I love the medical mafia

[bwexler]

Yes I chose the Medicare advantage (HMO) plan. Then I chose the doctor. I like my primary doctor he is helpful and very cooperative, but as part of the HMO medical group, he must submit a request to that group for approval, for anything he does not do himself. If they require testing, like the silly SPO2 test, he must comply or they will deny any request.
I understand what the process is and I should have labeled this thread a "rant", but I have clearly cought the attention of a few of you who agree with my frustration.

[me50]

What the US calls Obamacare is not yet socialized medical care. It's a mandate that all citizens have insurance. The insurance companies backed the law because they thought the young, healthy, uninsured people would join and pay premiums.

The majority of people in the US get their medical insurance as a benefit from their employer.

Many people are in Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs.) With an HMO, the patient must see doctors who are in the HMO's network. HMOs became popular in the early 1990s.

US Medicare is an extension of the US Social Security System. Social Security may be called a socialist program. It was created in 1935 by President Franklin Roosevelt. Medicare was created in 1965 to provide medical care to the elderly (over 65 years) and the disabled.

Those people on Medicare may join a HMO type program. Or, they may stay with traditional Medicare. Under Medicare, a person may see any doctor who accepts Medicare. A doctor is not required to attend to Medicare patients.

You can also skip straight medicare and have a PPO plan, at least in some states. We have that option here

[Galactus]

Sooooo if 02 is never needed in pap and it's just a matter of "fine tuning the machine" then why exactly do they make all those funny adapters to add supplemental 02 to pap therapy instead of just "tuning the machine". Oh man I am so sick of imbeciles running the asylum.

Noooooo don't ever listen to anyone on this site. I wish I had taken that advice. let's see I'd still have a brick, have a high AHI, no efficacy data and a Dr who just guesses as to whether or not lower my pressure. Yah that's good advice.

And if I didn't talk to people here I wouldn't know that a VW has a bellows.

Blech, so sick of idiots.

[justMongo]

My Rx says I'm to induce 2 LPM O2 into my BiPAP flow.

[bwexler]

I was originally given 2.5 L O2 while I was waiting for my sleep study and APAP.
That is what I continued to use until I got my CMS 50i.
I self adjusted to 3 L to raise my Median O2 from 92 to 93 and eliminate most of the desats below 90 and all of the desats below 88.
For me having data beats the heck out of wondering or guessing. And a 1 or 2 night SPO2 study just isn't the same as regular spot checks when ever it get the urge.

[Shastzi]

Outrageous! I mean, how dare you people doing things like reading your own instruction booklets and figuring things out!

Yah. Sounded stupid to me too.

Hey, I realize you can only do so much with the pressure settings so if adding a touch of O2 helps your
SPO2, go for it.

FInd another pulmonary doc some day and maybe find the real reason why you need it.

As long as you're not throwing a lot of centrals (CA) at the same time as the desats, it should be ok.

Best of luck!

[Galactus]

My Rx says I'm to induce 2 LPM O2 into my BiPAP flow.

Well it seems you better call your Dr and tell him what the other Dr said and he better get that machine tuned up, because obviously your machine must be out of tune......

[TorontoCPAPguy]

The guy's an idiot. Tell him to come over and record your SpO2 all night for a couple of weeks to see if you are dropping below 89% at any time. THAT is more relative to your need for infused oxygen and when I showed my sleep doc my graphs he wrote the Rx instantly. Keep a copy whatever you do with it. Get yourself a Contec CMS50EW and record every night for a couple of weeks to see if your SpO2 drops off as you enter REM sleep which is where my issue was. Your BP will skyrocket and make no mistake... that can kill you.

My primary doctor belongs to a medical group who acts as gate keeper for all specialists and DME, basically anything the doc does not do in his office.
I have been trying to get Apria to provide a new air filer for my Philips O2 concentrator that they did not provide. They don't stock the filter I need and refuse to order it. I complained to the medical group, so they had the doc do a test last week in his office. He checked my SPO2 then had me walk up and down his hall several times and checked SPO2 again. The results showed no desat so the determination was that I do not require supplemental O2.
The reports from my CMS50i with and without O2 are not relevant. Only the brief one time hall test provides conclusive evidence that I have have no need for supplemental O2.
I love the medical mafia.
I am just glad I own my own concentrator and simply need to buy my own supplies for it now.

[bwexler]

I don't think I need to get a CMS 50EW. My CMS 50i works fine.
Now withe new version of sleepyhead the SPO2 graphs really POP. They can be placed where you like them to make your point. I will be preparing the next salvo for the doctors, so I can use them to go after my medical group case manager.
I told here to come here, but I don't expect to see her anytime soon. It seems she has a mind like a steel trap and can't let anything in.