Durable Medical Equipment

DME stands for Durable Medical Equipment.

A DME Provider, also referenced as a DME, typically accepts insurance in exchange for CPAP Equipment.

The initials stand for "durable medical equipment". Message board posters use "DME" as ungrammatical shorthand to refer to home health care supplies stores as "DME"s, and also to refer to employees of those stores.

Example:

My DME is Apria. (the store)

My DME tried three masks on me, but she said only one fit me well. (the employee)

Technically online cpap supply stores are also "DME"'s - stores that sell durable medical equipment over the internet. But when message board posters talk about "DME"s, we generally mean the bricks and mortar home health care stores that you walk into in your town.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is another type of DME. The process for treating Sleep Apnea is somewhat different for veterans than it is the civilian population in that a sleep study can be conducted at any sleep study equipped veterans facility within the veterans region. Also,the VA pays for all equipment and testing associated with the veteran and his treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

If the veteran requires replacement parts for his or her machine, including masks and chinstraps, the veteran needs to contact their Respiratory Therapist for those parts. The VA facility may ask the veteran to come to the facility to exchange the equipment, especially if it is part of the machine itself. If it is something like a new mask then the facility will generally mail the equipment to your home. These replacement parts are usually provided to the veteran at no cost.

Choosing a DME:

Research, research, research. If you have insurance coverage, ask your insurance provider which DMEs are contracted with them. (If you do not have insurance coverage, locate local DMEs with whom you might want to do business. You'll find most listed in the Yellow Pages under Oxygen or Homecare Provider sections.)

Call or visit each one and ask some pointed questions. Speak with the RT, if you can, and try to get a good feel for how s/he deals with xPAP patients on a regular basis. The answers to your questions will assist you in choosing which DME will best fit your needs in the future.

Some questions to ask:

What is their mask fitting policy and procedure? Can you try on several different masks during the same fitting appointment? Is there a place to lie down and test the mask(s) at your prescribed pressure (which is how you'll be using it at home)?

What is their policy re: mask returns/exchanges? The major mask manufacturers offer DMEs a 30-day return policy. If the DME fits you with a mask that you can't make work at home (i.e., it's painful, it leaks, it just doesn't fit you well enough), you can return it to the DME within 30 days and then try a different mask.

Which machines and masks do they carry in-house, and which ones will have to be "special ordered" by them?

(Provided you're able to acquire a fully data-capable machine - one which will provide the important information about your therapy, like AI, HI and AHI indexes, as well as the Leak Rate), will the DME download data from your machine and give you a copy of the printout at no cost? (Even if you don't need this service, ask about it, as the answer will give you an idea of how helpful they're likely to be in the future if/when you're having a problem with your therapy.)

Ask about regular replacement supplies (not just masks, but filters and hoses, too). Find out from your insurance provider what the replacement schedule is for each item. Does the DME send these items to you automatically at regular intervals (or after a reminder phone call from you when the supplies are due to be replaced)?

Generally, try to get a good feel for the RT and how he or she approaches problem-solving when it comes to mask issues. If you get the impression that you'll be on your own when a problem arises, keep looking for a good DME.