When can I get a new machine?
My current ResMed S10 is 5 years old with over 16000 hours and is still working fine. I am considering buying a new one and keeping the old one as a backup. I am on a Medicare Advantage Plan and I understand you never really own the machine. However, I can’t imagine they would ask for the machine back to refurbish.
Questions:
1. Will the DME make me state the machine is broken?
2. Will the DME make me send the unit in for repair/exchange?
3. What are other things that could go wrong?
CPAP is a journey like “The Wizard of Oz”. It’s a long slow journey. You will face many problems and pick up many friends along the way. Just because you reach the poppies, it doesn’t mean you are in Kansas.
RE: When can I get a new machine?
Rcgop,
If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, then you took ownership of that machine after 13 months. Believe me, they won't ask for it back.
If you are considering replacing your machine, Medicare does consider replacement after 5 years, especially if you feel it's not performing up to par.
Have your Doctor put in a request to the DME for a new machine. They will submit the request to Medicare.
In the meantime, call your insurance to doublecheck your coverage and deductible amounts if applicable, so there are no surprises.
03-26-2021, 10:51 AM
(This post was last modified: 03-26-2021, 10:54 AM by staceyburke.)
RE: When can I get a new machine?
I think it depends on your supplier. I had my dreamstation for 5 1/2 years and when I went to the supplier with a new RX in hand, they said they could not do anything if the machine was still working. They then said if it had been dropped or it had water damage they could. It seemed to me that they were telling me to break my machine so I could get a new one.
I purchased a used one from
Supplier #2 from the supplier list at the top of the site. I then sent the RX and my receipt to Myinsurance and they reimbursed me for the cost of the machine. I had to pay $49 I payed for a 2 year warranty from the supplier.
Of course ask your insurance about reimbursement for durable equipment and buying used.
RE: When can I get a new machine?
You may wish to wait a while as it is rumored that there will be an Airsense 11 series in the future. But nobody knows when. A previous post on FCC and FDA approvals tends to confirm it has been developed and is undergoing certification. As always, ResMed is keeping quiet.
"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius
