Mask questions (and a DME question) from a newbie

Hi all!

I've been lurking and studying and searching here since last week when I scheduled my appointment to get my CPAP. I'm not sure if I'm thrilled with my DME (which seems to be common) but I've only had once experience with them. They sent a tech to my house with the machine and two masks to try (I naively thought I'd be able to try more). He had told me the insurance would only cover one but he accidentally left both, which ended up being good. I wanted to try the P10 but at bed time I found I could not handle the difficulty exhaling so I swapped to the Mirage FX after about a half hour.

I've used it for the last three nights and while, I prefer the nasal mask over the nasal pillows, I have two issues with it. First, I wear glasses and like to read before bed and will often fall asleep while reading, so the frame that extends up the bridge of my nose does not allow this comfortably. Second, I wonder if the mask is too large. It seems to extend down to my lips and I feel the need to shift it up or down often, struggling to find a happy medium. I am very tempted to contact them and ask to try the Swift FX Nano, but in one of the posts here I saw that people had issues with the concave shape at the bottom under the nose.

With that in mind, my questions are: Do DMEs tend to keep masks on hand? My appointment was delayed by a few hours because FedEx hadn't delivered the "equipment" the day before like they were supposed to but I don't know if that was just the machine itself or all the parts. Also, If the Swift FX Nano give me issues, with the concave bottom edge, what is a good alternative that does not have a frame that blocks the ability to read comfortably and has sizing that is maybe slightly smaller than the Mirage FX?

For my DME question, how hard is it to switch? My current DME was contacted by my doctor so I did not choose them. They are located an hour or so from my house and if I may have to swap out masks as I try them, I'd really like something closer. My insurance does have a place in their provider finder that is 20-30 mins from home. Because my machine is rented from one place already, should I just stay with them until it is purchased or can I keep the rental through one and get masks elsewhere?

Sorry for all the questions and thank you all for being such a treasure trove of information! I will probably have more questions as I learn the ins and outs of this new lifestyle.

I can't answer your mask questions but I can offer my experience with DME's.

First, the tech may not have left the second mask by mistake, if you don't return one, you may end up having to pay out of pocket for the second one. Insurance will only pay for one a month. They gave me 2 to try in the beginning but told me I could only keep one. I ended up with a third one anyway, they didn't seem to mind trying to help me get settled. The manufacturers offer the 30 day trial period, no matter where you get it from. I think the headgear can only be replaced every six months as I recall, for insurance coverage, so if you want to try something completely different after the first 30 days, you'll probably have to wait unless you don't mind paying out of pocket. You should have gotten a list with the replacement schedule. You don't NEED to replace everything as often as they say, so some of us "stock up." If it's time and insurance will cover it - take it. Good to have spares.

Second, it's easy to change DME's. I'm not sure about the machine rental, you may be commited to that. Call your insurance company and ask them. I "fired" my first DME by not getting supplies from them again after a few months. I never told them I was switching, and they never followed up on me. I simply went somewhere else. I did finish paying for the machine from the first one. To switch DME's you'll need to bring a copy of your sleep study and an Rx from the doctor. Both easy to get.

Not sure why your doctor didn't offer you a choice on DME's since mine did. Then when I told him I wanted to switch, no big deal, they sent my info electronically.

And yes, they usually keep supplies in stock for their customers.

Chris8243 wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 07, 2019 10:28 pm

I can't answer your mask questions but I can offer my experience with DME's.

Thanks for your insight. I think this coming week, I'll try to contact my current DME. I definitely need a smaller mask. The current one reaches almost over my lips and almost touches my eyes. Depending on how it's positioned, I can feel my eyelashes hitting it. I hope I can go them rather than having a tech come to me again. I'd rather be in a place where they have more supplies at hand to discuss. When it comes time for new supplies, I may look into someplace closer.

aka Snorlax wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 09, 2019 8:41 pm

I'd rather be in a place where they have more supplies at hand to discuss.

I totally understand - and it would be nice to be able to actually see what your options are. I was in the same situation, the masks were brought to me and since I hadn't stumbled onto this forum until months later, I had no idea what's out there.

I recently switched DME's. My doctor had one that they liked to use, but it was like an hour from my house. I found a DME like half a mile away and decided to go with them. So I canceled my appointment with the first one, and sent my prescription to the new one. Apparently just having a prescription is not enough because they had to call my doctor to get him to sign off on whatever. So then a nurse from my Dr's office called me and got super pissy about me switching DME's. Other than that, it was pretty easy to switch.

I can't speak to other DME's, but when I went to my appointment, they set up my bipap and had DOZEN'S of masks to try. I honestly tried on masks for like an hour before they kicked me out. Don't be afraid to call local DMEs and straight up ask them how many test masks they have to try.

Interesting thing to add to my previous DME post about them charging you if you keep more than one mask. Not necessarily true! My first DME was a company, and they wanted everything back, even a chin strap they gave me to use with a nasal pillow, which is why I suggested making an effort to return the one you thought they left by mistake.

