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Slinky,

Thanks for answering my query. At least while the automobile plants were there, the UAW contract apparently included medical benefits for the State.

Slinky wrote:I'd guess that the good healthcare benefits that the UAW had negotiated w/the automobile industry had a lot to do w/the abundance of sleep centers and other medical facilities in Michigan.

It is tragic for your State and the nation to have the auto industries in the condition they are. I had read that Michigan had an unemployment rate that was staggering.

Slinky wrote:In the 80s GM had 7 Steering Gear plants (now Delphi), 3 foundries and at least 2 other plants in Saginaw, Michigan. In addition, Saginaw had a good size Eaton Mfg complex and Wickes Corp. In the 70s just two of the GM foundries employed 7800 UAW workers. Now there is ONE foundry w/400 hourly and 100 salary workers

In our part of the Western States, we are experiencing unemployment, especially in construction. But nothing like the figures you quote. We all hope for better times ahead. Jan

Yeah, well you heard what the foreign buyers of Saturn in Tennessee told the workers didn't you?? Your wages are cut in half and there will be no benefits. Take it or leave it. But we keep selling off this country to foreign interests.

Hey Grandmma
As usual your post is a "Hoot" I hope that translates well in to Australian slang -

grandmma wrote:Wow Jan, I agree with Slinky - that's one colourful and probably unique history there! Not to make light of it, but now it's over do you laugh when re-reading it? - does sound like an episode of keystone cops! I can honestly say I feel better now - makes my experience seem rather tame.

I bet I am like you - I laugh a lot, mostly at myself and the dumb things that happen. My DH is a respectable type guy - and it
was hard on him to be married to a person who follows the rules when she wants to - now he laughs both at me and with me.

grandmma wrote:When sleep apena was confirmed, I saw a sleep specialist. This doctor charged me $240 for 12 minutes, of which only $110 was refunded on medicare. Gave me little or no information at all. I was disgusted, and after titration never went back, found this forum, and just moved forward. It'll be a cold day in hell before I step foot in his surgery again - this forum is the only sleep specialist I need.

You are another grandma who speaks her mind - I like reading your posts, you tell it like it is.

grandmma wrote:Titration was in a local private hospital, in a very run down and ordinary room

grandmma wrote:the mask leaked all night. I did not sleep a wink, the bed was shocking - no problem to him clearly at all. The sleep centre I was referred to subsequently for ongoing treatment was less than thrilling also - by law they advised I had to purchase the trial mask, no fitting at any stage. After finding this forum, I went back & demanded they keep swapping masks until I found one I could wear - which as it turns out was the full 3 months trial period. I'd have eliminated a lot of those if they'd

Grandmma, I would have enjoyed seeing you demand your rights. Good for you.

I think the funny stories about sleep studies are more interesting to read, than the regular types. When I see your thread or posts, I know I will enjoy reading them. The Best to you Jan

Thanks Jan - I agree, we appear to be very similarly minded. Rules ARE made to be broken right? Otherwise, where's the fun and what's the point?!!

And yes, in Aussie we also say things are "a hoot", and I do get it! Didn't think you'd mind me laughing at your experiences (in retrospect only, of course, it's rarely funny at the time).

Love reading your posts also, keep 'em coming!

SaltLakeJan wrote: ... My DH is a respectable type guy - and it was hard on him to be married to a person who follows the rules when she wants to - now he laughs both at me and with me. ...

Ahhh, Jan. My hubby is a Maine-iac, and much like yours, respectable type, etc. There have been times in our marriage where he has been just livid with ...... and then all of a sudden he bursts out laughing and says: "Life has NEVER been boring since I met you!". Life's never been boring for me either. But he keeps me grounded fairly well so I'm not in deep water anywhere near as much as before I met him.

Slinky,

I couldn't resist answering you. So you got one of those respectable type guys too. Did you have a hard-time breaking him in? My poor guy really suffered with some of my antics. But he got even - not deliberately, but my family wasn't into risk-taking activities. I have been boating in gale force winds, had more adventures with him as a pilot then I thought we both would live through. I was a reluctant para-sailor in Mexico.

He had to give up his pilots license when he had open-heart surgery, and we live pretty sedately now.

Like you:

Slinky wrote:he keeps me grounded fairly well so I'm not in deep water anywhere near as much as before I met him. ...

And also like you, I wouldn't have passed-up life with a down-to-earth, respectable man like him for anything.

Jan

Slinky --

For the record, Saturn is being purchased by The Penske Group, which is not foreign.

And the former Saturn assembly plant in Spring Hill, TN now makes the Chevy Traverse SUV, and was not included in the sale.

Thanks for the correction, John. It would be nice to see the Penske upper echelon's salary and compensation cut in half. Is this the Penske company that rents trucks, etc?

I prefer the at home study with the equipment they give you for an overnight test. That was you avoid a sleep clinic and at least 2 trips to the doctor.

Hi billy6

I checked on several Home Sleep Studies today. It seems you have to know exactly what you want to get a realistic image of your own sleep apnea issues. One Home Test only offers a clip that attaches to your lower lip. Using this clip, they record the breaths, and pauses that a person makes. This is all that is monitered.

Home Sleep Tests in Britian are a reality. I copied from a British Web Site offering sleep Tests.

"If you suspect you have sleep apnoea you will probably visit your GP and ask for a referral to a specialist consultant. It may then, but not always, be recommend you have a sleep study. This however, may be easier said than done. NHS waiting times for investigations are currently averaging 131 days which is unacceptable to most patients."

The wait of 131 days for a sleep apnea test, is under British Universal Health Care. I have to wonder, if the current administrations plans for a universal health coverage would include length wait times for simple proceedures, what would happen for complex surgeries?

Britian can offer a comphrensive Home Sleep Test including the following tests.
Blood oxygen saturation
Heart rate/pulse
Body movement and position
Oral & nasal airflow
Snoring sound data & wave form
Patient events
Time
Re-playable & calibrated data
Plethysmography
CPAP pressure
There is no need for a referral, you can have your sleep study at a time when it is convenient to you, and in the comfort of your own home. We will download the information the next day and a written report will be available within 2-3 days. Regardless of whether sleep apnoea is present or not, we will make recommendations as to treatment options. Should you wish, we will also provide the treatment. The charge for the overnight sleep study and report is £235.00. Your private and confidential sleep study report can also be sent to your GP if you wish."

To buy a British pount cost #198.00 US. Dollars. The British sleep Test would Cost approximately $470.00 In U. S. Dollars. Jan

To tell you the truth, I'm not sure exactly what my at home test covered, but Australia is very comprehensive in this regard also.

I had to clip or belt attachments all over, similar to but not as many as titration. As I have fake nails, I attached the finger clip to my ear (not painful, although it sounds it ). Can't remember what it was for, but that one was crucial to the results, so I was pleased that worked. I know the results covered many if not all of the above, and did provide a very detailed report, from which they determined that I did have sleep apnea, the number of episodes, snore factor, etc. From there I saw the specialist, and straight to titration.

Simple, cheaper and easier. But a clip attaching to your lower lip? One, ouchies, and two, not much info gained there by the sounds of it!

Hello Again Grandmma,
When I checked on the Home Sleep Agnes Tests in USA, they are just getting started in some areas & DME's are getting interested. That may sound negative due to some people's bad experiences with DME's, but I read some Medicare Guidelines, and they have a certain number of items they have to cover. Probably much like you had in Australia.

I had wanted to ask how you like the Government run Universal Care? I have friends in Canada who do not like it. Our friend had to wait a year for open heart surgery, & his buddy died while waiting for his. We are probably headed for it, and I read an article that said to cover all the millions who are uninsured, care will have to be rationed.

Grandmma, guess what ages are going to be rationed, according to this article? All those of retirement age.

Ouch, that's me. Said that over a given age, if you get Breast Cancer, no treatment will be given . . . Does your system do that. Jan

Hiya Jan, I'm not an expert on this, and other Aussies feel free to correct me, but here goes...

