Update

[Mark71]

The Doctor works for you. You hire her to help you. If she will not listen to you, and help get you what you want and need, then FIRE her and find one who will. Same goes for DME.

[UKwildcatfan]

I tried everything. She WOULD NOT write me a script for an APAP.

[UKwildcatfan]

And I do not have time to go to another doctor and drag this on for 3 months again. I have to get a 30 day read out, so I can get my DOT physical and get back to work. She said the CPAP with a 14 setting would help. She also said that if I felt it was not working within 2 weeks to call her and she would fix it. I live in a small small small town. It is the only DME within 50 miles. So sorry guys, I begged her and even threatened to walk out but she WOULD NOT write me a script for an APAP. She said this was specifically calibrated for me. So I don't know. It might work, it might not. I just need to get back to work.

[Hydrangea]

And I do not have time to go to another doctor and drag this on for 3 months again. I have to get a 30 day read out, so I can get my DOT physical and get back to work. She said the CPAP with a 14 setting would help. She also said that if I felt it was not working within 2 weeks to call her and she would fix it. I live in a small small small town. It is the only DME within 50 miles. So sorry guys, I begged her and even threatened to walk out but she WOULD NOT write me a script for an APAP. She said this was specifically calibrated for me. So I don't know. It might work, it might not. I just need to get back to work.

Ooooh, so you did take the machine?

The Rx does not need to be written for an Auto vs CPAP.  An Rx for a CPAP will allow a DME to dispense either Auto or non-Auto, whichever they/you prefer (and whichever you ultimately decide to accept).  It's sort of like a pharmacy being allowed to give the patient a generic version of the drug OR the name-brand version of a drug).

I totally understand being in an isolated small town with zero choices.    There ARE other DMEs (in towns farther away, or perhaps online if your insurance allows it), but I understand what a pain it is. 

Are you renting this machine?  If so, you can hand it back at some point if you end up finding a different DME that will actually work with you.  That's ultimately what I ended up doing with my sleep dr DME dictator - I handed the machine back and said I no longer want to rent it... and that same day I went to a DME that was willing to give me the machine I wanted (so I didn't even miss a night of CPAP therapy).  

[UKwildcatfan]

No, I did not get the machine yet. I took the script to the DME in town and I told her I wanted an APAP. She said "we will try our best to get you an APAP." So I don't know. They may, or they may not. Who knows. I'll just be glad when I have a machine. Any machine.

[Hydrangea]

No, I did not get the machine yet. I took the script to the DME in town and I told her I wanted an APAP. She said "we will try our best to get you an APAP." So I don't know. They may, or they may not. Who knows. I'll just be glad when I have a machine. Any machine.

I totally get the feeling. 

Are you interested in paying out of pocket?  If so, you could just order one on Amazon.  (That was my back-up plan.)  For me, it was the same cost out of my pocket whether I bought one on Amazon ($450) vs if I got one at a DME using my insurance ($400 with the % I have to pay over the 13 months of renting the machine).

[UKwildcatfan]

Don't really have the cash for it, as I am not working. Hopefully, the DME will come through with an APAP.

[UKwildcatfan]

I just called the DME and she said, we have to give you a CPAP right now, but if you use it in 30 days and go back to the doctor and find out that it isn't working, we can order you an APAP then. Wtf. Does that even make sense?

[Hydrangea]

Yep. Makes sense based off my experience. Did you read my post/thread I linked to in post #8 of this thread? Sounds like you're getting the same blow-off I got... in which case, when I returned for my 30 day follow up appt, the dr looked at my #s and said I don't qualify for an auto because my #s are manipulated "enough" (enough = good enough for insurance to be willing to pay him).

[C0mbe]

Yep. Makes sense based off my experience.  Did you read my post/thread I linked to in post #8 of this thread?  Sounds like you're getting the same blow-off I got... in which case, when I returned for my 30 day follow up appt, the dr looked at my #s and said I don't qualify for an auto because my #s are manipulated "enough" (enough = good enough for insurance to be willing to pay him).

And your docs response is total BS.  They use the same code for a cpap and apap.  Insurance literally can't tell the difference.  The only person who gets hurt from giving the patient an APAP is the DME because it's less profit.