Resmed To Raise Internet CPAP Prices 40%

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:15 pm

Too bad I've been at work all day and haven't had a chance to get into this debate. To me it is not an issue of one company provides a better product than another. There are several manufacturers that make good products and bad products. I haven't found the "perfect" mask yet. I did choose the Respironics BiPAP because of the data that I can get from it.

However, much of this debate has ignored the intent of the policy.

Investor's Business Daily wrote:At the same time, ResMed has struggled to control cut-rate sales of its products over the Internet. In August the firm plans to implement a 40% price increase on Internet prices to get them in line with reimbursement rates.

All manufacturers have the right to implement to implement whatever distribution policies they desire so long as they do not break the law. At the same time, we as consumers should have the right to choose to express our dissatisfaction with these policies by choosing to purchase alternative products. Unfortunately, for many of us, that choice is made for us.

If the intent of this policy is as the quote above says, to "get them in line with reimbursement rates," then it is not a stretch to call this price fixing or gouging, which is against the law. It is also not a stretch to to see that the intent of this policy is to artificially maintain these exhorbitant reimbursement rates. Where I come from, we call artificially maintaining reimbursement rates insurance fraud, which is also a crime.

Sleepy-in-AL · Post by **Sleepy-in-AL** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:17 pm

Woops, I'm the guest above. I really wish it would at least warn you that you aren't logged in.

RedThunder94 · Post by **RedThunder94** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 5:29 pm

okay, i'm back, what did i miss? wow, 3 pages? anyways, i love how you are trying to say that i'm the one crying about the c-flex since i'm not the one with 10 different threads asking the same questions over and over again, just go with what works for you and i'll go with what works for me, okay buddy, cool.

sincerely,
RedThunder94
Co-founder of Team Respironics.

Rastaman · Post by **Rastaman** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 5:33 pm

Sounds logical to me. Good call. And obviously many here are ready to fight them at every cost. If the thing only costs $50 to make, then why are we paying well over 10 times that?

There are so many things we get gouged for and it LEGAL?!?!?! Notice they turn the price up on your electric bill during the summer, which you might actually use it more anyway. You can't just pay the regular rate and use 3 times as much. Oh nooooo. We must raise the rate first because it's now in demand.

The list is endless. I can point out this is almost everything. And the ultimate scan, really, is buying a home. You spend 3 times what it's worth to pay it off over 30 years and heaven forbid that the value quadruple in that time frame (if you're planning on living there the rest of your life) and you'll have to pay taxes on that behemouth some day. I understand the land value part. It's the house, which is usually poorly built, GAINING value instead of decreasing in value over time. That's what your car does. That's what almost EVERYTHING else does.

I'd be willing to pay a "reasonable" amount, out of pocket even, to buy a CPAP. Say $300. Maybe $400 or $500 if it was a bi-pap. That seems about right. But nooooo, America has turned into military and is charging $300 for a hammer and a toilet seat.

Krelvin · Post by **Krelvin** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 5:52 pm

Anonymous wrote: A typist? No wonder. Doesn't your company mind that you're doing all this personal typing on an internet message board when you're supposed to be working for them? Better be careful not to get caught.

A lot of people surf from work and are allowed to do so.

I am currently at work... I spend a ton of time online while waiting for processes that I have running to complete. Otherwise I would be sitting here staring at the wall. Can't leave my desk because when a process is complete, I need to check its status and perhaps fire off another.

There are many others that have similar work environments.

BTW I am a typist too... (Jr. High, my mother forced me to take typing) perhaps the best thing I ever got out of school.

Rastaman · Post by **Rastaman** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 6:15 pm

For factual reasons, I just want to throw out there what my DME has been PAID (not what they billed) for my initial visit, sleep study, cpap, humidifier, filters, etc.

Ready?

$1,648.83

Holy Moly! I'm in the WRONG business!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 6:25 pm

Krelvin wrote:A lot of people surf from work and are allowed to do so.

I am currently at work... I spend a ton of time online while waiting for processes that I have running to complete. Otherwise I would be sitting here staring at the wall. Can't leave my desk because when a process is complete, I need to check its status and perhaps fire off another.

There are many others that have similar work environments.

BTW I am a typist too... (Jr. High, my mother forced me to take typing) perhaps the best thing I ever got out of school.

Rastaman wrote:Yes, I became a "typist" in the 8th grade. Back then it was 65 wpm. Manual typewriter. And I've been using computers ever since.

I appreciate your concern but I'm the boss. I let my employees surf the web during their breaks and what not. Didn't you know that most people in management don't really have to work. Oh we say we do but we have plenty of time on our hands Just look around you when you're at work and you'll see. The front line does all the real work. Once you move up you have a much cushier job.

