New and confused. *UPDATED IN NEW THREAD*

[Rockin Mama]

SO the nurse to the PA called, and she wrote down EVERYTHING i said, and agreed with me 100%....And said that she will talk to the PA and call me back before 3 o'clock! I am super excited!

[SharkBait]

SO the nurse to the PA called, and she wrote down EVERYTHING i said, and agreed with me 100%....And said that she will talk to the PA and call me back before 3 o'clock! I am super excited!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Not just on this victory (hopefully), but more importantly on educating yourself so you would know you weren't receiving the best equipment that you are entitled to and how to take steps to remedy that. Again, congratulations!

[carbonman]

SO the nurse to the PA called, and she wrote down EVERYTHING i said, and agreed with me 100%... I am super excited!

RM, nothing to add to education you have recieved, so far.

Stand tall, and turn into the wind.

Do NOT back down.

It's your life.

It's my life.

All the best as the journey to your new life begins.

[Rockin Mama]

SO the nurse to the PA called, and she wrote down EVERYTHING i said, and agreed with me 100%....And said that she will talk to the PA and call me back before 3 o'clock! I am super excited!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Not just on this victory (hopefully), but more importantly on educating yourself so you would know you weren't receiving the best equipment that you are entitled to and how to take steps to remedy that. Again, congratulations!

You have no idea how empowered I feel right now.. I hope all goes well and my PA agrees with me that I should have a different machine.

[OutaSync]

Way to go, Rockin Mama!!! By the time your husband gets back from Korea, you will be a new woman!!

Bev (whose ex- husband came back from Korea with a new woman , but he was a turd and I'm sure your husband is not )

[OldLincoln]

Way to go, Rockin Mama!!! By the time your husband gets back from Korea, you will be a new woman!!

Bev (whose ex- husband came back from Korea with a new woman , but he was a turd and I'm sure your husband is not )

Wow Bev, why not tell us how you REALLY feel! (I don't blame you ). Most solders do come back to the same woman and are glad they did. However, by the time the first deployment is over, they will find a big change in her. All that time he was away, she has made the decisions and handled most of the things her man might have done before. She will certainly be more independent and confident and her man would be a fool not to appreciate that. I'm basing this more on my generation so may be out of touch today.

[goose]

...However, by the time the first deployment is over, they will find a big change in her. All that time he was away, she has made the decisions and handled most of the things her man might have done before. She will certainly be more independent and confident and her man would be a fool not to appreciate that....

Not to mention the changes that will be in him as well.....
At least he's not going to an active combat zone.....

I was not the same person when I came back from Vietnam as I was before I left...... 'nuff said!!!

Patience, tolerance and perseverance will be the watchwords.....I'm sure everything will work out fine!!!!!!
Good luck!! Let us know how things go -- on all accounts!!!
take care
cheers
goose

[Rockin Mama]

I am really feeling defeated, the people who gave me my machine (not my doctor its a completely different place that supplies oxygen/cpap machines) is telling me that i don't need the upgrade. My machine is up for rent until may, and at that point it is available for purchase. I am seriously getting flustered here, and i want to cry... its like they don't even want me to return it. I gave the girl all the info on how i need to keep my data, and she kept telling me that she could put a memory card in, and give me my data, and i told her that doesn't help me in the middle of a move when i probably won't get to see another specialist about my machine until late april AT the earliest. And that charting my data to give to the physician would help me have a better quality of care... she didn't give a rats doo doo butt HELP im losing my mojo here. She said she is going to forward my case to her office manager... WHAT can i say to prove my points?

[5aces]

Sleep Apnea changed me...

Divorce was the longest yard for sure though!

Prove it by non-compliance with CPAP is all.If you really can't use that model/mask-send it back.

Never say "I won't" always say "I'll try" and if it doesn't work let them know and change the equipment.

I had to suck on the old Fisher&Paykell with only onboard data and cheapest FF stock mask before I got my S8 Elite II with a Swift LT.

Keep Pushing for the good stuff.

[sepool]

The only thing that convinced my Dr. and his DME staff to let me go to another DME was the threat (and no bluff) that I would dump them and buy it all myself. I wanted a machine that his DME would not supply but I went to another, and keep the doctor at least.

[CollegeGirl]

I am really feeling defeated, the people who gave me my machine (not my doctor its a completely different place that supplies oxygen/cpap machines) is telling me that i don't need the upgrade. My machine is up for rent until may, and at that point it is available for purchase. I am seriously getting flustered here, and i want to cry... its like they don't even want me to return it. I gave the girl all the info on how i need to keep my data, and she kept telling me that she could put a memory card in, and give me my data, and i told her that doesn't help me in the middle of a move when i probably won't get to see another specialist about my machine until late april AT the earliest. And that charting my data to give to the physician would help me have a better quality of care... she didn't give a rats doo doo butt HELP im losing my mojo here. She said she is going to forward my case to her office manager... WHAT can i say to prove my points?

