Interesting DME situation

Julie wrote:If the issue is exhalation, then a bipap is not needed, just EPR (or A-flex) which are different names for the same feature on different machines.

EPR, AFLEX, CFLEX, or any kind of flex on a "CPAP" machine is limited in the pressure difference between inhale and exhale. A bilevel can have a higher difference between inhale and exhale pressures. BiPAP and VPAP are trademarks of different manufacturers for their own brand of bilevel.

EPR or FLEX are worth a try, but he may need bilevel. They're sort of the same thing, but a bilevel can go higher. Bilevel and the various flavors of EPR have different pressure waveforms and algorithms as well.

raylo wrote:The doctor seemed surprised when my dad said he wasn't happy with the machine he got, and seemed interested learn about the new Resmed S9 Auotset (my dad seemed to think the doc was talking like he did not know of such a machine). Dad showed the doc brochures of the S9 line that he had printed out from the Resmed web site.

Don't you sometimes just want to go see one of these doctors and offer them a REAL training session on what CPAP can do? And teach them how CPAP DMEs work?

If I ever get into this discussion with my doctor, I'm going to have to offer to give his whole office a training session on CPAP.

Julie wrote:If the issue is exhalation, then a bipap is not needed, just EPR (or A-flex) which are different names for the same feature on different machines.

BiPap is the ultimate in exhale relief and is indicated with heart and/or lung disease (as above) and certainly should be discussed, yes. I think the problem (here) is that cpap failure may be required by the insurance first but the doc should be moving in that direction and asking the patient about exhale problems.

IF doc/dme are in it for the money then you could see where they would want to max out the visits.

archangle wrote:

raylo wrote:The doctor seemed surprised when my dad said he wasn't happy with the machine he got, and seemed interested learn about the new Resmed S9 Auotset (my dad seemed to think the doc was talking like he did not know of such a machine). Dad showed the doc brochures of the S9 line that he had printed out from the Resmed web site.

Don't you sometimes just want to go see one of these doctors and offer them a REAL training session on what CPAP can do? And teach them how CPAP DMEs work?

If I ever get into this discussion with my doctor, I'm going to have to offer to give his whole office a training session on CPAP.

Aboslutely. I am amazed at the things I have personally heard and things I have read here.

waiting for next post