Why prescription?

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
jess
Posts: 52
Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2011 8:27 am

Why prescription?

Post by jess » Wed Aug 17, 2011 4:08 pm

Why do you need a prescription for a cpap machine --- it's just air? Can they hurt you if you don't have apnea?

User avatar
LSAT
Posts: 13229
Joined: Sun Nov 16, 2008 10:11 am
Location: SE Wisconsin

Re: Why prescription?

Post by LSAT » Wed Aug 17, 2011 4:11 pm

It's medical equipment and...it can hurt you if set improperly. Medical equipment requires a prescription.

_________________
Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: Fisher & Paykel Vitera Full Face Mask with Headgear (S, M, or L Cushion)
Additional Comments: Back up is S9 Autoset...... Buckwheat hull pillow

jess
Posts: 52
Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2011 8:27 am

Re: Why prescription?

Post by jess » Wed Aug 17, 2011 4:33 pm

How does it hurt you? What happens?

ozze_dollar
Posts: 611
Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2011 5:20 pm
Location: Sydney,Australia

Re: Why prescription?

Post by ozze_dollar » Wed Aug 17, 2011 4:36 pm

We dont need one in Australia. I think its more to do with insurance than anything else.

User avatar
archangle
Posts: 9294
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2011 11:55 am

Re: Why prescription?

Post by archangle » Wed Aug 17, 2011 4:44 pm

Mainly because the medical mafia wants to protect their profits.

However, if Joe Sixpack could just buy his own CPAP without proper medical supervision, he'd do it wrong, either too little pressure or too much and still die from sleep apnea. He might try CPAP when his real medical problem was something else.

He might buy it and never figure out the right combination of masks, etc.

I'm pretty well informed myself, but I nearly killed myself by setting my pressure wrong by tinkering with my own machine.

Of course, plenty of people who do stick with the official medical guys and still end up with poorly managed CPAP.

Then you'd have Billy Mays clones screaming at you on TV to get the amazing new SnoreOMatic and solve your problems forever. With FREE humidifier (Just pay separate processing.) Soccer mommy putting little Joey on CPAP because she thinks he needs it.

The main "real" concern is that too much pressure can cause what they call "Central" apneas and make the problem worse.

_________________
Mask: Swift™ FX Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control
Additional Comments: Also SleepyHead, PRS1 Auto, Respironics Auto M series, Legacy Auto, and Legacy Plus
Please enter your equipment in your profile so we can help you.
Click here for information on the most common alternative to CPAP.
If it's midnight and a DME tells you it's dark outside, go and check for yourself.

Useful Links.

User avatar
archangle
Posts: 9294
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2011 11:55 am

Re: Why prescription?

Post by archangle » Wed Aug 17, 2011 4:52 pm

By the way, if it didn't require a prescription, a lot of insurance companies would probably stop paying for it.

_________________
Mask: Swift™ FX Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control
Additional Comments: Also SleepyHead, PRS1 Auto, Respironics Auto M series, Legacy Auto, and Legacy Plus
Please enter your equipment in your profile so we can help you.
Click here for information on the most common alternative to CPAP.
If it's midnight and a DME tells you it's dark outside, go and check for yourself.

Useful Links.

User avatar
Otter
Posts: 1063
Joined: Sat Mar 19, 2011 5:02 pm

Re: Why prescription?

Post by Otter » Wed Aug 17, 2011 5:01 pm

ozze_dollar wrote:We dont need one in Australia. I think its more to do with insurance than anything else.
I agree. Acetaminophen/paracetamol is a lot more dangerous than CPAP, and its in OTC medications for children. In the rather unlikely event that someone who didn't need CPAP would go out and buy the equipment and put up with all the hassles of using it, it's unlikely they'd do worse than spoil their sleep even if they ran 20 cm h2o. And if they didn't quit using at that point, the problem wouldn't be CPAP so much as a very severe and unusual psychological problem. Overdose regularly on acetaminophen, OTOH, and your liver will fail.

But if a prescription were not required, insurance would not pay for CPAP. Hence, ridiculous as it is, it's probably for the best that until the healthcare system gets a major overhaul CPAP equipment remains prescription only. Where can I get some of that healthcare reform I keep hearing about?

_________________
Mask: Quattro™ FX Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control
Additional Comments: Software: SleepyHead 0.9 beta

User avatar
archangle
Posts: 9294
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2011 11:55 am

Re: Why prescription?

Post by archangle » Wed Aug 17, 2011 5:17 pm

Otter wrote:Where can I get some of that healthcare reform I keep hearing about?
Otter, this IS healthcare reform.

Actually, there has been some good out of healthcare reform. Unfortunately, the medical mafia figures out how to keep profits up despite of healthcare reform.

_________________
Mask: Swift™ FX Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control
Additional Comments: Also SleepyHead, PRS1 Auto, Respironics Auto M series, Legacy Auto, and Legacy Plus
Please enter your equipment in your profile so we can help you.
Click here for information on the most common alternative to CPAP.
If it's midnight and a DME tells you it's dark outside, go and check for yourself.

Useful Links.

Guest

Re: Why prescription?

Post by Guest » Wed Aug 17, 2011 5:22 pm

archangle wrote:By the way, if it didn't require a prescription, a lot of insurance companies would probably stop paying for it.
And market forces would bring the cost a device down to relatively nothing (compared to the thousands machines cost now).

User avatar
Julie
Posts: 19898
Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2006 12:58 pm

Re: Why prescription?

Post by Julie » Wed Aug 17, 2011 6:00 pm

And there's always the chance that someone diagnosing him/herself would be wrong, but go onto Cpap, possibly aggravate some other respiratory problem with inappropriate settings or machine types, etc., and run into who knows what kind of trouble.

jess
Posts: 52
Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2011 8:27 am

Re: Why prescription?

Post by jess » Wed Aug 17, 2011 6:17 pm

Well, I think I understand now. You guys are too funny !

User avatar
archangle
Posts: 9294
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2011 11:55 am

Re: Why prescription?

Post by archangle » Wed Aug 17, 2011 6:30 pm

Guest wrote:
archangle wrote:By the way, if it didn't require a prescription, a lot of insurance companies would probably stop paying for it.
And market forces would bring the cost a device down to relatively nothing (compared to the thousands machines cost now).
Maybe, maybe not. They'd still have to be FDA approved, and the pharmaceutical mafia is pretty good at protecting their turf in some cases.

_________________
Mask: Swift™ FX Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control
Additional Comments: Also SleepyHead, PRS1 Auto, Respironics Auto M series, Legacy Auto, and Legacy Plus
Please enter your equipment in your profile so we can help you.
Click here for information on the most common alternative to CPAP.
If it's midnight and a DME tells you it's dark outside, go and check for yourself.

Useful Links.

User avatar
kempo
Posts: 1023
Joined: Thu Jun 17, 2010 10:09 am

Re: Why prescription?

Post by kempo » Wed Aug 17, 2011 8:18 pm

Someone please show the the headlines " DEATH BY CPAP So an So died from too much air blowing into his/her nose."

Jess several reasons. There is too much money going into the pockets of the companies who make and sell cpaps and supplies. But the most important reason is these companies pore tons of money into the campaigns of our politicians. Plus there are numerous people who think no one but "them" can figure out how to use anything without the government telling us every move to make. You know, stupid Joe six pack who uses smart phones, lap tops, blue ray DVDs with LED flat screen TVs. There are tens of thousands of joe six packs who keep up with their blood sugar and give themselves injections and they buy their equipment of the shelf at Wally World.

I believe you should get a sleep test to see what you need and after that it should be open market off the shelf. If this would happen you could buy a top of the line cpap for $300 and you could tell the insurance companies to piss off.

_________________
MachineMask

User avatar
soundersfootballclub
Posts: 218
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2011 4:25 pm

Re: Why prescription?

Post by soundersfootballclub » Wed Aug 17, 2011 8:50 pm

jess wrote:Why do you need a prescription for a cpap machine --- it's just air? Can they hurt you if you don't have apnea?
I am new to all of this and even I can smell a scam. With that said I bought stock in Resmed (RMD) this week. The forces controlling these things will always win and always stay very very profitable at all costs.

_________________
MaskHumidifier

User avatar
LSAT
Posts: 13229
Joined: Sun Nov 16, 2008 10:11 am
Location: SE Wisconsin

Re: Why prescription?

Post by LSAT » Wed Aug 17, 2011 9:11 pm

Guest wrote:
archangle wrote:By the way, if it didn't require a prescription, a lot of insurance companies would probably stop paying for it.
And market forces would bring the cost a device down to relatively nothing (compared to the thousands machines cost now).
CPAPs don't cost 'thousands'. At CPAP.COM, you can buy a CPAP with humidifier for under $400. If you want all the bells and whistles they can cost up to a thousand. Just like cars...you can buy a stripped down model or one loaded with equipment...they both will take you where you want to go.

_________________
Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: Fisher & Paykel Vitera Full Face Mask with Headgear (S, M, or L Cushion)
Additional Comments: Back up is S9 Autoset...... Buckwheat hull pillow