Need help thinking! Buying a CPAP

bigrobbierob

bigrobbierob

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I was diagnosed with apnea back in October. I tried to get a CPAP then but insurance is a joke. I had a $500 deductable, then had to rent the machine foe a year at $88/month, in the process of that I'd have another deductable... I was going to be out 2 grand out of my pocket!!!!!

I decided I was going to wait until taxes came back and buy one outright so I didn't have the BS.

We'll I've searched online, and found several ranging from $500-$800 with a heated humidifier.

My taxes came in this week and I just went to a local medical supply place. They said it'd cost about $1200!!!!!!

When I said that I found it online a lot cheaper, they said that they have overhead costs the online doesn't have, plus they offer a respiratory therapist to come to my home and set me up and come if I have any issues. Plus, through them I can get it repaired there as opposed to sending it off to the manufacturer for who knows how long.

So, I'm trying to decide if buying local and having the local service is worth the extra $400+ or not.

I'm having a hard time thinking because I'm having a stressful time right now...a beloved pet is sick and needs to be euthanized. :17:

Anyone that knows about CPAPs that has advice is appreciated. I just want to be able to sleep good soooooooo bad.
 
jminis

jminis

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why is your insurance not paying for it? You should of paid the deductable and a monthly fee but after 12-13 months that insurance like say Aetna converts it to a purchase which means your payments stop as well and you own the equipment. You would only pay a percentage on new supplies from that point on. So u may want to check into that it doesn't sound right.

As for a cpap you really want to go with a local DME company. I would talk to the lab where you had your study done and ask them who they recommend. They will know which companies are best. It may cost u a couple more dollars but the support and care they will provide will be worth it but make sure you can reorder supplies through them as well if you can't cast them to the side.

Oh as for a machine I would go with a Resmed S8 if i had a choice, barnone the most dependable machine (less then a 3% failure rate), respironics would be a close 2nd but problems with their machines are more frequent.

If you have any other questions let me know sleep apnea/cpap ect... its what I do.
 
bigrobbierob

bigrobbierob

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why is your insurance not paying for it? You should of paid the deductable and a monthly fee
I'll try to make it short.

I had the studies done in October. The CPAP with insurance had me paying a $500 deductable, then $87 a month. Plus in January I had to pay another $500 deductable. By the time all was said and done I was out almost 2 grand myself for a $1500 machine, so insurance is useless.

Well I decided to wait until January so I wouldn't have to pay a deductable twice, but as my luck goes, I was laid off December 5th. and lost what isurance I had. My wife tried putting me on hers but her payments would go from $45 every 2 weeks to $163!!!! (serious) Insurance is such a freakin joke....

So now I'm trying to use the tax refund to get it. All I want is to sleep and feel rested :yawn:

I went to the local guy yesterday (Monday) morning and they called the sleep Dr while I was there and asked for my script to be faxed so I could get an estimate. They were supposed to cal, but I haven't heard anything yet.

It was odd when I said I didn't have insurance, For one they acted like I said I was from Mars, foe another they weren't quite sure if they could do a cash sell!!! I just said if they don't want the money there's other medical supply places in town. lol

Thanks for the offer to help. So you think the local guy will be better?
 

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