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How to Replace Your CPAP in Only 666 Days

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Re: How to Replace Your CPAP in Only 666 Days

#121

Post by hn_throwaway_99 »

RecycledEle wrote: post #31
quickthrower2 wrote: post #13

Met someone coming from US to Australia to visit and was nicely surprised you can just go buy a CPAP, cheaply with no referral. Just like buying a dishwasher or something. Makes me wonder if in the US a trip to mexico or canada or somewhere could make this easier.

Bingo! As someone with multiple "pre-existing conditions" who cares for a stroke survivor (my wife) and a stage 4 chronic kidney disease patient (my mother-in-law,) I suggest we do the following: 1. make private health insurance illegal 2. pass a Constitutional amendment allowing every human the unlimited and absolute right to buy, make, modify, and sell medical things including importing and exporting those items. I…

> pass a Constitutional amendment allowing every human the unlimited and absolute right to buy, make, modify, and sell medical things including importing and exporting those items.

The ironically terrifying evidence about what a horrible idea this is is that it was just in the news that the FDA said that recalled CPAP machines made by Philips killed 561 people: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fda-sleep-apnea-philips-recall-...

Re: How to Replace Your CPAP in Only 666 Days

#122

Post by Moto7451 »

londons_explore wrote: post #33

Please folks remember that it isn't compulsory to use a companies byzantine process. Instead, check your insurance policy wording that you are covered, spend the money on a new machine, send a single letter to the insurer asking to be reimbursed, and when they don't reimburse within 30 days file in small claims court. They'll pay. They don't want to physically show up in court or have you send bailiffs to their HQ ov…

We lost my wife’s CPAP while traveling. Through insurance it would have been a month of paperwork, an exception made, and $600. Without insurance it was no wait and $650.

Guess which way we went…

I’m sorry the author had to deal with any of this. A lot of pandemic scarcity and multiple recalls made it hard to get supplies for a long time. My wife’s first CPAP is out of commission because the parts will simply never be made again. In between the pandemic start and the “well we all gave up” point three new models, recalls, and various mergers happened but not one replacement set of filters were delivered.

If it was any sort of other filter I’d just buy a replacement from Amazon and call it a day, but that doesn’t seem appropriate for this situation. Some people did and apparently (per doctors not my own research or anything I can verify) old OEM and new but improperly made third party filters can start flaking off while the machine runs due to how CPAPs work.

Now though? Apparently it’s easy to get a new model and all the components from a supplier… at least if you skip insurance.

Re: How to Replace Your CPAP in Only 666 Days

#123

Post by candiddevmike »

bhoops wrote: post #106

Why dont you just ask someone coming from India to get you one ? They are available over the counter in India and there are a lot of Indian people hopping on a flight to the US all the time. I am sure there is someone in your office you can request, or someone in your locality.

You really need a professional to configure the CPAP, otherwise it can mess up your lungs (too much airflow) or make your sleep apnea worse (not enough airflow).

That's why these are considered a prescription--the prescription is the settings on the machine.

Re: How to Replace Your CPAP in Only 666 Days

#124

Post by [deleted] »

15155 wrote: post #92
gwd wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is worth pointing out that (at least according to the corporate training I have to take every year) this is considered illegal by the US government for a US citizen to do even not on US soil; if the Feds get wind of it and feel like making a point they could throw you in jail, even with an intermediary "fixer".

The FCPA allows "grease payments" to officials performing their official duties.

[deleted]

Re: How to Replace Your CPAP in Only 666 Days

#125

Post by genocidicbunny »

londons_explore wrote: post #108
genocidicbunny wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunate that you cannot get additional damages against them. That sort of behaviour really needs to be heavily punished -- say, forcing them to cover every single CPAP prescribed for the next year for free, with the executives having to personally pay if the company can't afford to. Byzantine processes when dealing with medical issues should be punished with Byzantine punishments.

In most places you can at least get back the court fees (which are typically a few hundred bucks). Unfortunately sometimes you can't get back the court fees, and in situations like that, rather than spending $3000 on some new medical gear and battling insurance I would be very tempted to go to eBay, buy it 2nd hand from someone for $150, and just use that. Better time/effort/money/result tradeoff IMO.

I don't want to get back just my court fees. If I could have it, heads would roll, but in lieu of that, I will take severe personal penalties to all those involved. Their tunes will change really frakking quick if the consequence is being put out on the street (or worse) for frakking around with people's medical coverage.

Re: How to Replace Your CPAP in Only 666 Days

#126

Post by [deleted] »

dralley wrote: post #85
robmccoll wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have terrible news about systems built on private health insurance (USA): it will still take 666 days to see a specialist, and you will need a referral from your PCP who may also decide they want to see you in person first. This may be its own scheduling nightmare. Then you may find out that your preferred specialist is out of network for your private insurance. The waits are a generally a supply and demand issue m…

I've never had to wait more than a month to see a specialist in the US

[deleted]

Re: How to Replace Your CPAP in Only 666 Days

#127

Post by londons_explore »

patja wrote: post #116
londons_explore wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In most places you can at least get back the court fees (which are typically a few hundred bucks). Unfortunately sometimes you can't get back the court fees, and in situations like that, rather than spending $3000 on some new medical gear and battling insurance I would be very tempted to go to eBay, buy it 2nd hand from someone for $150, and just use that. Better time/effort/money/result tradeoff IMO.

eBay is pretty good at enforcing their policy banning sales of medical equipment requiring a prescription. They yank any listing for a CPAP very quickly.

Took me literally 30 seconds to find one:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/404778680293

They even have a category for "Medical equipment > ventilators". If they do have such a policy, they enforce it very poorly.

Re: How to Replace Your CPAP in Only 666 Days

#129

Post by thfuran »

dangus wrote: post #88
thfuran wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>pass a Constitutional amendment allowing every human the unlimited and absolute right to buy, make, modify, and sell medical things including importing and exporting those items. I'm pretty sure I've never heard of a worse idea for a law. Removing any possibility of regulating the quality or efficacy of medicines and medical devices will injure and kill far more people than any resulting improved access would help.

Funnily enough, we have a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to own machines that are designed with the singular purpose of killing people. How could a “medical device second amendment” be worse?

The second amendment doesn't guarantee an unrestricted right to sell guns and isn't even really interpreted as an absolute and unlimited ability to own then these days. Furthermore, the abusive ways to use guns to the detriment of others are inherently illegal and don't scale. If the right to sell medicine were absolute, thalidomide couldn't have been barred from the US market or subsequently pulled and probably would've been laced with nicotine or heroin to make sure people keep buying it. But maybe that wouldn't have been a problem because it would be lost in a sea of snake oil.
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