Resmed Price Increase

unadog · Post by **unadog** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 6:45 pm

OK, I was talking with my DME about a new ResMed Activa. The older one I have is too noisy.

Alternatives from other manfactures?

coreyg · Post by **coreyg** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 6:52 pm

unadog wrote:Yes, thanks! Nice discussion. I had linked to the "raw" case decision.

The Supreme Court recently overruled the longstanding rule that a manufacturer can never directly agree with a distributor to set a minimum price that the distributor can charge for the manufacturer's products. In Leegin Creative Leather Products, Inc. v. PSKS, Inc., the Supreme Court ordered lower courts to evaluate these minimum pricing agreements (or vertical price restraints) according to the "rule of reason" rather than strictly prohibiting such agreements. Under the new ruling, agreements that courts decide serve a pro-competitive purpose do not violate federal antitrust law. The Court's 5-4 decision, intended to bring the law into step with the thinking of today's economists, clears up years of seemingly contradictory precedent and confusing legal loopholes. Still, it remains to be seen how lower courts will determine when minimum pricing agreements will be permitted.

Thanks for pulling that out. My eyes were crossed before I got half way down the first page of the "raw" case.

-Corey

preemiern · Post by **preemiern** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 7:40 pm

isn't this the same thing Resmed pulled a few years ago, and then the prices did come back down and the online suppliers were again allowed to sell for cheaper?

jules · Post by **jules** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 8:01 pm

I suspect ResMed is learning however and each time it gets more "powerful".

BPFLOYD · Post by **BPFLOYD** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 12:03 am

snip...
The purpose of ResMed's US Internet Selling Policies is to promote and support a high level of patient service and care now and in the future...
We are aware that the quality of patient care varies from dealer to dealer. In the future, we are concerned that some dealers may sacrifice patient care in order to cut costs. The risks are especially high with Internet dealers, as the Internet can allow dealers to be anonymous and shield them from patient complaints. For example, we have already been contacted by patients who have ordered equipment online and received damaged products but had no one to call to correct the problem. We have also heard from patients who bought equipment online but were not told how to use it. We want to do what we can to protect patients from these situations, and our Internet policies were designed for that purpose.

Read it all here;
http://www.resmed.com/us/dealers/intern ... nc=dealers

Nothing about phone sales... bah

pam933 · Post by **pam933** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 6:07 am

I was going to ask my doc for a prescription for the S8 Elite II or the S9 Elite (or auto if she will do that). Right now I don't have a machine at all. Is there another brand that is comparable to those? Quiet, with all the data, and maybe the climate control? I only used the Escape for 3 days so I don't know what the most important things are but I figure that if I'm going to be using this for at least 5 years I want to get one that makes compliance easy.

Thanks!

DreamDiver · Post by **DreamDiver** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 6:50 am

BPFLOYD wrote:Read it all here;
http://www.resmed.com/us/dealers/intern ... nc=dealers

Nothing about phone sales... bah

Let's slice the statistics another way: can we compare the number of complaints ResMed got regarding crummy service at DME's with the number of complaints they get from internet distributors?

The statement's language simply enables a patient-crippling and DME-crippled system that is obviously not working. It's flagrant price protection - and worse - it crosses international borders. Surely there will be some form of class-action in their future.

Arizona-Willie · Post by **Arizona-Willie** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:57 am

Mr. Goodman should get together with the other online cpap dealers and file a restraint of trade class action suit against Resmed.

But, before even doing that, they should return all Resmed inventory and write Resmed and inform them they are dropping Resmed as a supplier.

Online retailers possibly make up as much as 10% of Resmed sales ( possibly more ) and that would get their attention.

A lawsuit would not only get their attention but cost them money to defend and they would < possibly > lose depending on the judges that hear the case.

But, at a minimum they should refuse to carry Resmed products anymore.

KatieW · Post by **KatieW** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 9:05 am

pam933 wrote:I was going to ask my doc for a prescription for the S8 Elite II or the S9 Elite (or auto if she will do that). Right now I don't have a machine at all. Is there another brand that is comparable to those? Quiet, with all the data, and maybe the climate control? I only used the Escape for 3 days so I don't know what the most important things are but I figure that if I'm going to be using this for at least 5 years I want to get one that makes compliance easy.

Thanks!

