New CPAP user Instruction Manual help.

[kevincoop]

Thank you everyone for your comments. I am going to change a few things and post a revised version. I just want to make this as easy to read as possible so new patients with different eduacation levels can understand it.

[BlackSpinner]

The group isn't sleep apnea/cpap specific but much of the talk in Knitting In Our Sleep is about sleep apnea and cpap.

Thanks! I found it and joined--same screenname if you see me there.

There is also knit-1-wheeze-too but it is mostly about allergies and asthma. I have been trying to educate them. I have the same handle there.

http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/knit-1-wheeze-too/topics

[snnnark]

Thanks for all of your input.

I did just add a reference to CPAPtalk. I don't want to reference cpap.com or cpapman.com just because they can sell supplies for less than what we can, but I think everyone should at least look here if they are having issues. By the way, DME companies that sell to Medicare are not supposed to sell anything that they bill to medicare to anyone for less than they bill to Medicare. If we get audited by Medicare and we are selling a mask for less than Medicare's allowable, Medicare can lower our reimbursement and request refunds for every mask we have billed for the last year for the difference of what we collected from them and what we collected from a self pay patient. That is part of the reason why internet sites are so much cheaper. Also, they don't offer the support that DME companies offer (or should offer).

Thanks
Kevin

Kevin, while I applaud your effort to become a better DME, I am struck by the irony that you come to this site, arguably the best source of help and information for sleep apnea, to ask for our help, and then say you don't want to reference cpap.com ... the very people who host this site? Yes, I'm sure that a lot of online DME's don't give a hoot about their clients, and you know what? That's ok! The people who buy from online dme's either don't want to be ripped off by the ridiculous rates and co-pays charged to their insurance or, like me, don't have insurance and need to get the best price possible. And those that find cpap.com WILL get the support they need via this site.

I'm sure that a newly diagnosed sufferer will be lucky to be referred to your DME where they will receive good advice and good equipment. I believe you will be the exception.

.... Maybe it's just me but I think that you, a competitor, owe Johnny a debt of gratitude that he has provided a place where you can come and improve YOUR business.

[kevincoop]

I totally agree with you. If I have someone who doesnt have insurance or wants something that we cannot provide, cpap.com is the first place I tell them to look. I am a new user on here and have seen the cpap.com references all over the place and didnt pay enough attention that this site is hosted by cpap.com. I know that sounds pretty dumb, but I just figured that it was advertisements or whatever. CPAP.com is a huge competition to dme because they provide great products for prices that we cannot compete with. Some of their products are on cpap.com for less than we can purchase them for. We simply cannot have the quantity discounts that they have from the vendors. I just think the difference with the dme is having someone that our customers can count on to personnally provide the service of helping guide them in the right direction. I think guiding people to this site will be helpful so thanks to cpap.com.