DON'T give up! First of all, she's lying to you (either that, or she's just plain uneducated) by telling you she could put a memory card into YOUR machine and get the kind of data you want. Regardless of what you put in it, your machine does not sense, track, or record helpful data, so you're not going to get any out of it.

Here's what I would do, if I were you. March down to the DME, machine in hand, stand firm, and say "Either YOU give me the ______ (insert machine you want here), or I'm returning this one to you, and getting a better one from a more helpful DME when I move in a few days." You could even say you've already got a nicer machine lined up at a DME in your new city, if you wanted to...up to you if you want to go for the little white lie or not.

[dsm]

I am really feeling defeated, the people who gave me my machine (not my doctor its a completely different place that supplies oxygen/cpap machines) is telling me that i don't need the upgrade. My machine is up for rent until may, and at that point it is available for purchase. I am seriously getting flustered here, and i want to cry... its like they don't even want me to return it. I gave the girl all the info on how i need to keep my data, and she kept telling me that she could put a memory card in, and give me my data, and i told her that doesn't help me in the middle of a move when i probably won't get to see another specialist about my machine until late april AT the earliest. And that charting my data to give to the physician would help me have a better quality of care... she didn't give a rats doo doo butt HELP im losing my mojo here. She said she is going to forward my case to her office manager... WHAT can i say to prove my points?

This lady may be confusing the situation. "she could put a memory card in" the S8 Escape doesn't record 'detailed data' so the card is all but useless as in an Escape the data card only records that the machine got used for x hrs (compliance). You want to record the nights 'detailed data' - hang in there RM

DSM

[rested gal]

Rockin Mama -- keep your mojo going. Call that snippy little gal back, take a deep breath, and be as pleasant as possible, but get these points across to her:

About this: "she kept telling me that she could put a memory card in, and give me my data,"

There is only one piece of data the Escape can put on a memory card -- hours of use. "Compliance."

The Escape does not record, nor put on a memory card, ANY data about AHI or leak. That is the kind of data you want to see on a regular basis to discuss your treatment with your doctor, and your doctor has ok'd your having a cpap machine that gives AHI and leak information. The Elite (and Elite II) will record that kind of data. The Escape will not.

I'd ask to speak to the "case manager", owner, store manager, whomever...but someone higher up than the girl you've been dealing with. I'd prepare a speech something like this to make my case to the higher-up:

"I know that the Escape and the Elite are both CPAP machines...the difference is that one (the Escape) records only hours of use, and the Elite records AHI and leak information as well as hours of use. Both are CPAP machines, and both are reimbursed the same, under exactly the same HCPS billing code for CPAP -- E0601."

"I really don't want to have to go back to my doctor and tell him (her) that someone at this store is refusing to provide the specific CPAP machine he (she) agrees I should have -- the Elite -- so that the doctor can receive AHI and leak data about my treatment. I don't want to cause you all trouble or get you flagged at the doctor's office as being uncooperative. You folks have been nice to me, and I'd like to remain as your customer.

"However, if this store isn't able to provide an Elite so that my doctor will be able to see AHI and leak information rather than just the hours-of-use compliance data which is all that the Escape can record onto a ResLink card, I'll have to give you back the Escape and do business with a DME that can fill my prescription with an Elite."

Before you say all that, check to see if there are other DME stores in your area that are "in network" with your insurance. If there are, be prepared to leave the Escape on the counter of the current DME and walk out.

With the economy the way it is, there are many DMEs who would welcome a new customer if the customer is still in the first month or two of machine rental. All you need to do is find out if there are other DME stores around there that your insurance works with.

[carbonman]

.. WHAT can i say to prove my points?

Do you have a copy of your sleep study???
If not, get it.

Do you have a copy of your RX?
If not, get it, in YOUR hand.

If the RX was not written for a data capable machine...
go to your dr. and have him write another.
Tell him, TELL him which machine to put on the RX.

Then, go to the DME and present the RX.
They have no choice but to fill it as written.

Your story is my story.

Do NOT back down.

Stand tall and turn into the wind.

[Georgio]

5 Aces is that you in the towel?

Maybe R. Momma needs to get a prescription for the specific machine that is most suitable for her at that pressure of 16. What would that be? She can get the "equipment specific" prescription from her sleep dr., or if he won't do it, she could get it from her primary care dr.. The DME will fork it right over to her if it is prescribed for her. What is the best machine based on her studies?

Georgio