what benefits does a DME give?

What I discovered about self doing is as follows:

While DME companies are regulated on who can and cannot set the CPAP/BiPAP the patient is not.

This being said I have decided to take CPAPDUDE's advice. The people on this site who are self dosing and crossing into the clinical arena by recommending settings do not need or want my suggestions and advice. After all, I am a CPAP user who has only been in the business 25 years. (By the way, positive clinical outcomes equals more revenue.) I can see the lack of objectivity with those of you who have had bad experiences with DME companies. I truly believe that with you self dosers a little knowledge is dangerous. I hope you do not give the wrong person your ill informed and reckless recommendations and do someone damage. I will not participate in this.

So, if you have billing issues, equipment issues, etc. I will put my two cents worth in. I will avoid any topics that cross the clinical boundaries.

I can see the lack of objectivity with those of you who have had bad experiences with DME companies. I truly believe that with you self dosers a little knowledge is dangerous.

HORSE MANURE. That wasn't what I said. I said "self monitoring", with the assistance of a physician. YOU ARE TWISTING PEOPLE'S words and using them to YOUR advantage.

leejgbt wrote:After all, I am a CPAP user who has only been in the business 25 years.

For pity's sake, get over yourself.

It's not rocket science,
it's not brain surgery.

leejgbt wrote:What I discovered about self doing is as follows:

While DME companies are regulated on who can and cannot set the CPAP/BiPAP the patient is not.

<snip>

So, if you have billing issues, equipment issues, etc. I will put my two cents worth in. I will avoid any topics that cross the clinical boundaries.

Excellent. Now, perhaps, we can put paid to the business of it being illegal for people to change their own pressures.

What about people who change their pressures after discussing it with their doctors, as opposed to discussing it with their DME?

And... I am asking you to answer the question I've now put to you twice: what are the "stupid questions" which DMEs have to ask in order to comply with regulations?

leejgbt wrote:What I discovered about self doing is as follows:

While DME companies are regulated on who can and cannot set the CPAP/BiPAP the patient is not.

This being said I have decided to take CPAPDUDE's advice. The people on this site who are self dosing and crossing into the clinical arena by recommending settings do not need or want my suggestions and advice. After all, I am a CPAP user who has only been in the business 25 years. (By the way, positive clinical outcomes equals more revenue.) I can see the lack of objectivity with those of you who have had bad experiences with DME companies. I truly believe that with you self dosers a little knowledge is dangerous. I hope you do not give the wrong person your ill informed and reckless recommendations and do someone damage. I will not participate in this.

So, if you have billing issues, equipment issues, etc. I will put my two cents worth in. I will avoid any topics that cross the clinical boundaries.

That's what everybody's been saying for the last four years when this subject keeps coming up.

Here are some links about how "dangerous" CPAP therapy is:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9745&p=84228&hilit=+Farrell#p84228

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2204&p=16084&hilit=+Farrell#p16084

Some of my questions all these years has been regarding pressures prescribed by the doctors. If a doctor prescribed almost twice as much pressure than is actually "needed", what are the ramifications to THEM?
And, if this therapy is so damn dangerous if we don't use the physician-prescribed pressure, how does one explain away the fact that patients are handed APAPs with wide-open pressure ranges (4 - 20)? Those pressures may be way too low or way too high for a good portion of the night.

"Self dosing"?......I also prefer the term "self-monitoring". In 4 1/2 yrs., I've actually changed my pressure very few times and those were between the pressures of 10 and 12 cm. I can count on two hands the number of nights I've used any of my APAPs in pressure ranges (10 - 15 and 12 - 15). I've been using 12 cm. since mid-2006. My annual reports have always shown that my AHI average is 1.0 or less (typically about 0.7)
As carbonman said, this ain't rocket science or brain surgery. I was able to "guess" a better, more effective pressure than my so-called "sleep doctor"......and my reports bear that out.

There are many, many more things which are much more "dangerous" than AIR.


Den

(By the way, positive clinical outcomes equals more revenue.

