Kbh209's CPAP questions and updates

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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chunkyfrog
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Re: Kbh209's CPAP questions and soapbox

Post by chunkyfrog » Fri Apr 17, 2020 5:15 pm

If it is a true brick, sleepyhead and Oscar will not work.
Basically you are [Carlin's most common dirty word]-ed.

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Re: Kbh209's CPAP questions and soapbox

Post by Jas_williams » Sat Apr 18, 2020 2:12 am

kbh209 wrote:
Fri Apr 17, 2020 2:20 pm
Should I use SleepyHead or Oscar to record my brick usage, or is there another option? I'm wanting to record my usage (At least a month's worth) so that I can submit it to my sleep physician during my Telehealth appointment on May 25th.
The usage info from the screen should be sufficient for compliancy take a photo with your phone to prove compliancy. but usage is only normalliy to get insurance to pay for your device.

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kbh209
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Re: Kbh209's CPAP questions and soapbox

Post by kbh209 » Thu Jun 25, 2020 4:44 pm

Well, I had my TeleHealth appointment today.

I had an epiphany, while he's a good physician, he has way too many patients that he is seeing. Every visit is like the movie "50 First Dates." I always have to start from the beginning and end with the last appointment. :shock:

In other news, I should hear from my DME provider on Monday or Tuesday if the new machine gets approved or not.
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Miss Emerita
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Re: Kbh209's CPAP questions and soapbox

Post by Miss Emerita » Thu Jun 25, 2020 7:02 pm

I love that comparison! What will the new machine be?
Oscar software is available at https://www.sleepfiles.com/OSCAR/

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kbh209
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Re: Kbh209's CPAP questions and soapbox

Post by kbh209 » Fri Jun 26, 2020 12:37 pm

Dream Station from Phillips. I'm assuming it'll be the Pro edition because he wants to have daily sleep data.
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Re: Kbh209's CPAP questions and soapbox

Post by LSAT » Sat Jun 27, 2020 8:54 am

kbh209 wrote:
Fri Jun 26, 2020 12:37 pm
Dream Station from Phillips. I'm assuming it'll be the Pro edition because he wants to have daily sleep data.
Get the Dream Station Auto

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kbh209
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Re: Kbh209's CPAP questions and soapbox

Post by kbh209 » Sun Jun 28, 2020 7:31 pm

LSAT wrote:
Sat Jun 27, 2020 8:54 am
kbh209 wrote:
Fri Jun 26, 2020 12:37 pm
Dream Station from Phillips. I'm assuming it'll be the Pro edition because he wants to have daily sleep data.
Get the Dream Station Auto
Eh, I'm hoping it's the pro edition. All I know is the Dream Station is being ordered and the sleep specialist wants daily sleep information from the machine. So I'm assuming it'll be either an auto or pro, and not a brick. But it's a matter of Medicare, will End of June be close enough to the five years date, or will Medicare be so fickle and make me wait until December? Tune in for the next episode to find out.
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Okie bipap
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Re: Kbh209's CPAP questions and soapbox

Post by Okie bipap » Mon Jun 29, 2020 4:26 pm

Medicare does not care if you have an auto adjusting machine or not. A fixed pressure machine and an auto adjusting machine both have the same HCPS code. The DME will try to sell you the machine that gives them the maximum profit. My wife and I both have auto adjusting machines and were obtained through Medicare.

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kbh209
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Re: Kbh209's CPAP questions and soapbox

Post by kbh209 » Tue Jun 30, 2020 1:15 am

Okie bipap wrote:
Mon Jun 29, 2020 4:26 pm
Medicare does not care if you have an auto adjusting machine or not. A fixed pressure machine and an auto adjusting machine both have the same HCPS code. The DME will try to sell you the machine that gives them the maximum profit. My wife and I both have auto adjusting machines and were obtained through Medicare.
ahh yes, that's right an APAP. My sleep specialist said that he sees no need for me to have one, that a CPAP will do just fine.
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Re: Kbh209's CPAP questions and soapbox

Post by lrob123 » Tue Jun 30, 2020 1:47 am

kbh209 wrote:
Tue Jun 30, 2020 1:15 am
Okie bipap wrote:
Mon Jun 29, 2020 4:26 pm
Medicare does not care if you have an auto adjusting machine or not. A fixed pressure machine and an auto adjusting machine both have the same HCPS code. The DME will try to sell you the machine that gives them the maximum profit. My wife and I both have auto adjusting machines and were obtained through Medicare.
ahh yes, that's right an APAP. My sleep specialist said that he sees no need for me to have one, that a CPAP will do just fine.
For someone standing on a soapbox, this sounds kind of passive. Let me get up on my own soapbox: Almost all insurance (unless bare bones policy) and Medicare will pay for your AutoPap machine. Maybe I'm a more demanding sort of person, but I asked my doctor to write a prescription for the exact model of machine I wanted. I do the same for masks (because my DME prefers my doctor to prescribe a specific mask model). I said 'I researched the machines on apnea help sites and read the reviews of advantages and disadvantages of different types of machines. I greatly prefer an Auto machine even if you think CPAP is better since if the Auto setting doesn't work for me, I can always change it to CPAP mode. The APAP machine gives me more flexibility, for example it might help me minimize aerophagia if a lower pressure can be used when I'm on my side rather than on my back. My insurance only lets me switch machines if they break or after X (often 5) years, so I'd like to be able to have a choice of machine, and my insurance will pay for an AutoPap." I wouldn't like a doctor who acted threatened because I was reading a lot, getting informed, and asking for a specific machine. An 'Auto' machine is not much more expensive than a CPAP and is totally reasonable, most of the time in the US it is the standard. It is not as if you are demanding a BiPap machine or an ASV machine which are more expensive. (But eventually I did want to try a BiPap to see if it would help my aerophagia, I asked my doctor to write a prescription for it, and he did.)

