new to cpap

Actually just got diagnosed. Meeting with a DME on Wednesday. I can see already how some of this is just a money racket. A little info: I have insurance that will pay after I meet a deductable of $550. Jan 1 2016 my deductable starts over. Furthermore I have to be on this machine for 3 months paying rental before BCBS will pay anything so no help from insurance this year.
My question is, am I better off to just pay out of pocket to online supplier and forget the insurance? I have no idea what they cost from a DME yet but hopefully someone can help with some info.

I wish I knew all the stats from sleep study to share. I do know doc wants an Auto machine 60/20?????
My dx was mild sleep apnea. O2 sats dropped down to 82% several times during the night constantly waking me up. any advice would be appreciated.

erbowman wrote:Actually just got diagnosed. Meeting with a DME on Wednesday. I can see already how some of this is just a money racket. A little info: I have insurance that will pay after I meet a deductable of $550. Jan 1 2016 my deductable starts over. Furthermore I have to be on this machine for 3 months paying rental before BCBS will pay anything so no help from insurance this year.
My question is, am I better off to just pay out of pocket to online supplier and forget the insurance? I have no idea what they cost from a DME yet but hopefully someone can help with some info.

I wish I knew all the stats from sleep study to share. I do know doc wants an Auto machine 60/20?????
My dx was mild sleep apnea. O2 sats dropped down to 82% several times during the night constantly waking me up. any advice would be appreciated.

Well, I'd advise "doing the math", but since it's getting close to the end of the year and the deductible starts over, I'd (personally) go out-of-pocket.......judging roughly by the numbers you threw out.
When I did my calculations years ago, I figured it would come out about the same between the deductibles and co-pays. In my case, my insurance provider agreed to reimburse me ( 80% ) for purchasing my stuff out-of-pocket (from CPAP.COM) and then billing them as if I was a "vendor" and because they considered me to be "in-network". So, that's what I did.......bought my stuff, made out an invoice with me as the billing party and them as the party being billed......and they paid it. But, I discussed it with them beforehand and they agreed to do it that way. Under these circumstances, we both saved money.


Den

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A little confused by the numbers you posted (60/20) as they don't really relate to much. Someone who needed a machine with extremely high pressures (above 20 for the low setting) might be prescribed a bilevel (bipap) machine, but it's not often someone with a diagnosis of 'mild' apnea needs one (tho' technically your level of diagnosed events - mild thru severe - does not relate to amount of pressure needed to keep your particular airway open), and I've never heard of anyone at all with a setting of anything remotely close to 60 even on bipap vs regular C or Apap.

I agree with the "Wulfman" and do the math. Check the prices at cpap.com. They are very reliable and you can get your stuff quick. Get a copy of your prescription, and ask for a separate prescription for the mask (one for the machine and one for the mask). Get a data capable - auto pap machine . It's a machine that you can run in the autopap mode or the cpap mode. What ever mode you prefer. Once you decide on a machine, ask the doctor to specifically write the machine brand - model on the prescription. On the mask prescription, ask the doctor to write "mask of patient's choice". Does the deductible include the mask(s) or is it separate? You may go thru several masks that is comfortable and doesn't leak.

Most of all, educate yourself here. Read to stuff at the top of the homepage. Work all your issues here. You can make this adventure a success!

Sheriff

Julie wrote:A little confused by the numbers you posted (60/20) as they don't really relate to much. Someone who needed a machine with extremely high pressures (above 20 for the low setting) might be prescribed a bilevel (bipap) machine, but it's not often someone with a diagnosis of 'mild' apnea needs one (tho' technically your level of diagnosed events - mild thru severe - does not relate to amount of pressure needed to keep your particular airway open), and I've never heard of anyone at all with a setting of anything remotely close to 60 even on bipap vs regular C or Apap.

I have no idea what those numbers actually mean. They just said something about 60 20. I am sure its not the setting All I do know for sure is its an auto cpap machine

might be shorthand for a 60 series machine set to max of 20 cm.
Which would be a respronics 560 set wide open 4 to 20

grayghost4 wrote:might be shorthand for a 60 series machine set to max of 20 cm.
Which would be a respronics 560 set wide open 4 to 20

I bet you are correct. I have no idea what they meant. It was a DME telling me over the phone.
I was looking at the resmed line of products either the airsense 10 or the PR system one. It looks like all the cost will fall on me. Does anyone have any suggestions as to which one they would go with?????