I reread the correspondence on this thread. Basically, I had missed this part, but it suddenly caught me. This DME is in it for the revenue. He doesn't give a rat's wrinkled wiener if we get better. He could care less if your AHI is lower, and your ox saturation is higher---he cares about "positive clinical outcome equalling more revenue." That is his, and most DMEs bottom line. If he cared about the patient before his billing skills, which he advertises quite liberally in his post, then he'd HELP them to self-monitor their therapy. If he did that, they'd call him back and use him more. Cut the crap, Mr. DME. Admit it, you're no altruist---you're in it for the repeat overcharged BUCKS. People often mask their true motives with long missals about how they care about the patient. Then they proceed to skin him alive financially, and milk the insurance company for all they are worth, thus increasing everybody's insurance premium.

leejgbt wrote:What I discovered about self doing is as follows:

While DME companies are regulated on who can and cannot set the CPAP/BiPAP the patient is not.

This being said I have decided to take CPAPDUDE's advice. The people on this site who are self dosing and crossing into the clinical arena by recommending settings do not need or want my suggestions and advice. After all, I am a CPAP user who has only been in the business 25 years. (By the way, positive clinical outcomes equals more revenue.) I can see the lack of objectivity with those of you who have had bad experiences with DME companies. I truly believe that with you self dosers a little knowledge is dangerous. I hope you do not give the wrong person your ill informed and reckless recommendations and do someone damage. I will not participate in this.

So, if you have billing issues, equipment issues, etc. I will put my two cents worth in. I will avoid any topics that cross the clinical boundaries.

If this poster is truly the wise wonderful DME he claims to be why has he not posted his degrees and the business name he represents. By now he is posting with another name. Really!

If this poster is truly the wise wonderful DME he claims to be why has he not posted his degrees and the business name he represents. By now he is posting with another name. Really!

Why? Because he's not proud enough of the work he does. If he were actually a "good guy" DME, he would be utilizing his credentials, and advertise himself. That might enable some referrals from a well-informed and sophisticated message board. I think he's full of caca, or just a troll.

I do not advertise my company because that is not what I am here for. If I did advertise would I not be accused of only being on this site for the money? I joined this site because I an a CPAP user. Most of the encouragement and advice I see on this site is very good.

A couple of things I read need clarification. I am all for self monitoring. I do this every day. When you change setting without the advice of your physician you are self dosing. I had a problem of breathing through my mouth after years of no problem. After several treaks recommended by my physician we solved this without a chin strap (which I hated). I have never heard of a physician proscribing an auto "wide open" 4-20. The RANGE should be prescribed by a physician.

As far as my insurance knowledge, I do charge my clients for my consulting advise as I have extensive knowledge in DME billing. But, again, if I used this site to glean sales for my own benefit would you not be attacking me for this? Is it not more genuine to be giving my opinions with the benefit of anonimity to VERIFY that I have no interest in profiting from this?

I did have an alternative goal in raising the reputation of DMEs with the general public and this site certainly has convinced me that I have my work cut out for me. I will make some of your days here with another stat (I will quote the source from now on). 29,968 is the number of DME providers remaining unaccredited in late August (National Supplier Clearinghouse) These companies cannot be Medicare providers as it is now required by Oct 1. This does not allow enough time to become accredited by the deadline. Maybe these are the companies you folks have been complaining about.

CPAP.com is also in the business of making money by the way. Are they interested in positive clinical outcomes? I think they are as are most good DME companies. Another tidbit you may want to know, I work for a non-profit DME. Our community benefit dollars spent were over double what our taxes would have been.

As far as the theory that I will just change my name and, I guess, come back as a different identity you guys are far more devious than I as this never occurred to me. Maybe YOU have done this before?

leejgbt, I am still waiting for a pointer (see below) to your "60% vs 3%" compliance study. Please post a pointer when you have the requested info. Thanks.

by cinco777 on Sat Oct 24, 2009 11:47 am

leejgbt wrote

Whether the AASM study was statistically correct and accurate I suppose could be debated based on the methodology used.

Please provide a URL link or the full descriptive name of the AASM compliance study that you referenced. I searched the AASM site and was unable to find a CPAP Compliance Study that compared compliance of users when a B&M DME provided their CPAP machines to compliance of users when an online DME provided their CPAP machines. Thanks.

I'm still waiting for you to provide pointer(s) to your statistic so curious forum members can locate and review this ?AASM? compliance survey