What is the advisability of purchasing a second machine?

Looking at a bipap machine on cpap auction. Looks like a pretty nice deal.

I have an almost 3 week old remstar auto m-series with c-flex so I probably will have the machine a while before it goes down.

Is there any point in buying some 'insurance' or might I do better investing in a back up battery?

The rule of life is, If you prepare for trouble, you will have less of it. Make smart choices buying used or new both have their downsides, but sometimes you just have to take chances. I've got back-ups for my back-ups. Jim

Backups are GOOD!

twocents wrote:Looking at a bipap machine on cpap auction. Looks like a pretty nice deal.

I have an almost 3 week old remstar auto m-series with c-flex so I probably will have the machine a while before it goes down.

Is there any point in buying some 'insurance' or might I do better investing in a back up battery?

Do you have a prescription for a "Bi-PAP" (or "Bi-Level") machine?
If you don't, you won't be able to buy one this way. (through normal, legitimate sources)

If you don't NEED a Bi-PAP, you could buy multiples of other machines for the same amount of money.

But, yes, I'm very much in favor of having backup machines. (You never know when "Murphy's Laws" will affect you)


Den

I have a co-worker those CPAP decided to die "half way" (needless to say it wasn't functioning correctly) He ended up in a war between the DME and the insurance company because the insurance company didn't want to replace it but repair it. Finally the doctor stepped in and wrote the guy a script for a new machine with updated features which he declared were medically nessary. This all took about a week and a half, and yes my co-worker was without his machine for that time.

This is one of the reasons I have a backup in the closet. The other reason is I can take the cheaper backup machine with me when I travel and leave my "good" machine all set up at home. I also have a backup hose, filters, mask and backup power source.

I don't have backups for my backups but I do a check of my backup equiptment once a month to make sure every thing is working and charged.

If you can afford it, it sure is nice to have a backup/travel xPAP. I know I love having that extra xPAP, both for the reassurance that if my regular xPAP dies, is broken or stolen, I have another at my fingertips but also because it is so nice to have the backup/travel xPAP sitting in its carry case w/mask, hose, etc., everything I need. I can just pick it up and walk out the door and when I get back home I can just put it back in the closet and fall into bed w/my regular xPAP. May be the heighth of laziness but it sure is nice and convenient!!!

I need a scrip for cpap auction?

I agree that a backup / travel CPAP is very nice to have. I use a basic, regular CPAP for everyday use, but I have autoPAPs that I use for standby, travel, and for occasionally checking my numbers.

It is also a good idea to have a battery for backup power.

Slinky wrote: May be the heighth of laziness but it sure is nice and convenient!!!

...laziness is good, I like laziness, too.

I have a backup and thinking about a backup for the backup.

It's my life.

I bought a back up with with a battery. I feel so much happier now when bad weather is forecast. I haven't had to use it yet. I think the reason we have had none of the usual power outages are directly related to my purchase.

Slinky wrote:If you can afford it, it sure is nice to have a backup/travel xPAP. I know I love having that extra xPAP, both for the reassurance that if my regular xPAP dies, is broken or stolen, I have another at my fingertips but also because it is so nice to have the backup/travel xPAP sitting in its carry case w/mask, hose, etc., everything I need. I can just pick it up and walk out the door and when I get back home I can just put it back in the closet and fall into bed w/my regular xPAP. May be the heighth of laziness but it sure is nice and convenient!!!

I agree completely with Slinky here. It's a luxury I really can't afford, but I did it because I also can't imagine being without a machine anymore if something happened to it. And I so love having a travel bag ready to go and put away without alot of hassle.

I still wonder how folks afford all this stuff, as both of my machines came out of my pocket, due to $2000 out of network deductible. That plus the fact that the insurance companies naturally don't want to pay for duplicate DME, no matter what our logic might be. My next investment will certainly be battery back-up, and I'll have to do a month's worth of searching here to read up on that again....

I bought a second “tank” REMstar Auto before they were all gone. I have an older version of Encore Pro, which will not work with the M Series machines, and I can’t imagine using XPAP without Encore Pro. I’ve been pleased with my tank.

I also recently bought a new computer with Windows XP in part because my copy of Encore Pro does not work with Vista.

I like having two machines. I paid for the second out of my own pocket, but I figure it was a bargain.

Wayne