT UP WITH being sold a used machine!!

Vasily · Post by **Vasily** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 9:10 am

You most certainly DO NOT have a used machine if the COMPLIANCE CHECK number is different than your machine hours.

The compliance check number has NOTHING to do with the hours on your machine, it is a number that is put on the machine by Respironics. I am not too certain, since they changed the display on the Plus again recently I believe. But the number your machine displays while the blower is off (there is a little hourglass icon above it) is the hours that you have used the machine. If you push the arrow button on the left hand side you will see the blower hours, there should be a little circle with a spinning icon in the center of it. If you push the icon again, you will see the compliance check number.

However like I said, they have changed them recently, and some of them are only displaying the blower hours and the compliance check number. The only place you can see the actual hours used than is off the smartcard with the software.

debstieb · Post by **debstieb** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 9:56 am

It is not a loaner machine. So, the compliance check having 1500 on it does not mean it is used?

Deb

Wolfmarsh · Post by **Wolfmarsh** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 4:39 pm

The compliance number is a number that is some sort of hash of the compliance data, that they can verify using that number.

It will change on a daily basis.

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 5:34 pm

Oh, okay. The Respironics handle total blower hours different than my Resmeds then.

REMmaster · Post by **REMmaster** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 9:47 pm

If it is the compliance checksum value that you're worried about, then it's always going to change. It's a number based off of a calculation of therapy and blower hours so you can just look on your machine and call the provider with compliance info and that checksum value tells the software you aren't lying. Checksum means nothing to you at all.

Patrick A · Post by **Patrick A** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 10:11 pm

debstieb wrote:my blower hours are only 450....The machine compliance check is 1529

If that's the hours on it now I would say you got a new machine....but if that was the hours on it when you got it I would say it was used.

But yes Apria Rip off charged your insurance about 1200 bucks for a machine that cost less than 500 bucks.

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 10:13 pm

Do bears poo poo in da woods?

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 10:17 pm

Patrick A wrote:
debstieb wrote:my blower hours are only 450....The machine compliance check is 1529
If that's the hours on it now I would say you got a new machine....but if that was the hours on it when you got it I would say it was used.

But yes Apria Rip off charged your insurance about 1200 bucks for a machine that cost less than 500 bucks.

that is NOT hours it is some new compliance calculation found on the newer machines, the new A-Flex has it.

Instead of giving them some "hour" number and "fudging the number", they can call you and ask you for that compliance number and when they punch it in it calculates the actual hours you have used the machine.

Patrick A · Post by **Patrick A** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 10:32 pm

Apria Rip off is just like:Politicians are a lot like diapers, They should be changed frequently, and for the same reason!

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 10:40 pm

Patrick A wrote:Apria Rip off is just like:Politicians are a lot like diapers, They should be changed frequently, and for the same reason!

tell em' what you really think Patrick

Did Apria inflate the cost of my machine/mask?

Did Apria inflate the cost of my machine/mask?

Srry...Did not realize I was logged in as guest

My blower hours are way different

ok....now I am confused

Re: My blower hours are way different

Re: My blower hours are way different

Mask

Additional Comments: Pressure at 17

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