We don't allow surfing the internet at work. It's grounds for termination. Some nonsense about lost productivity.
It even applies to the managers who don't really have to work like Rastaman.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 6:46 pm

Rastaman wrote:Oh, and my wife reads/posts here all the time. She's the one who told me about it. She also plays the video games and watches movies and listens to music with me. We keep ourselves from ever getting bored. I'm not sure what that word means exactly anymore.
But good advice just the same. Some women are shallow and not the woman that my wife is. She accepts that I'm a "guy". On the plus side, I'm not into sports AT ALL. I don't even keep track of who plays in the superbowl. She loves that.

Your wife reads and posts here all the time? Is she a fast typist too? Funny neither one of you ever mentioned it before. 2 pappers in the house. You're lucky you have her to show you the ropes and she must be able to answer a lot of questions you have about cpap. We should all be so lucky.

billbolton · Post by **billbolton** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 11:50 pm

RedThunder94 wrote:they just don't get it do they, oh wells, i can't wait till their sales are in the crapper

Ths news article solely mentioned about Resmed was planning to do, it didn't mention anything about other suppliers.

Has anyone bothered to find out what the other suppliers are planning to do? If they are all planning to take the similar approaches.....

Rastaman · Post by **Rastaman** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 7:55 am

I wonder if people who don't have insurance try to barter with the DME. "Let's see, you want $300 for that? How about I'll give you $125!"

I wish it was this easy. Truthfully, I'll just tell them the check is "in the mail for that extra 40%."

I looked over each charge last night in detail and then looked up the billing codes to find out what each item was and how much. $30 for a little filter?!?!?!?!? They're friggin insane! That's $10 a month for a tiny little filter. Ridiculous! I hope this machine lasts for a long long time. And the insurance too.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 9:27 am

tomjax wrote:Dont you just love it when a GUEST comes in and hides behind his/her anonymity?

I am trying to look at the price increase from another standpoint.
As a stockholder in both resp and rmd, I am benefitting from their profit.

Maybe I will have some more increases in both.

Buy some of their stock and be a winner either way.

No matter how the stock goes, the only ones that, get the profits are upper management and major stock holders. BTW, you do have more than 50% of the stock in both companies, don't you, FRIEND? Jim

If typed 100 WPM. I would have to put my finger in Ice Water. I would also have to learn to mis-pell faster.

Sleepy-in-AL · Post by **Sleepy-in-AL** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 9:28 am

Rastaman wrote:I wonder if people who don't have insurance try to barter with the DME. "Let's see, you want $300 for that? How about I'll give you $125!"

I wish it was this easy. Truthfully, I'll just tell them the check is "in the mail for that extra 40%."

I looked over each charge last night in detail and then looked up the billing codes to find out what each item was and how much. $30 for a little filter?!?!?!?!? They're friggin insane! That's $10 a month for a tiny little filter. Ridiculous! I hope this machine lasts for a long long time. And the insurance too.

I'm not sure about the bartering, but I know when I went to my DME, the first thing they did was hand me a stack of paperwork to fill out. I thought OK, I know this is a litigous society this must be the waivers and releases. But I was wrong, that was the second set of paperwork. The first was a financial disclosure statement. "If insurance doesn't fully cover your treatment, How much per month could you afford to pay...."

The insurance companies should be looking at these prices and having a fit. However, I think most go by the Medicare rate tables for what they will pay, and we all know how much Uncle Sam will pay for things like a hammer. Anyway, that is the whole point of this thread, ResMed (and probably others to follow if they get away with it) is afraid that insurance is going to see that you can buy that filter for $2.33 ($13.99 for a six pack) from cpap.com and ask why they are getting soaked.

I agree with others who have posted that DMEs should charge "reasonable" rates for equipment and "reasonable" additional rates for services such as the Respiratory Therapists time, not over inflated equipment and supply prices to cover these services.

Rastaman · Post by **Rastaman** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 12:58 pm

My my. I didn't have to sign ANY forms. Perhaps it's just by the chance that my insurance pays 100% and has no limit on DME.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 1:23 pm

I've been mis-treated, all my life I've had to work and keep machines working, no time for play. That part of my life is behind me, now , I'm just worn down and out. Sitting in my cave, (Basement) dog sitting and running my computers, MoneyPit 1 & Moneypit 2, editing video. And soaking my overused high speed typing finger in ice water.

Jim

Rastaman · Post by **Rastaman** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 1:40 pm

Jim you crack me up. Money pit 1 and 2....! Awesome! Awesome! And the description of the basement was great too. Dog sitting. Riot!

Machine	Mask

Additional Comments: Airmini, Medistrom Pilot 24, CMS 60C Pulse Oximeter, ResScan 6

Mask

Additional Comments: Pressure MinE 11 MaxI 17.5

Mask

Additional Comments: Pressure MinE 11 MaxI 17.5

Resmed To Raise Internet CPAP Prices 40%

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