Mystery Machine

[napoplexy]

Hi all. Been lurking for a few days but this is my first post. I'm already appreciative of the wealth of material and spirit of congeniality on this forum!

I am a 60 year old man recently diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea. My home test #s were an AHI of 24.4, OHI of 21.1 and snore% of 22.5 with a minimum SpO2 of 82. My titration study went well, I think, in that with 8 cm of pressure I had an AHI of 0 and a minimum SpO2 of 93.  Big improvement.

The next step is to get my equipment and this is where I have questions. My script has been passed to a DME. I called them and asked what machine I would be getting. The answer was a "ResPlus Auto CPAP". I became alarmed when I searched these forums for "ResPlus" and received zero results! I was able to find the machine here but I can't find any trustworthy 3rd-party reviews. I see that it has an SD card but it's not listed as compatible on the OSCAR website.

Does anyone have any information on this machine? I read here that I don't have to accept the machine that the DME chooses but I don't really know what that means or what the repercussions of taking that step are. Can I just say, "No, I want a different machine" and they'll order me another one?

Thanks in advance for any guidance you can provide. Oh and for the next person who searches for "ResPlus" on these forums, you'll now get at least one hit. You're welcome!

Cheers,
Napoplexy

[napoplexy]

"here" in the above post was supposed to be a link: [DME Link Removed] Search, cpapamerica, for a resplus auto cpap machine by beyond medical

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Moderator Action: DME Link Removed

To maintain our status as an educational organization, links to DME-owned or DME-operated websites and links to pages that sell prescription-required items are prohibited in forum posts. This is stated in the Apnea Board Rules.

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[Crimson Nape]

Hi napoplexy! -

I would go back to the doctor who wrote the script and ask him to specify a Resmed AS11 Autoset. Also, have him state, "Dispense as written" too.
- Red

[Gideon]

Definitely go back to your doctor and have him rewrite the prescription specifically for a ResMed AirSense 11 AutoSet with Heated Hose, DAW (Dispense As Written)

Get a list of DMEs that are ibn-network from your insurance company and call all of them looking for who has this device in stock, hopefully with a 1 week delivery.
I just got a VAuto from Hart Medical (Medicare w supplement) and they told me AS 11 AutoSet w 1 week delivery to your door.

[napoplexy]

Thank you for the feedback. I've been working with my insurance provided DMEs to try and get a Resmed Airsense 11 AutoSet. It looks like all of the DMEs for Cigna have wait times between weeks and months with no guarantees.

The Airsense 11 is available online from a national seller who shall not be named (I learned my lesson!). The cost is $1299. They say that they will ship it tomorrow. Given that I'm on a high-deductible plan, I probably would have ended up shelling out the entire cost even for an in-network purchase. I guess I'm paying a premium to get it sooner but I think it's worth it.

Thanks again. I'm eager to get started on this journey!

[napoplexy]

I do have one follow up question before shelling out the cash. My sleep study recommendation is actually for continuous pressure at 8 cm.  Do I really need the Auto CPAP or should I be saving some money and ordering, e.g., an Airsense 10 Elite?  Money is not the primary factor but it is a consideration.  Thoughts?

[Gideon]

The AutoSet wiil monitor and log flow limitations which are important. Also no one looked at APAP settings at all. The range can be good as it adjust pressures thru the night as you change sleep positions or sleep states.

Get the AutoSet.

[JJJ]

You didn't mention what the DME wanted for the ResPlus, but it looks like you'll pay the full price out of pocket. In that case, I'd go to Supplier #2 (see Supplier List at the top of every page here). They sell 'gently used' machines and they'll take the time to talk with you. I've bought two machines from them over the years, and I couldn't be happier with their service. They'll take your script as a JPG, PDF, or whatever. Most online sellers are not fussy about the script, so hang on to the paper copy. I've used my script from 2012 to buy new machines, masks, and lots of other stuff from several online suppliers. I've bought stuff requiring a prescription and when the salesperson asked for it I just lied and said 'you've already got it on file,' to which they responded, 'oh, OK,' and they never even bothered to check. It's not like you're asking for narcotics.

Also, don't forget eBay and your local Craigslist. And don't be afraid to buy a previous model of what you want, because there's usually little difference in the therapy they provide. If I were you I'd buy even a 'really, really used' machine that might have only a couple years life left in it, and plan to buy a new machine a couple years from now, keeping the old machine as a backup. Having a backup has saved my precious tushie more than once. (I'm very attached to it.)

The Respironics recall has caused massive shortages everywhere, but hopefully you'll find a suitable Resmed machine.

[camper2]

I am not an expert, but a quick web search shows that it is advertised at a significantly lower price than the more common Philips Respironics DreamStation or the ResMed Airsense 10 or 11 machines.

It is made by Beyond Medical, though for unclear reasons it does not (yet) appear on Beyond's webpage, though it is supposed to be a second generation machine.

Various ads say "No additional software is needed—just put the SD card in a reader connected to a computer, and the report will generate."

Another ad says "The provided SD Card will automatically collect your data. You will need to take the card with you to see your physician so they can download the info for you or you can also put the SD Card in your computer and report will auto generate."

I wonder if that means it only works with certain computers, with certain operating systems, that are set up insecurely so a program on an external card executes without being asked to.

Absent further information, it might not give as comprehensive info as OSCAR shows, with lots of plots and timing info, and might be more like a brief summary text report that some doctors expect to see. But I could be completely wrong. It is my impression that a lot of the experts in this forums like seeing OSCAR plots.

Personally, if your DME won't charge you extra for it, I would go with a well-proven brand, in part because these machines have a very finite lifetime. But, as I said, I'm not an expert.

[narual]

My DME just called me to set up an appointment to get a ResPlus.
My prescription was sent to them in December and again in April. I paid out of pocket for an airsense 11 months ago. Told them I wasn’t going to downgrade even for a backup machine. They said they’d be back on the resmeds in a month or so, so I told them I’d wait. 

I couldn’t find anything about them except this post and a few sites selling them, and the OP was an April, so I guess they’re not giving them out to people who do research and like data?