4 hours for compliance confusion. Help!

[JimP]

I'm almost 2 months into bipap therapy and have a question regarding compliance that I'd like to ask.

From what I've read, it sounds like the 4 hour compliance came about when you have people that only sleep 4 hours and the insurance companies wanted to be sure that they used their equipment before paying for it. Where in reality, its not a minimum number of hours if you happen to sleep 6 or 8 hours.

But I keep hearing about people who feel that they can wear it 4 hours and then take it off.

Then others come around and say that they don't wear it every night because they wear it enough otherwise to get benefit from it.

Would someone please clarify this for me.

Many thanks.

[palerider]

But I keep hearing about people who feel that they can wear it 4 hours and then take it off.

Then others come around and say that they don't wear it every night because they wear it enough otherwise to get benefit from it.

Would someone please clarify this for me.

some people are stupid.

[Pugsy]

But I keep hearing about people who feel that they can wear it 4 hours and then take it off.

Then others come around and say that they don't wear it every night because they wear it enough otherwise to get benefit from it.

Those people are well up the river of DeNile. They are making excuses for not using the machine 100% of the time while asleep.
Insurance companies don't care how far up the DeNile river a person might go as long as minimum usage requirements are met. So they have to have a red line in the sand somewhere....so 4 hours is that red line.
Doesn't mean it is a smart choice though..... to barely meet usage requirements.

Edit....I see that palerider and I think alike....my first thought was also "idiots"....

[JimP]

Some surely are idiots but I'd wager that many are misinformed.

[VictorC]

You must use the device 4 or more hours per night on at least 70% of nights within a consecutive 30 day period. That will establish 100% compliance as far as your insurance company is concerned. I do not know how those rules were arrived at, nor do I know if such limited usage would be of much benefit to your health. I'm sure there are many people who are misguided or stupid enough to think that they can use that rule in order to receive effective therapy, but I agree with others here in thinking that they are sadly mistaken.

[Drowsy Dancer]

Who are these people? I don't see much talk of this around here.

I could speculate about certain groups, but I don't want to malign an entire industry without some evidence.

[OkyDoky]

I can speculate they are people who were forced to obtain a sleep study to maintain employment and began the whole process with a negative attitude. I was one of them until I started to see the benefits and could think straight. Now I wish I was diagnosed years earlier and could have been much healthier.

[jacobsbd]

My understanding is that you should use your machine any time you sleep. Sleeping without the machine is dangerous.

They needed some standard to set to determine if the machine is being used for insurance coverage purposes. Some people sleep less much less than 8 hours a night (including myself) and things can happen to interrupt the use of the machine. Travel, power outages, sleep studies required when insurance changes.

I am confident that the vast majority of people who use their machines only enough to meet the compliance requirements will stop all together after a year unless something radical happens in life for them

[Tatooed Lady]

I would like to think that the 4 hour thing is a number that's not intimidating to someone fighting to use the gear...at least with a low number like that, it's not TOO hard to manage compliance, then build to better numbers as a rhythm and comfort level is established.

The other side of my brain says "greedy bastages are keeping the number low so they pawn these overpriced frigging air blowers onto the general public, and all they care about is compliance of a minimal number so they can pay off that overpriced car." Never claimed my brain was a friendly place that made sense.

[OkyDoky]

I would like to think that the 4 hour thing is a number that's not intimidating to someone fighting to use the gear...at least with a low number like that, it's not TOO hard to manage compliance, then build to better numbers as a rhythm and comfort level is established.

The other side of my brain says "greedy bastages are keeping the number low so they pawn these overpriced frigging air blowers onto the general public, and all they care about is compliance of a minimal number so they can pay off that overpriced car." Never claimed my brain was a friendly place that made sense.

I do like your positive thought. Change is hard especially in denial. Maybe it's like "try it you'll like it" and hopefully they will learn to appreciate a good nights sleep.

[chunkyfrog]

I agree with TL, four hours is not so intimidating, and it serves as a good starting point.
Once that easy goal is reached consistently, most users feel enough benefit that it's really stupid not to want MORE!

[Guest]

Piping in to add, as a newbie, I WANTED to get to 4 hours consistently JUST to prove I could conquer the mask. "Mask" and I are still having some relationship issues but the benefit I got from the couple of nights at 4-6 hours made me want more. I can't imagine those people who consistently try to beat their insurance compliance are ever getting to the beneficial side to see what a difference it can make!

[cathyf]

Then there are the people like me, who are really offended by the syrupy happy talk. Especially when they are breathlessly (pun intended) pushing the "just wear it for a little while, and then work up to it" when my machine is phoning home every morning and telling them that I have it on for 7-9 hours every night. No, morons, I don't think that there is any benefit to using it while awake -- which is the only way I could use it longer than I already am!

I never should have given them my email. But I was curious as to what line they are pushing. And, yeah, it is as bad as I thought!

[mike1953]

Then there are the people like me, who are really offended by the syrupy happy talk. Especially when they are breathlessly (pun intended) pushing the "just wear it for a little while, and then work up to it" when my machine is phoning home every morning and telling them that I have it on for 7-9 hours every night. No, morons, I don't think that there is any benefit to using it while awake -- which is the only way I could use it longer than I already am!

I never should have given them my email. But I was curious as to what line they are pushing. And, yeah, it is as bad as I thought!

Someone woke up with a bad attitude today or is it everyday after reading several of your other posts. IMHO!

[palerider]

Someone woke up with a bad attitude today or is it everyday after reading several of your other posts. IMHO!

hey, ems, why aren't you bitching this guy out for being a wanker?