Need Pressure Settings before ordering CPAP?

My primary care doc ordered a CPAP for me after the income sleep study. For some reason, two DME's Apria and Lincare have contacted me about the order. Apria has asked my doctor to send them the pressure settings, which they don't have, since they didn't do that testing, so they just keep sending the order info to them. Apria just called me telling me that they can't get me a machine until they have the pressure settings. Lincare has not asked me for this info yet. I will take whichever Resmed Airsense 10 Autoset comes first.

Does the DME have to have the pressure settings before they can provide a machine? With Autoset, I assumed that they would just use a standard starting point for max and min and let the auto function figure it out. Can someone please tell me what I need to tell my doc to do so I can get a CPAP?

In my neck of the woods the doctor's don't provide any pressure setting details especially if a level 3 sleep study was done. Might be different if a in lab sleep study was done but in my case the DME just set the min to 5 and the max to 16 which of course I changed about a month into my treatment to a higher starting pressure.

So in other words you probably don't need to have the pressure settings to get a machine.

To avoid the hassle factor...ask you doctor to send pressure settings 6 min and 20 max.
It will save time, aggravation and headaches if you will just give them what they ask for.
Do request the range though instead of a single pressure. That way they can't try to substitute a fixed pressure only machine.
Technically....it shouldn't be needed but DMEs are also free to implement their own in house rules that some sort of pressure setting has to be included in the RX for the machine. Officially legally it probably isn't needed but it is entirely possible they have some sort of in house rules requiring it and it's just easier to give them what they want then fight with them over it.

Thanks for the suggestions. I will tell my doc. It does seem unnecessary to give settings for an auto machine. Since lincare didn’t need it, they will probably get the order done first. My doc did specify an auto adjusting machine.

It does matter for autos because while the max can be left high (15-20) in most, if not all cases, the min. is too often left at the machine default of 4, which most people can't inhale at properly, but docs think the machines will magically just adjust pressure almost instantly to cope even with events at higher levels (e.g. 10) that are too high for the machines to catch up to in time to e.g. block the next 'event' at that level (it doesn't intervene with events already up there, but intercepts the following ones).

So it's often better to start out with a level of at least 6 or 7 and go from there (leaving the max setting high).

Machine pressures do not randomly rise up and down all night except in response to actual apneas, and they do not randomly catch them on the fly, but in response to specifics as noted by the algorithm at particular levels.

PS from what I've heard here over the years, both of those DME's are quite unpopular (to say the least) and you might check with your insce. co. to find out if you can use others.

Julie wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 12, 2018 5:32 pm

It does matter for autos because while the max can be left high (15-20) in most, if not all cases, the min. is too often left at the machine default of 4, which most people can't inhale at properly, but docs think the machines will magically just adjust pressure almost instantly to cope even with events at higher levels (e.g. 10) that's too high for the machines to catch up to in time to e.g. block the next 'event' at that level (it doesn't intervene with events already up there, but intercepts the following ones).

So it's often better to start out with a level of at least 6 or 7 and go from there (leaving the max setting high).

Machine pressures do not randomly rise up and down all night except in response to actual apneas, and they do not randomly catch them on the fly, but in response to specifics as noted by the algorithm at particular levels.

PS from what I've heard here over the years, both of those DME's are quite unpopular (to say the least) and you might check with your insce. co. to find out if you can use others.

Thanks Julie. Now that makes perfectly good sense to me. Having not used one yet, I have no idea what any setting feels like in me. Pugsy's 6-20 sounds like a winner. Hopefully, I can get this straightened out on Monday and get the order moving.

Apria tried that with me on the current machine I am using. After I laughed, I told the lady I will set the pressure, and she sent it to me. Like it was mentioned, it's probably a house rule or courtesy. Most people would not be able to adjust the settings, so Apria needs to be certain the are correct when they leave their building. Did I say Apria? I mean Crapria.

Sheriff

Sheriff Buford wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 14, 2018 6:56 am

Apria tried that with me on the current machine I am using. After I laughed, I told the lady I will set the pressure, and she sent it to me. Like it was mentioned, it's probably a house rule or courtesy. Most people would not be able to adjust the settings, so Apria needs to be certain the are correct when they leave their building. Did I say Apria? I mean Crapria.

Sheriff

I guess that I am fortunate with Apria. I have used them as a Medicare DME over a year with no problems. New machine - paid off in 10 months at a total cost to me of $80. I have great retiree healthcare coverage. Receive ordered supplies in 3 days UPS. Insurance billed accurately.

FifthAvenue wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 14, 2018 11:34 am

Sheriff Buford wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 14, 2018 6:56 am

Apria tried that with me on the current machine I am using. After I laughed, I told the lady I will set the pressure, and she sent it to me. Like it was mentioned, it's probably a house rule or courtesy. Most people would not be able to adjust the settings, so Apria needs to be certain the are correct when they leave their building. Did I say Apria? I mean Crapria.

Sheriff

I guess that I am fortunate with Apria. I have used them as a Medicare DME over a year with no problems. New machine - paid off in 10 months at a total cost to me of $80. I have great retiree healthcare coverage. Receive ordered supplies in 3 days UPS. Insurance billed accurately.

Do yourself a favor and don't give them your credit card number.

Sheriff