Help me pick out a machine

Hi all,
First of all I think this as an awsome place to find out info. As a matter of fact when I got my cpap machine I asked myRT how they could tell if the machine was working and if it was helping and she just kinda shrugged her shoulders. Well, after reading posts here I take it you can get a machine that will record your apneas and leaks, etc?
I have had my machine for almost 2 weeks. Do I have 30 days to exchange it for one that gives me that info? Will insusrance cover any machine? My insurance covered 100% of what I have now and so I would love to get one that tells me what is happening?

What machine do you guys recomend for having all of that info?

Right now I have a Philips Respironics REMStar Plus c-flex with a heated humidifyer, system one

your PR system one plus does not record anything useful for yourself - no record of how effective is the device itself. Avoid the Plus and the basic. Always get an auto...

I am in the same boat as you are. Trying to return a relatively new machine to get one that will give me data. I don't know about returning after two weeks, but I called my insurance company and they said that they cover *any* CPAP machine the same because the prescription just says "CPAP with warm air humidifier" - it didn't specify the machine that they gave me. So it depends on your insurance company but that was what mine said.

This link was helpful for me to find out which machines give you data (sorry I don't know how to put in actual link- it's a list from Rested Gal):

viewtopic.php?p=307168#p307168

Hopefully, others with more experience will chime in about returning the machine. I got mine on Thursday and when I mentioned to my RT on the phone that I wanted to return it she said that I needed to do it within this next week because it would get confusing with the charges to the insurance company and they might not be able to do the return if I wait too long.

pam933 wrote:This link was helpful for me to find out which machines give you data (sorry I don't know how to put in actual link- it's a list from Rested Gal):

viewtopic.php?p=307168#p307168

You did it fine, Pam. That's a clickable link in your post. Thanks.

sumr, welcome to the board. The easiest thing to do (if the DME...the home health supplies place that gave you that Plus machine) is to take the Plus back to them and ask them to swap it for the Philips Respironics System One REMstar Pro CPAP machine. The heated humidifier that came with your Plus machine will work with the Pro machine. All they'll have to swap is the CPAP machine itself.

Time is of the essence. It's more likely they'll do the swap (if they'll do it at all) during the first 30 days, as you suspected.

sumr wrote:Will insusrance cover any machine? My insurance covered 100% of what I have now and so I would love to get one that tells me what is happening?

The Plus and the Pro machines both fall under the same billing code E0601. Insurance will reimburse the DME the exact same amount for either machine. Both of them are CPAP machines, so it makes no difference to insurance which one, the Plus or the Pro, you're given. It will be up to the DME that gave you the Plus as to whether the DME is willing to make the swap when you ask them.

If the DME tells you the Pro is a more expensive machine and you'll have to pay the difference, I'd tell them, "Well, I'm going to check around and see if another home health care store is willing to give me the Pro machine instead of a Plus without charging me any extra. Would you mind checking with your supervisor, please, to see if we can just do a straight swap while I'm still here?"

All CPAP/APAP machines are billed to insurance at the same amount, regardless of their capabilities. That's why your insurance doesn't care. However, the DME will MAKE more profit by giving you the cheapest model it can. They will LIKELY tell you they provided what was prescribed (and they did...) Since your 'script doesn't specify anything more than a basic CPAP, that's what they are legally obligated for. If you ask, they MAY relent, and they may not. But time is of the essence.

If that doesn't work, your best bet is to convince your doc that you want to follow your progress and have him/her write a new 'script specifying exactly what you need/want.

That's what I did, about 3 weeks into therapy. My insurance does a rent-to-own deal, so the clock started over when I got my new machine. In other words, I (and my insurance) paid an additional month's "rent" before I owned it. But the upgrade has been worth every penny!

I would recommend you get an APAP if you can. It can be run in CPAP or APAP mode, so you have a choice if you find APAP works better for you. With a straight CPAP, you'll never really know. It looks like your DME uses Respironics, and I love my M-Series APAP w aflex. That one gives you all the data you need, a wide variety of therapy options, and the software to read/store the data is readily available (and can be really cheap... ) If you don't get the Auto, make sure you at least get the "Pro" model. It, too, is fully data capable. The Plus is not. (The M-series line is older than the brand-new System One. While is isn't the new kid on the block, there are plenty of M-series out there providing great therapy.)

You guys are soooooooo helpful!!!!! It is so overwhelming to learn about everything!!!!! I will check into all of that on Mon. Thank-you!!!!
So you are telling me to keep my humidifyer and get philips Respironics m-series apap with aflex. or m-series cpap pro?
What is aflex? and what exactly does the auto do?
I wish PT would have explained things better so people could get what they want!!!
Thank-you all again! I truely believe that I would be on my way of giving up if not for all of your help to me and reading everyone else's posts!!

Here is all the machines I’ve used:
http://www.sleepapneasymptom.medgrip.co ... chine.html
And here are all the masks:
http://www.sleepapneasymptom.medgrip.com/cpap_mask.html

I hope it’ll help.

sumr wrote:So you are telling me to keep my humidifyer

Yes, keep that.

sumr wrote:and get philips Respironics m-series apap with aflex. or m-series cpap pro?

Not an "M series." The Philips Respironics System One machine does not have the phrase "M series" in its name. M series were older models. The System One models are the newer models.

sumr wrote:What is aflex? and what exactly does the auto do?

An autopap can be set to use a range of pressures, varying the pressure throughout the night as needed.

Types of machines:
viewtopic.php?p=56836
"Whats the differences in BIPAP, XPAP, APAP, CFLEX"

Common abbreviations and definitions:
viewtopic.php?t=14902
"Learning lexicon of cpap terms"

Another very comprehensive glossary:
http://www.sandmansleep.com/resources/glossary.cfm

However, the DME is very likely to balk at swapping your Plus cpap for an Autopap. They would want a brand new prescription from your doctor for an "autopap" and they'd want the prescription to state the minimum - maximum pressures for the range to set. The doctor might balk at prescribing "autopap" when he has already prescribed "cpap" for you.

The DME is not as likely to balk about simply swapping "cpap" machines for you. And you'd not have to get a new prescription from the doctor to simply swap "cpap" machines.

Everything considered, I'd not worry about trying to get an "autopap." I'd just try to get the DME to swap the Philips Respironics System One Plus CPAP machine for a Philips Respironics System One Pro machine.