Kroger brand CPAP?

VVV wrote:
This could be a big deal because it might drive the DMEs out of the business and I agree with the guy in the article who said it would lead to insurers not covering supplies. I think the insurers are headed this way already.

The insurers probably already ran the numbers of dropping cpap supplies and the cost savings. They would save a lot of money but then people would be back at the doctors more often and back in the hospital for bigger problems related to sleep apnea

Pad A Cheek wrote:What do you think?

Numerous Pharamacies in Australia sell consumer-level medical devices, including xPAP machines and supplies in smaller communities, and the world has not ended

Cheers,

Bill

cosmo wrote:
The insurers probably already ran the numbers of dropping cpap supplies and the cost savings. They would save a lot of money but then people would be back at the doctors more often and back in the hospital for bigger problems related to sleep apnea

Remember, all the health insurance companies need to do is get you to age 65. Then when the health problems crop up Medicare will pay.

I would also remind you of the Todzo discussion. There are more CPAP machines sitting in closets unused than are being used. Of those being used many of them meet minimal compliance hours only and many are not receiving good therapy when they are using the machine.

For the few patients (like us) that are strict about compliance and monitor for a good level of effectiveness, the insurance companies may save a little money from preventing downstream health problems. But it would seem to be little.

BTW, any money saved is mostly coming back to the patients in premium cost savings. Margins for health insurance companies are less than 7% so the premium-paying patients get 93% of the savings.