Gearing up for war...

zart · Post by **zart** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 5:38 pm

What I don't understand is that the insurance company doesn't seem willing to listen to me about how much money we can both save by letting me get this through cpap.com.

chris, I'd do the auto if I could but I have to worry about cost if I end up having to pay for this myself. Won't the pro2 give me enough information to know if my setting (10) is working?

chrisp · Post by **chrisp** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 6:07 pm

Zart, About autos. Its hard to say what you are missing. You just have to experience it. You can get the GK 420E for $525 at cpap.com.. Just fork it over and be done with it. Or check out the package price . You may save a few $. https://www.cpap.com/productpage/1541

Its your $ and your life.

Life is too short for plain CPAP. Splurge on the auto. Its only $225 more. 1 monthes rent at an EVIL DME .

Cheers,

Chris

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:14 pm

Won't the pro2 give me enough information to know if my setting (10) is working?

Yes, Zart, it will. I prefer an autopap myself, but if I wanted to, I could take a straight cpap like the Remstar Pro 2 you mentioned, fiddle around with different pressure settings and figure out by looking at the software data (and going by how I felt in the mornings) what pressure works well for me.

As Chris said, though, for no more than it costs to get an autopap, you'd have a more versatile machine. One that would automatically make pressure adjustments throughout the night, night after night. Even if you found you did better on straight cpap, the autopap would let you do that, too. Any autopap can be run as a straight cpap at one single pressure - two machines in one.

zart · Post by **zart** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 5:44 pm

I know this thread has been dead for a while but I have some news to share. First, this is all so frustrating I could cry but the battle goes on...

My agency is going to a local doctor-owned insurance policy starting Aug 1, so I contacted them about my desire to own the Remstar Auto or Pro 2 and gave them what I thought was a good sales pitch for me to buy the machine through cpap.com and then reinburse me for a cost that I assured them would be less than the DME company I was renting from currently.

They said that they do not purchase machines from online, period. So it seems like that option is a dead end (although I still plan to give them figures to compare)

The good news is that they may consider switching DMEs and machines if I can get the sleep doctor to say that is what I need. How are the following for arguments? and do you all have more reasons I could use to justify having either one of those machines?

1. I live alone and have no one to check on me as I am sleeping.
2. Owning either of those machines/with software will give my doctor the information needed to assure that my treatment is effective.
3. Owning this type of machine may eliminate the necessity of having future sleep studies.
4. I am computer savvy and want to take a pro-active stance with my treatment.

Is there anything else I should say?

Here is the other thing the new insurance company told me... That I will have to get the sleep study information to them so that they can determine if I am elegible for this treatment in the first place under their criteria. Is that normal when a person's insurance company changes?

chrisp · Post by **chrisp** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 9:09 pm

Zart said....."Here is the other thing the new insurance company told me... That I will have to get the sleep study information to them so that they can determine if I am elegible for this treatment in the first place under their criteria. Is that normal when a person's insurance company changes? "
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Zart,
More reason to purchase online and be done with it . You've already lost nearly 2 weeks of therapy. Yes, cpap.com delivers...FAST .

I like the GK 420E myself... Software is cheap and easy to use. No smartcards needed. Comes with everything you need.

Cheers,

Chris

zart · Post by **zart** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 8:10 am

Believe me Chris if I had the money I would do as you suggest, but I work in social services and it's a hand to mouth existence for me with no changes, of a positive nature, to come anytime soon. In fact I will have to pay over $50 a month to keep insurance starting next month as well as the $1,500 deductible starting in January. Believe it or not this is better than the plan I have right now. I need this purchase to happen this year because I have met my deductible of $2,500 for this year. Don't ask how I plan to pay off the current debt of $2,500.

Maybe with all the extra energy I hope to get from this treatment I can get a part time job and...

Ah well, I will continue the war and hope at least for a better machine than I have now.

m_l · Post by **m_l** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 9:24 am

Hang in there zart, don't give up the fight.

Good Luck
Mike

zart · Post by **zart** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 9:42 am

Thanks Mike, I am hanging in with this, I know this treatment is helping me. It is just frustrating that I don't have financial flexibility right now. I refuse to get myself in credit card debt. I'm too old for that, I'd never get out.

chrisp · Post by **chrisp** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 3:13 pm

Just beware of all the hidden costs of purchasing from a DME .

:twis ted: