If you don't know if you have to rent to get insurance to pay for your machine, you are not as "battle ready" as you think. So I've seen PCP's say things like "No, I won't prescribe that machine, because that will cost the insurance more, and then they will be unhappy with me." NOT TRUE, but you ne...

@DrowsyDancer: Strongly suspect kickback/collusion in operation there. Maybe the state dept. of insurance needs a heads-up? Since Mr. Dancer is an insurance broker, I hate to torpedo the remainder of his career, but I was raising an eyebrow at the explanation I got myself. When he tells me he's ret...

What should my letter of medical necessity say for international travel? I heard that I need to have a letter since it is an international flight but have not flown internationally with my CPAP before so not sure. I will contact the airline once my flight is closer about specific rules but wanted t...

Always ask for a benefit statement IN WRITING. Anything spoken by an insurance rep or a DME can NOT BE PROVEN, And is exactly as alive as Shroedinger's cat. Oh, that is not what I was asking. It's right there in my benefits booklet that they still pay, and the terms have not changed since they boug...

Very few people understand their insurance policies. +1 The subject matter is boring*, confusing**, and important. And it keeps changing.*** *To most people. I am a freak in that I find almost everything interesting. **I have over thirty years of experience in parsing through difficult-to-understan...

MrGrumpy wrote:Sorry if I offended you, I was talking generally, not about your specific doctor. There are a few exceptions, but Ive not run into many and reading this and similar forums, it sounds as if many others have the same attitudes from there sleep specialists

Don't worry, I'm not that easily offended.

I've been using this model for several years to help control my blood pressure which has now crept up again. My physician has run a number of tests on me and is now focused on my APAP machine, thinking it may need to be adjusted. Does anyone know if this model can produce a report showing episodes ...

In looking for something else, I stumbled on this recent study, all quotes from the abstract: Objective Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a serious medical condition that adds to patient morbidity and mortality. Treatment with positive airway pressure (PAP) is the standard of care, but many patients ...

After my experience recently, I think I have come to the conclusion that this dogma type thinking common with many physicians on the subject of sleep apnea being caused by obesity is...just that...dogma. Its something they themselves have not experienced, personally. Most physicians are hammered by...

There is no relationship between pressure and severity of sleep apnea. A person diagnosed with severe SA may only need a pressure of 8 while a person diagnosed with mild SA may need a pressure of 15. This is not true. Numerous studies have shown that pressure can be predicted in the majority of pat...

Upon preliminary research (I'm far from an expert at this) it appears that HCPCS ("hick picks") codes, which are used to bill insurance for DME (durable medical equipment), have not been touched by the change from ICD-9 to ICD-10. Curious. I *think* that the lack of chance *may* be limited to DME. I...

palerider wrote:

Drowsy Dancer wrote:The billing code is (or used to be) E0601 for all machines up to but not including bilevel

Thank you, I never can remember the codes.

It may have changed with the advent of ICD-10 but there should be a crosswalk for now. Hold please for additional research.

My sleep doc told me years ago that the relationship between OSA and obesity is poorly understood, and that it is just as likely that prior OSA causes weight gain as it is that weight gain causes OSA. My own experience with losing a significant amount of weight without any change in pressure needs w...

Comments interleaved below. I have been using my CPAP almost nightly since May 5, 2015. • Does the SD card contain data all the way back to the beginning date? It should. • Does my doctor delete old data when I bring the card to an appointment? Don't know. Even if the doctor does, the machine also s...

The billing code is (or used to be) E0601 for all machines up to but not including bilevel