DME nightmare(S)

LSAT wrote:I hope you are not doing all this posting while you are driving over the road ...34 posts in 2 days

LMAO

GumbyCT wrote:

123.Shawn T.W. wrote: Even in this very thread you can read "get the 60" type posts ... But now that I've actually stood my ground I'm foolish! I don't understand.

I am willing to bet if you call them back ask if they might even throw in a heated hose for you if you take the 550. The covering on the heated hose may be enuff you won't need heat each nite. Plus even if it is a DC powered heated hose (I don't know either way) you likely won't use it the majority of time. Have you checked CL to see if any 60's are for sale there?

As akcpapguy said just trying to help you make an informed decision. Consider that whoever made recommendations maybe did NOT know about the DC cord for the 60. I know I did NOT. All I recommended was Respironics, thinking PRS1 and I know I have made DC cords to fit the older models of Respironics and they were ALL the same.

I have zero experience with the 60 or IQ series machines.

I also have no experience with the 60-series, but based on Shawn's previous comments, it sounds like an integrated heated hose makes the most sense for his situation.

Needless to say, I was surprised as Gumby was to read that the DC power jack on the DS560 is different from the rest of the DS500 series. That's Phillips' management for you, gotta protect the old revenue stream. They did EXACTLY the same thing with Norelco. Decades of using the same power supply and connector, then suddenly a different connector for every model even though the output voltage is identical.

As far as the DC-DC power cable is concerned, DIY it! The official cable is just a couple connectors with two ferrite beads and a fuse stuck to the end.

GumbyCT wrote:

LSAT wrote:I hope you are not doing all this posting while you are driving over the road ...34 posts in 2 days

LMAO

LSAT,
READ the first post, hopefully you will be able sleep better now ... I made it to Ontario, OR, after stopping for fuel ...

Diver,

I think that akc is right about the difference between the two models as far as the power requirements go.

From a legal perspective, I can see the NEED to cover their butt ... As in somebody has an old power supply (either AC or DC) and hooks it up to the new 60 ... Well if your trying to draw 80 watts through a setup designed for only 60 watts ... First of all your probably gonna have problems with the 60 working right ... Secondly, and more importantly the power supply could over heat and cause a fire! So they made it "idiot proof" so it can not be just casually or mistakenly put together, and somebody dies in their sleep ...

Of course, the first DME knew you were an OTR truck driver.
They no doubt thought they had you over a barrel.
It is always best to remain calm when juggling rattlesnakes.

Yes, I agree ... BTW I'm still working with the first DME, who also did my two sleep studies.

Yesterday while on the phone the RT I talked to, who also is the manager there, tried to tell me that he'd have to check with BCBS about the heated humidifier, as it is considered a comfort devise ... and this one was VERY expensive. I told him that I had already checked with my ins, and they pay off from billing codes, and quoted him the billing code for an HH, and told him that my Dr had prescribed it, so they would pay what ever the contract said ... He was very quiet ... So I reassured him that it would be fine! He then told me he would have to check with the big manager of their company (Arête / Stars) up in Phoenix ...

However, I will give credit where credit is due ... He is the only person so far (other than people here on the forum) that has told me of the dangers of sleep apnea, and explained the lack of breathing leads to low 02 in blood which then causes heart problems and could lead to stroke or diabetes ... For that I applaud Frank!

You are lucky; a dedicated, intelligent tech is not necessarily a fixture of your local DME.
Patient care is too often a low priority.
I hope for your sake they recognize the value of his contribution.

akcpapguy wrote: Yes i posted those from my phone a few minutes ago so didn't label them.....but you are correct that is exactly what it looks like and we did infact try one at one of the Radio Schack's. However the "wire" portion in the middle of the cable connection was too large in diameter for the CPAP.

I'm not a wire/cable guy, but ... If the center wire which is too large is made of copper, it should be fairly easy to reduce its diameter before assembling the end on by spinning it in between your fingers on one hand while holding the copper portion pinched between some 220 grit sand paper ... Until it is reduced to proper size/gauge.

123.Shawn T.W. wrote:However, I will give credit where credit is due ... He is the only person so far (other than people here on the forum) that has told me of the dangers of sleep apnea, and explained the lack of breathing leads to low 02 in blood which then causes heart problems and could lead to stroke or diabetes ... For that I applaud Frank!

So Frank ordered your equipment "Priority" and had it shipped "Overnight" so as to NOT delay your treatment of this dangerous condition, right?

IF not he has YOU eating out of his hand.

Gumby:

chunkyfrog wrote:Gumby:

Well... that IS what I would expect from someone who "is" helping me. Don't you?

GumbyCT wrote:

123.Shawn T.W. wrote:However, I will give credit where credit is due ... He is the only person so far (other than people here on the forum) that has told me of the dangers of sleep apnea, and explained the lack of breathing leads to low 02 in blood which then causes heart problems and could lead to stroke or diabetes ... For that I applaud Frank!

So Frank ordered your equipment "Priority" and had it shipped "Overnight" so as to NOT delay your treatment of this dangerous condition, right?

IF not he has YOU eating out of his hand.

I did not say he was bending over backwards to help, just the opposite, like stalling on the Heated Humidifer mentioned in the same post you quoted (but you cut out that part)

I was simply saying at least he explained to me some of the dangers from sleep apnea, that proper treatment/therapy can help with ...

Remember he is the manager, it is good for managers to make money, the more the better (from the owners perspective) however he was doing everything to try to get me a cheaper setup so he could have a higher profit!

Knowing that I'm dealing with a bunch of crooks, is just something I have to deal with right now ... But in the end I will know I got the best life sustaining equipment I could, and that he/they did not get away with giving me a "brick" but getting my ins co to pay full price.

I've waited more than eight years suffering ... A few mores days is short.

Gumby: Totally!
Thanks for pointing out the fact he didn't overnight/rush the machine right out.

Shawn, I don't believe anyone here thinks you are foolish.
You came to the forum and read and did your homework. I applaud you for that as it's kind of rare.
You had your heart set on an S9 Autoset and a number of other things at the beginning of the discussion so the DC choices never really came up or I'm sure you would have been directed toward the 550.
The 60 just hasn't been vetted here. It's new.
The DME's reaction to your wish list isn't a big suprise, as most of us were happy just to get a 550 or S9 APAP. That's just the nature of the business.

Thanks Liz!

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I would not have thought to have asked a DME to pay for the extra expense of overnight delivery, as I'm sure they would not be reimbursed by BCBC for that. And since they are already not thrilled about the "small" profit margin they are making off of me ... I really could not imagine them offering to give away more!

Had I thought of it, I would have asked if it were possible, but expect to pay for it myself. Now that I've already canceled my home time request, and put in for a later date, I'm not going to pursue that.

Has anybody here ever had their DME xpap stuff overnighted for them? Who paid for it?

I started this thread as I was very surprised that not only the sleep center/DME who had been very acomadating for my sleep study, now wanted to give less than the best, but that they were NO S9 AutoSet's in FOUR counties of the over 40 DME's I called that were in BCBS preferred providers list! And furthermore more than half of the people who answered the phone did not know wether they carried the ResMed line!

So I'm not at least surprised that my DME has not next day ordered my Rx, or offered to drive the 90+ miles one-way to my home and set it up for me!

However I'm glad and thankful for all I've been able to learn from this site and it's members!

Sounds like I'll be joining the few but fearless gueney pigs here with the 60 ...