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Then we're agreed.

You'll continue to make untrue statements. I'll continue to correct them.

And I won't bother to ask for justification as apparently it makes you angry when you have none.

Have a swell day.

Excuse me while I freshen up:

Then we're agreed.

You'll continue to make untrue statements. I'll continue to correct them.

And I won't bother to ask for justification as apparently it makes you angry when you have none.

Have a swell day.

I will continue to make true statements, and you will continue to do what you do.
I guess you will continue to get pissy about it, and correct information that is already correct.

Have a swell day, yourself.

I started this thread with a serious comment about Resmed's foolish policy of making software difficult or impossible to get for the patient who monitors their own therapy. You turned it into your own personal circus. I stand by what i said--Resmed and Respironics are wrong for what they are doing. If you choose to correct me on that, I guess I can live with your misstatements.

-SWS wrote:

hobbs wrote:

Let's all click to the lobby:


Coming attractions:


Oops! Time to return:

Did you know that -SWS spelled backwards is SWS- ?

Back to my original topic (before Link hijacked it and made it a personal thing back and forth): Resmed made a stupid decision, and we should react accordingly. How can patients actively participate in their own therapy w/o software? Why make it difficult for people who already have problems with compliance and treatment? The "big two--Resmed and Respironics" are not making decisions to help people who suffer from OSA.

Autopapdude wrote: I stand by what i said--Resmed and Respironics are wrong for what they are doing. If you choose to correct me on that, I guess I can live with your misstatements.

I already have...twice! They aren't "wrong" from a business standpoint, they are providing exactly what their customer-base (DMEs) wants. You apparently based YOUR opinion on the unsubstantiated notion that those CPAPers who collect their own data and avoid DMEs are the majority.

The circus train pulled in when I dared to ask why you thought that and you went...well, you know. Sorry, I thought the topic was open for discussion. I didn't know you had special rules for YOUR threads, Great Oz. Silly me.

autopapdude wrote

How can patients actively participate in their own therapy w/o software? Why make it difficult for people who already have problems with compliance and treatment? The "big two--Resmed and Respironics" are not making decisions to help people who suffer from OSA.

I agree with Autopapdude's summary. Respironics, for example, had many opportunities to design their machines to be "user friendly" and "user helpful" and at negligible additional costs. They decided not to as their customer, DMEs and Sleep Drs, do not want a knowledgeable user. Keeping the user "dumb" means they are in control and have many more opportunities for a bigger payday. By by not providing reporting software to the user, R & R guarantee that the user will remain "dumb" about their CPAP-enabled therapy.

I failed CPAP therapy in 2006 as I was provided with a Respironics Plus that reported only blower hours (no leak, AHI, etc., reporting via an LCD or software). I succeeded with CPAP therapy this year as I fought for and received a Respironics M-Series APAP which DOES provide full data reporting. With EncorePro and card reader, I monitored my therapy, learned from this forum, made changes/corrections, and observed what worked and what didn't. In two months, I had my leak rate under control and my weekly AHI was less than 1.

I am relatively new to CPAP (June 09) and I went into it completely blindbut it doesn't surpise me that Resmed is trying to limit consumers access to products. Resmed seems to believe that the "free market" should have its limits when it comes to consumers.
I have recently learned that my insurance company has been renting my machine - Resmed Autoset II. I was under the impression that the provider (Respracare/Lincare) had looked into my insurance - she told me what the coverage schedule was for parts such as tubes, mask cushions, et. BC/BS just sent me an EOB stating that I had met my yearly cap for durable medical goods and that I would be responsible for any future rental and parts costsduring the current benefit period.
The machine is billed out at $319/month. BC/BS "allows" only $95 and under Massachusetts law the local provider cannot balance bill and their agreement with BC/BS says they cannot bill me any less than the amt billed to them (as opposed to the "allowed" amount.) So to continue my CPAP therapy I must pay the $319 rental fee and the full purchase price of parts. I was also informed by BC/BS that they would have purchased the machine outright (up to my durable equipment cap). After looking on line I found that I could purchase the same machine for under $700. (even at the $95/mo allowed rate BCBS was being way overcharged.)
I cannot afford to pay those rates so I am returning my machine today. I thought that when my new benefit period started (next July), I would get a new script and order a machine online. Through surfing the web today I find that Resmed won't allow internet distributors to sell their machines (at least the ones that offer them at reasonable prices). So now will I not only not deal with Respracare I will not have anything to do with Resmed.
It behooves the consumer to express their disatisfaction in a way that these corporations will notice. I may be only one consumer but I intend to let my experiences be known. If I had been more proactive in the beginning I would now own my machine and still be getting treatment.
Thanks Resmed!

Keeping the patient dumb may be part of the Big 2s business strategy, but it is a very short sighted strategy. Think about it...uneducated, uninformed patients are MUCH more like to have unsuccessful treatment and quit using the CPAP. One machine bought and done. A smart, educated, patient on the other hand who becomes a successful user, will buy 1 machine every 5 years or so. If I live as long as I hope to, I could potentially purchase 8 more machines. Plus all the masks, etc that go along with it.

One and done isn't a good business model for the DMEs either. I've been in retail, and repeat customers are the backbone of any successful business.

Who's dumb now???

cinco777 wrote: ........ Keeping the user "dumb" means they are in control and have many more opportunities for a bigger payday. .......

Is that true or is it just the very incorrect and short-sighted view of Respironic's management? To withhold features that will make the product more effective is very poor decision making. The more effective you make your product, the greater the market for it will be. The management must have a basic misunderstanding of businesses and markets.

Or maybe the management is dealing with onerous regulations and making rational decisions given that the regulations exist.

For the time being, it remains a mystery to me. So do doctors who don't encourage their patients to monitor data.

Or maybe the management is dealing with onerous regulations and making rational decisions given that the regulations exist.

A Respironics example, not related to providing software to the user, of keeping the user "dumb" is the Respironics continuing design of ONLY providing 7-day averages and 30-day averages on the LCD of their data capable machines. Every knowledgeable user realizes that a 1-day average (single night) is MUCH MORE USEFUL in monitoring their CPAP-enabled therapy. It would not have cost Respironics one more penny to provide a 1-day (single night) average and a 7-day average (and toss the 30-day average as it is the least useful of the bunch).

I have not seen a regulation that says that Respironics CANNOT provide a 1-day average (single night usage).

rooster wrote:So do doctors who don't encourage their patients to monitor data.

What about doctors who encourage (REQUIRE!) patients to let THEM monitor the data and prescribe changes? While continually billing, of course... The treatment is just as effective. And more in line with what patients expect from a doctor. But results in a lot more BMW payments.

resmeddefector wrote:Through surfing the web today I find that Resmed won't allow internet distributors to sell their machines (at least the ones that offer them at reasonable prices). So now will I not only not deal with Respracare I will not have anything to do with Resmed.
It behooves the consumer to express their disatisfaction in a way that these corporations will notice. I may be only one consumer but I intend to let my experiences be known. If I had been more proactive in the beginning I would now own my machine and still be getting treatment.
Thanks Resmed!

I honestly think the issue here is with the DME, not Resmed. I don't like Resmed's software policy, but its machines appear to be available directly to the public on cpap.com. An S8 Elite II with humidifier is under $500, which is sure less than my insurer paid.

ScrappinMom wrote: Think about it...uneducated, uninformed patients are MUCH more like to have unsuccessful treatment and quit using the CPAP.

If they are left on their own, I agree. They are also unlikely to get the software and take charge.

But if their DME is reading their card and their doctor is monitoring their therapy why are they "much more likely" to quit?

Sure, many of us read our cards/LEDs every morning...but how often does that result in a change? Do we really NEED to for good therapy? A competent doctor can keep you in effective therapy with quarterly or semi-annual monitoring. I would guess that's what the vast majority of CPAP patients do. And they are just as likely to buy new machines/masks as WE are.

Oops, screwed up quote -- see next page. Sorry!