Early in my CPAP journey questions

[Josiah]

I finally received a phone call summarizing the finding of my recent Watch-Pat sleep study....I have moderate OSA and was given an appointment next Tuesday with my Function Medicine Practitioner who ordered the test to go over the results. What is unclear to me now is whether she will send me to some specialist who will recommend and give me an Rx for a machine and the mask or whether she will provide that service herself.

I'm very anxious to maintain as much control over how this pans as possible. Having posted questions and read a great many posts on this forum, I know the machine and mask I want and I anticipate the coaching I will have access to on this forum will be as good as the advice I might receive from a respiratory therapist.

Am I being naive in thinking that I can impose my wishes at this juncture where I am just getting started....certainly the ethos I have picked up from this forum is that taking a good degree of personal responsibility and some willingness to do some experimentation are two qualities that yield success in CPAP therapy.

[DreamStalker]

To evolve into one of us CPAP Homonids, you do indeed have to take responsibility of your own health ... so mentally, you do seem prepared for the transformation.

Congratulations and best of luck!

[Cardsfan]

Think of it as similar to buying a car. You go into the dealership and know exactly what make and model you want, and buy it. Don't let them switch you to something else. Medical equipment is the same thing. Know what you want- exactly the make and model- and order it from the DME. If they don't have exactly what you want, ask them to special order it. If not, then find another DME. That's why you need a copy of your prescription for yourself.

If using insurance, check with them as to who is In network to provide your medical supplies equipment.

[Josiah]

Does a CPAP device prescription specify a particular make and model? Based on Pugsy's recommendation I'm anxious to get a ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet, but suppose my doctor isn't familiar with that machine?

[Mark55]

Does a CPAP device prescription specify a particular make and model? Based on Pugsy's recommendation I'm anxious to get a ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet, but suppose my doctor isn't familiar with that machine?

They are familiar,...it's one of the most widely prescribed machines at this time.

[Julie]

It's better if you tell your MD what machine you want as they sometimes leave details to the DME who tries to pawn off the cheapest thing on you... i.e. "Apaps are more expensive" (they're not - they use the same code for insurance co's), or one that doesn't give good data, etc... so specifying to your doc can really help as DME's must fulfil doc's scripts.

[USMCVet]

I Have the resperonics Dreamstation and it seems to work well for me.
I also have my first follow up in a few weeks where they will see me playing around with pressures and I find out how they feel about that.
I did tell cardiologist I was playing around with my therapy and he didn't care at all but then again it's not his job to care about that I guess lol.

[Jay Aitchsee]

Does a CPAP device prescription specify a particular make and model? Based on Pugsy's recommendation I'm anxious to get a ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet, but suppose my doctor isn't familiar with that machine?

Excellent choice. No reason not to ask your doctor/practitioner to prescribe the machine you want. If a range of pressure is prescribed, the DME must provide an autoset to fill the order. As mentioned earlier, your insurance won't care whether you get a straight CPAP or an Autoset. They are equal in the eyes of insurance companies.
Do not accept an AirStart 10 Auto CPAP, the name is similar to the Airsense 10 AutoSet, but the Airstart 10 is a cheap machine with limited data available.

[Cardsfan]

I'd just tell the Dr, "I know what machine I want, can you please put this information on my prescription so I get that particular make and model". That's the same machine I have. Very happy with it.

[Okie bipap]

My prescription specified a manufacture name (Resmed), type of machine (bi-level) and range (20-25) which pretty much limited it to the Air Curve 10 vauto.

[DreamStalker]

Does a CPAP device prescription specify a particular make and model? Based on Pugsy's recommendation I'm anxious to get a ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet, but suppose my doctor isn't familiar with that machine?

Some sleep clinics have the sleep doc, sleep lab, and provide CPAP equipment as a one-stop shop outfit. That's how it was for me and from experience they will fight you for their bottom line profit. In such a case you are better off just getting the Rx from the doc and shopping for your equipment separately.

[Okie bipap]

Some sleep clinics have the sleep doc, sleep lab, and provide CPAP equipment as a one-stop shop outfit. That's how it was for me and from experience they will fight you for their bottom line profit. In such a case you are better off just getting the Rx from the doc and shopping for your equipment separately.

The facility where I got my machine was like that. Price wise, it didn't matter where I went as I am on Medicare, and they will pay the same to any approved supplier in the area. The facility is part of the local hospital group which is where we go for our regular medical check ups. The DME portion has since lost their Medicare certification, so I have switched to an on-line DME that specializes in military and retired military personnel.

[raysgirl]

Some sleep clinics have the sleep doc, sleep lab, and provide CPAP equipment as a one-stop shop outfit. That's how it was for me and from experience they will fight you for their bottom line profit. In such a case you are better off just getting the Rx from the doc and shopping for your equipment separately.

The facility where I got my machine was like that. Price wise, it didn't matter where I went as I am on Medicare, and they will pay the same to any approved supplier in the area. The facility is part of the local hospital group which is where we go for our regular medical check ups. The DME portion has since lost their Medicare certification, so I have switched to an on-line DME that specializes in military and retired military personnel.

I am on Medicare too, and basically I just got the bargain basement model. Because I have multiple issues, severe OSA, COPD, pulmonary hypertension, and my first machine was somehow defective, the second DME went to bat and got me a better machine. I don't know how that works. I have a Phillips Dream Machine, which is a rental for so many months, then I own it. I have to pay 20% of the rental which is not unreasonable on a monthly basis. The second machine and DME service is working out much better than the the first. When I returned the first, they did not offer to have it looked at, or anything, just "Ok thanks, we will only bill you for this one month." I simply cancelled my credit card.

[Pugsy]

have moderate OSA and was given an appointment next Tuesday with my Function Medicine Practitioner who ordered the test to go over the results. What is unclear to me now is whether she will send me to some specialist who will recommend and give me an Rx for a machine and the mask or whether she will provide that service herself.

You are on Medicare and Medicare prohibits a doctor (or his office) from physically supplying cpap equipment if the doctor has a financial interest in the place of business doing the supplying. So don't know if they will be able to supply as machine or not...all depends on if the doctor is a paid employee or has some financial interest in the side of the business doing the supplying.