CPAPtalk.com

Got a backup this summer for some extensive traveling where I didn't want to risk the cpap that I use at home. Prior to that I just took my home machine with me. But that was only for a few days, this summer we traveled in Europe for 3 weeks *smile*. I went a slightly different route and got a used cpap that's the same model that I use at home, except "gently used" from secondwindcpap.com. They were easy to to work with, and the cpap that I got from them is now well-traveled and worked well on 240V in Europe *smile*. As well as 120V here, of course.

palerider wrote:

Wulfman... wrote:

chunkyfrog wrote:

Tatooed Lady wrote:Ok...sidenote, I'm no longer passively looking for a backup machine. I found one. Now I need another full time job to support my hobbies and therapy.

--I may have a problem; my therapy is my hobby.

You too, huh?

diversification, people, diversification!!! *thumps table*

Diversification...isn't that putting half your money in a mattress and the other half buried in the backyard in Mason jars?

Tatooed Lady wrote:

palerider wrote:

Wulfman... wrote:

chunkyfrog wrote:

Tatooed Lady wrote:Ok...sidenote, I'm no longer passively looking for a backup machine. I found one. Now I need another full time job to support my hobbies and therapy.

--I may have a problem; my therapy is my hobby.

You too, huh?

diversification, people, diversification!!! *thumps table*

Diversification...isn't that putting half your money in a mattress and the other half buried in the backyard in Mason jars?

it does my heart good to know you've been paying attention to all of my lessons!

No backup machine here

englandsf wrote:DD - why would insurance co want the old machine back? Not heard of that...

Because Aetna told me that, under my three-way contract with Apria (there's Apria-me, Aetna-me, and Aetna-Apria), I still get charged for a "service contract" as long as the machine is in my possession, once every six months. With the magic of health care billing this costs me about $18 once every six months, but if we ever lose our coverage with Aetna, that charge goes up to the "full retail" rate of $800+ once every six months.

So if I lose my current coverage (which I know will happen in four years anyway when my husband hits 65) when I still have my original 550P in my possession, I am NOT paying Apria more than the cost of a new machine for their "service contract."

And the next new machine I buy will be purchased differently, but there will have to be substantial technical improvements, or my needs will have to substantially change, before I spring for a new machine.

Even though I am new to this, I feel so good with CPAP< i'd never want to be without one. I also travel most weekends for work.
I picked up a PR 560, just like my "new" machine off Craigslist for $200. It showed .01 total blower hours. The lady bought it, thinking it was an o2 concentrator. It is exactly the same machine I have.
The DME folks gave me a card and a cell phone thing to put on it at no charge, that way ins co. can see I am using CPAP. I keep it bagged up with a little bottle of distilled water and a 15' extension cord.

The DME also gave me a couple of little oxygen bottles to take, so I dont have to pack the concentrator. I'm trying to get ins to pay for travel size o2 concentrator.

I travel about every other week for work so I bought myself an identical second machine. It is my travel/back up machine. The primary machine stays connected at home. I also have a battery in case the power goes out.