Everyone in Australia (Australian residents anyway, I'm not sure of that criteria) is entitled to free medical care. Pretty basic hospital accommodation sometimes, but good care nevertheless. You do not get your choice of doctor or hospital, and with the current waiting lists for some services or surgeries, it could be a while - up to 2 years or more - before you are attended to surgery-wise. But there are no payment gaps, I believe the government pays for all.

So we have the option of taking out private insurance. This ensures you get your choice of surgeon and hospital, with significantly less waiting time for surgery. Specialists, that's another matter, there can be a significant waiting time, but they do ask up front if you have private cover, so I suspect they're screening time-wise. The private fund will only pay so much, the surgeons and hospitals all have a different idea of what is chargeable, and there are sometimes very sizeable gaps between what you pay and what you are reimbursed. You are supposed to be entitled to a private hospital room on the top cover, as I am, but I've never been able to score that either! You can be referred by your fund to a doctor and hospital with minimum gap, but I guess whether or not you wish that would depend on the situation.

This private cover can also cover optical, physio, dental, etc. CAN. Mine does not cover CPAP (surprise) and many other items. If it did, it would be a once in a blue moon benefit anyway (5 years I think). Went to the dentist last year, got back about 10% of the bill. Bought new glasses last month, over $700, and they gave me $45! Supposed to be a pair a year, but apparently they've changed that to 2 years (?). So you can pay a lot, and get very little back, as is my case. I'm intending to cut down to hospital only, no extras. I pay $121 a month, and get $45 back! Don't claim anything other than dental and glasses, so am pretty frustrated myself, to say the very least.

Grandmma, guess what ages are going to be rationed, according to this article? All those of retirement age.

For this very reason, I'm intending to retain hospital cover. It does cut down on waiting time. But once I retire (if ever), it could be a different story if I cannot afford to continue it. Don't intend to ever retire, but you never know what fate has in store....!

Said that over a given age, if you get Breast Cancer, no treatment will be given . . .

That's barbaric. Won't legalise euthanasia or the right to opt out of intense and pointless pain - not for humans anyway - and then decide that those with breast cancer won't be assisted. Don't want to start world war III here, but sounds like a contradiction to me! Do as I say, not do as I do? I don't think we've any evidence of that, but I do think that the elderly would wait longer for assistance, and many do die waiting, yes. Amounts to the same thing, but whether it's the system or the age of the patient, I'm not sure.

Having said all that, the squeakiest wheel definitely gets the oil. My elderly aunt is pushy, but a charmer. They love her. She wheedles and cajoles her way to the top specialists, surgeries, and hospitals, with little waiting time, and all on the public purse.

SaltLakeJan wrote:georgepds;

Good point about the sleep lab not being comfortable with all the attached wires
...
Did you get a good pressure reading from your sleep test? Jan

Yes I did. I only went to the sleep lab twice: once for diagnosis,and once to determine the pressure settings on the Bipap. Like many of us, I had a hard time getting used to the device. After about 1/2 year, I found this group and started to work out the problems ( leaks, rain out, tying myself in knots with the tube)

For about 1/2 year now I've been using the device without problem. For me, diagnostic pressure was not the problem, getting used to the device was the problem

--G

Hi ya back Grandmma,

Oh my Gosh, I hope if USA gets a type of Universal Health Care - it is better than what you have.

"

grandmma wrote:Everyone in Australia (Australian residents anyway, I'm not sure of that criteria) is entitled to free medical care . You do not get your choice of doctor or hospital, and with the current waiting lists for some services or surgeries, it could be a while - up to 2 years or more - before you are attended to surgery-wise.

You do have the option for private coverage, and you say you pay $121.00 per month.

grandmma wrote:This private cover can also cover optical, physio, dental, etc. CAN. Mine does not cover CPAP (surprise) and many other items. Went to the dentist last year, got back about 10% of the bill. Bought new glasses last month, over $700, and they gave me $45! So you can pay a lot, and get very little back! Don't claim anything other than dental and glasses, so am pretty frustrated myself, to say the very least.

That seems unfair. it is good to know what people in other countries have, helps us in USA to appreciate what we have - while we have it. Keep that spunky attitude Grandmma, that's what make you unique.
Jan