At first I went to a DME that was inflexible and wanted to give me whatever they had in stock and wanted to get rid of. So I called around DMEs in town to see which one had what I wanted in stock and switched to them.

It bothers me that your doctor seems inflexible, why don't you try pushing back and see what happens, e.g. maybe using the words I suggested.

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kbh209
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Re: Kbh209's CPAP questions and updates

Post by kbh209 » Tue Jun 30, 2020 5:39 pm

changed the name of the thread. I believe my original post was more on the soap box side. I am passive by nature, I don't like confrontation. . .thus I have to put my trust in my sleep specialist, that he has my well being in place and in his decision making. Now, is it frustrating every visit I have to remind him of my sleep apnea medical history because he probably has possibly thousands of sleep apnea patients he sees a year, you betcha. But I digress, when he is reminded I trust his expertise.

The DME provider ran my information today and Medicare told them that I need to wait until November, which is four months away. This does gives me another chance to mention the Dream Station Pro/Dream Station APAP, but ultimately the decision comes down to my sleep specialist and what he feels is what I need for my treatment.
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Pugsy
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Re: Kbh209's CPAP questions and updates

Post by Pugsy » Tue Jun 30, 2020 7:48 pm

This is the same doctor who told you that he got AHI information off your SystemOne model 250 machine....?????
You know he flat out lied to you.....and you are still trusting him????
Is there no one else in your area that you can see besides him?

IMHO....he's an idiot. Totally mismanaged you from the get and go.

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kbh209
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Re: Kbh209's CPAP questions and updates

Post by kbh209 » Wed Jul 01, 2020 4:46 pm

As I said Pugsy I'm super passive, both a blessing and a curse.

This is the only Medicare + Medi-Cal (aka Medicaid) sleep center in my area http://www.pacificsleepcenter.com/About ... Physicians

I'm seeing Ronald Kass from the said list.


Back in 2007, when I got my first sleep study done, it was done at San Joaquin General Hospital. Deepak Shrivastava's nurse's assistant nor his sleep technician was able to detect sleep apnea. Mind you, I only got 45 minutes sleep, so there was no way to detect it.

In 2015 my friend, whom has sleep apnea told me I was showing patterns of possibly having sleep apnea. I got referred to the Pulmonologist's office at Adventist Health Lodi Memorial Hospital. The nurse practitioner whom used to be my PCP, got shifted there. Based off the questionnaire, she had me do the sleep study - but Adventist Health Lodi Memorial doesn't have a sleep study clinic, they use Pacific Sleep Disorder to diagnose their patients and what air pressure they need.

In 2016, I move into Stockton, California. I don't drive, and rely on public transportation. It takes average 1.5 hours to get from Stockton to Lodi by bus (prior to COVID) and instead of the route being hourly, due to budget cuts, they wrecked the route time schedule wise. Before I even got referred over to Pacific Sleep Disorders Center, I researched the doctors thoroughly via websites like HealthGrades. I thought I did my due diligence thinking that Ronald Kass was a great physician. Maybe he was at one time? Maybe his quality has gone down hill? I don't know.

The thing of it is, if I do go back to Adventist Health Lodi Memorial, I don't know who I'm going to get because one, they shift their nurse practitioners around more than a hippy passes a joint. Also they go through physicians like tacos on a Tuesday. I'm certainly not going back to SJGH, because again you don't know who you're going to get - and in most cases it's not the actual physician.
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Re: Kbh209's CPAP questions and updates

Post by Pugsy » Wed Jul 01, 2020 4:54 pm

Well.....super passive you are and I understand Medicaid and the hurdles there.
At least the idiot wants a full data machine which the DreamStation Pro pretty much is and you won't be flying totally blind like you have been.

BUT....I would deal with the devil before I would deal with someone who blatantly lied to me but if you want to give him another chance that is certainly within your rights as a patient and human being.

Just make sure that they give you the Pro model....DO NOT accept the base CPAP model or else I will come find you an whoop your ass. :lol:

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kbh209
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Re: Kbh209's CPAP questions and updates

Post by kbh209 » Wed Jul 01, 2020 5:02 pm

Pugsy wrote:
Wed Jul 01, 2020 4:54 pm
Well.....super passive you are and I understand Medicaid and the hurdles there.
At least the idiot wants a full data machine which the DreamStation Pro pretty much is and you won't be flying totally blind like you have been.

BUT....I would deal with the devil before I would deal with someone who blatantly lied to me but if you want to give him another chance that is certainly within your rights as a patient and human being.

Just make sure that they give you the Pro model....DO NOT accept the base CPAP model or else I will come find you an whoop your ass. :lol:
October 31st, 2020 I will send an e-mail to Dr. Kass via the website portal, to put in for the prescription of the Pro model along with the heated tube for winter time, since that's usually when I get fluid build up in the mask. Putting the request in by e-mail is better than having to talk to him. . .it seems, grr. :roll:
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