There is this one: https://www.cpap.com/cpap-machine/fishe ... -cpap.html

but I don't know anything about it. I have only used ResMed, 1st the S8 AutoSet II, and now the S9 AutoSet. The S8 was quiet, had good data, both on the lcd and software. But the S9 is even quieter, has more data, plus Climate Control, which works beautifully. If you have had problems with rainout, I would recommend the S9's Climate Control.

If you can get it, I think the AutoSet is preferable to the Elite, because it gives the option of using cpap (fixed pressure) or apap (auto within a set range). You may prefer one or the other, but will have the option of either one, that way.

Good luck to you, welcome to the forum.

fiberfan · Post by **fiberfan** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 12:12 pm

pam933 wrote:I was going to ask my doc for a prescription for the S8 Elite II or the S9 Elite (or auto if she will do that). Right now I don't have a machine at all. Is there another brand that is comparable to those?

On paper the PR System One looks similar to the S9. I have no experience with either though I am trading my S8 auto for a S9 auto later today.

You might ask for a more generic prescription. Make sure the prescription is for a machine that records AI, AHI and leak rates. If the doctor writes a prescription for an auto, the prescription can't be filled with a cpap though a cpap prescription can be filled with an auto.

pam933 · Post by **pam933** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 2:55 pm

In order to get an auto using a CPAP prescription does the prescription have to include a range for the auto?

(I just talked to my doctor and she doesn't even want me to have a machine that will give me data so there's no way she's going to rewrite my script for an auto or give me a range. I feel so defeated by this whole process that I just want to get a machine with the basic data and be done with it, but if I can get an auto I might as well.) I know I'll want to get a new doctor later on, but I just don't have the energy right now.

6PtStar · Post by **6PtStar** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 3:08 pm

pam933 wrote:In order to get an auto using a CPAP prescription does the prescription have to include a range for the auto?

(I just talked to my doctor and she doesn't even want me to have a machine that will give me data so there's no way she's going to rewrite my script for an auto or give me a range. I feel so defeated by this whole process that I just want to get a machine with the basic data and be done with it, but if I can get an auto I might as well.) I know I'll want to get a new doctor later on, but I just don't have the energy right now.

Have him write the script for an auto set to straight cpap and set to your one pressure. That is the nice thing about autos they can be set to run in both modes. You can switch to auto mode once a year to see if you pressure is still correct. You can fix the rest.

Jerry

jnk · Post by **jnk** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 3:41 pm

pam933 wrote: In order to get an auto using a CPAP prescription does the prescription have to include a range for the auto?

No. CPAP and APAP (or, auto) are the same insurance code. So insurance doesn't care which you get. A CPAP Rx is good enough for getting an auto.

pam933 wrote: (I just talked to my doctor and she doesn't even want me to have a machine that will give me data so there's no way she's going to rewrite my script for an auto or give me a range. I feel so defeated by this whole process that I just want to get a machine with the basic data and be done with it, but if I can get an auto I might as well.) I know I'll want to get a new doctor later on, but I just don't have the energy right now.

As long as you have that CPAP Rx in your hand (and you should have a copy of it) and you have a list of DMEs in your area that your insurance will deal with, then you have all you need to shop around to find a DME that will give you an auto. Or you can buy a machine yourself online if you are not going the insurance route.

jeff

araminta · Post by **araminta** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 5:55 pm

Wulfman wrote:Like Jim (Goofproof) said.......vote with your wallet/checkbook/credit card......
I made up my mind about 5 years ago that I would never own a ResMed machine. (and they won't get any more of my money for masks, either)

Den

Just curious, D.
As someone who's been involved with SA only for a year now, I don't have the history that you do. What made you come to that conclusion 5 years ago? What happened back then?

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 6:04 pm

araminta wrote:
Wulfman wrote:Like Jim (Goofproof) said.......vote with your wallet/checkbook/credit card......
I made up my mind about 5 years ago that I would never own a ResMed machine. (and they won't get any more of my money for masks, either)

Den
Just curious, D.
As someone who's been involved with SA only for a year now, I don't have the history that you do. What made you come to that conclusion 5 years ago? What happened back then?

They started their "heavy handed" tactics back then. They prohibited their sellers from selling equipment outside of the countries in which they were located. ie. selling equipment to users in Canada when the seller was in the U.S.
Each year they add something more to it. They hate the Internet sellers and try to protect the brick & mortar DMEs. The Internet sellers' prices are sticking out like a sore thumb to not only the end users but to those who set prices for these items to be sold through insurance and Medicare. I also think this latest attempt is to set higher prices to protect the DMEs with regard to insurance reimbursement.

The whole thing stinks.

Den

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