Just switched again to a "DME" that is part of a hospital, in the Respiratory Dept. They suggested a new mask (Airfit 20) but after a few nights the mask seemed too small, so they gave my the next size up. Then a forum member told me about the memory foam mask that fits the same headgear, and sent one to me! I liked that best but was a bit too big. Found out about the "For Her" model with smaller sizing and asked them to order one for me. So I got that yesterday (all within the 30 day window) and they told me to keep everything, that they have to literally throw used ones in the garbage. So now I have an Airfit 20 and an AirTouch 20 For Her.

So DME's are not all bad. This last one was very good to me, and I thought generous to let me keep the ones I tried. I might want to try them again sometime.

Chris8243 wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 12, 2019 1:40 am

Interesting thing to add to my previous DME post about them charging you if you keep more than one mask. Not necessarily true! My first DME was a company, and they wanted everything back, even a chin strap they gave me to use with a nasal pillow, which is why I suggested making an effort to return the one you thought they left by mistake.

Just switched again to a "DME" that is part of a hospital, in the Respiratory Dept. They suggested a new mask (Airfit 20) but after a few nights the mask seemed too small, so they gave my the next size up. Then a forum member told me about the memory foam mask that fits the same headgear, and sent one to me! I liked that best but was a bit too big. Found out about the "For Her" model with smaller sizing and asked them to order one for me. So I got that yesterday (all within the 30 day window) and they told me to keep everything, that they have to literally throw used ones in the garbage. So now I have an Airfit 20 and an AirTouch 20 For Her.

So DME's are not all bad. This last one was very good to me, and I thought generous to let me keep the ones I tried. I might want to try them again sometime.

DMEs do not throw anything away...They get credit from manufacturers on all these masks..even if they let you keep them.

LSAT wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 12, 2019 5:04 am

So DME's are not all bad. This last one was very good to me, and I thought generous to let me keep the ones I tried. I might want to try them again sometime.

DMEs do not throw anything away...They get credit from manufacturers on all these masks..even if they let you keep them.
[/quote]

Yes, they were going to get credit, I had to sign paperwork to that effect, but they told me they would throw them away, not return them, so I could keep them.

Regarding DME's...
Depending on your insurance, the DME they make you use is usually looking out more for their own interests than yours.
I gave up on even bothering with insurance designated DME providers, because their terms were ridiculous and they wouldn't give me the machine I felt was best. (15 year CPAP user)
Long ago my sleep doc told me about CPAP.com and I have been using them ever since. The mask prices are more reasonable, the machine prices are decent (excellent if you catch them on sale) and by DIY'ing it, I don't have to deal with insurance compliance issues. My employers health insurance changes every couple of years, and I kept getting stuck with rental fees and high deductibles, which ended up saving me very little money vs DIY. (doing it yourself)
I see my sleep doc every other year.
Life is good.
Enjoy your new sleep, and don't get hung up on all the minutia.

First, the tech may not have left the second mask by mistake, if you don't return one, you may end up having to pay out of pocket for the second one. Insurance will only pay for one a month. They gave me 2 to try in the beginning but told me I could only keep one. I ended up with a third one anyway, they didn't seem to mind trying to help me get settled.

The masks they brought to your home for you to try were most likely samples provided by the manufacturer. The DME didn't pay for them at all, and they cannot reuse them so it's unlikely you will get billed for the second. They WILL bill your insurance for 1 though, even though it was a sample.

But it is a problem if they only bring you two masks to try. What if neither worked for you? They didn't even know your size yet.

Thanks for all the responses. I ended up going to the DME and trying on more masks. They definitely had a lot more there. I ended up deciding to try the Dreamwear Nasal Cushion. I used the small mask last night and might try the medium tonight since I am borderline size-wise.

I mentioned my mouth would open occasionally (maybe a couple times a night) and asked if that was a sign I should use a full face. She said she would try adjusting the humidity settings first, before trying a full face. I hope that helps because I think I would prefer a full face to taping. She told me she was going to up the humidity to 5. I did notice last night, for the first time, there was a small amount of condensation in the tube and mask. I do have a heated hose so I wonder if I should turn it down to 4 tonight to see if that makes a difference. I may also try to make a hose cover if that might help.

I brought the previous two masks to return but she said I could keep them. I was surprised. Maybe I lucked out with this DME after all? They are not a big company and were the place my sleep doctor told me to use.

aka Snorlax wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 12, 2019 7:58 pm

Thanks for all the responses. I ended up going to the DME and trying on more masks. They definitely had a lot more there. I ended up deciding to try the Dreamwear Nasal Cushion. I used the small mask last night and might try the medium tonight since I am borderline size-wise.

I mentioned my mouth would open occasionally (maybe a couple times a night) and asked if that was a sign I should use a full face. She said she would try adjusting the humidity settings first, before trying a full face. I hope that helps because I think I would prefer a full face to taping. She told me she was going to up the humidity to 5. I did notice last night, for the first time, there was a small amount of condensation in the tube and mask. I do have a heated hose so I wonder if I should turn it down to 4 tonight to see if that makes a difference. I may also try to make a hose cover if that might help.

I brought the previous two masks to return but she said I could keep them. I was surprised. Maybe I lucked out with this DME after all? They are not a big company and were the place my sleep doctor told me to use.

Full face masks are a real pain IMO, leaky and uncomfortable.

Sounds like the dme is better than average. Hang on to then. Lol