[Jacks]

Lot of worst case scenarios in this post.

Originally Posted by pylon

we'll make you an appointment for a trial machine a month from now. "Ok, you are saying my life is in danger, but wait another month for a machine?" My BS detector started going off then. It didn't seem ethical.

I booked an appointment, had a sleep test then had a loaner machine all in less than a week, that was with RANA.

Originally Posted by pylon

Whatever, I am already annoyed, and just say book it, then leave their office with one goal. Lose weight. If my "life threatening" apnea isn't life threatening enough to get a trial machine urgently and quickly, I'll do what I can, as fast as I can.

I was 259 pounds at the time. When I'm mildly inactive and at least eat right I'm normally about 225, when I go fitness freak mode I get in between 200-205. I call Fitness Factory, Fitness depot, etc... and put $5-6000 into free weights, squat racks, benches, you name it, cost is no expense. I finally have an excuse to build my dream gym, as gyms are closed. It's Covid, so I'm paying full retail, I don't care, enough is enough, I'm tired of being a fatty, embarassed for my wife to be who's in incredible shape, no more excuses. I start working out like a maniac and I lose 25 pounds the first month, and wife says, "You never wake me up with snoring and your not choking....anymore." I can tell as well, I am way fresher every day, and don't have the brain fog.

I finally get to my trial machine pickup appointment at Peak Sleep. They weigh me. The respiratory therapist double takes.... "Ok, I think they recorded your weight wrong." "No sir, I have lost 25-26 pounds in about a month. I'm on a 1500 calorie diet, and working out very heavily 2 hours a night. I also know what I am doing and have done this before when I was heavily into fitness." Hoping to avoid a lecture about rapid weight loss. I also suggest, we re-do the initial sleep study, as my wife says it is no where near as bad as it was. It's like I said nothing, and they wouldn't entertain that option. They say "It never goes away 100% it might reduce 'a bit' but never go away" I'm told. This was BS, because now I'm only lightly snoring, and not choking at all, so that assessment is wrong on their part.

Great that you managed to lose a lot of weight quick but it's foolish to advise others to ignore the problem in hopes that they will also be successful in dropping a lot of weight in a short time.

Originally Posted by pylon

Anyway, I take the test machine home, after paying $200 for a plastic mask I could buy on Amazon for $80. The exact one. Same part number etc. I also could buy it from a medical supply place for $80. I question this, and I'm told "It's not the same, we provide better service." Ok, so it is the "same", you just claim to provide better service. Totally different. Maybe they take it out of the bag better?

Now because they set this thing based on my results from when I was almost 30 pounds heavier, I can't sleep, the pressure is too high. I'm wearing the nose pillow, and every night I'm woken up 10 times from my cheeks puffing up, and air rushing out of my mouth once I can't contain the pressure anymore and my mouth 'pops'. It's an awful experience. So they adjust this by remote, and it gets better, but still doing this 3-4 times a night.

They definitely should have given you a new test but I think you are a rare exception that they aren't used to.

Originally Posted by pylon

Then I start researching their pricing. They charge $2400 for a machine that can be bought elsewhere for about $800 with a mask, the exact same ones, and start making some calls. The consensus is this. 90% of places believe these sleep clinics do this because most plans cover $2000 for everything. When you add the mask, and the machine, you have $2600. So out of pocket you are only $600 after the benefit. If you buy it off Amazon or another medical supply place, you are $800 out of pocket with no benefit. So they are hoping people claim benefits for the $200 savings. So we can now add questionable billing practices to the list.

I call my benefits provider. "If I buy this on Amazon, or medical supply place, can I still claim it?" Their response, "As long as it is new, and as long as you have a doctors form, yes." Check, check. Now I can add any ancillary stuff too, like a battery pack, and extra masks if needed, as I'm way under $2000.

This is just dumb, these clinics usually do their work for no charge or way less then it would cost to stay in business, they make money off of selling the equipment, nothing wrong with that. I can buy floor mats, undercoating or a box spray from a 3rd party at a huge discount, does that make you a scammer as a dealership?

Originally Posted by pylon

This thing still isn't right, and is still causing this cheek puffing problem. I finally give up, put the thing back in the box. Upon returning the equipment, I sit down with them, now another 10 pounds lighter, and explain how disappointed I am in how they refused to adjust things and re-assess based on my weight loss, their pricing model and what I heard about it, and also the fact that you terrified me with the extremity of my problem, and then told me to wait a month for a trial machine. I asked "Was telling me how bad my Apnea was, part of the pitch to pay triple for a machine on my benefits, I could get elsewhere at a fair price?" They tried to say their machine was better because they supported it, better, but I also gave them the analogy back, "I sell certified pre-owned certified VW's to my customers, as they are looked at by a VW mechanic, re-conned with VW parts, and have to be the cream of the crop used cars. I might get another 5% for my cars, not 300%"

I was asked to sign a form declining further treatment at that point, and happily did so.

At this moment, I now sit at 215 with my 205 goal in sight, and have almost completely stopped snoring. So if there's any morale to the story, lose weight first, before you commit to a Darth Vader sleeping device for the rest of your life. It may just do the trick. I also suspect everyone has been told how extreme their apnea is as well. I could understand a couple hundred bucks more, that's fair, but triple the price? GTFO. Also buy your equipment elsewhere, these guys are bandits, and are selling you no different than a scummy car dealer.

I should know, being a scummy car dealer and all.

Horrible advice, maybe you had a bad experience but this is just wrong. By all means people should look at losing weight, if that is the cause of their apnea, but they should also look at a CPAP solution in the meantime since most people never reach their fitness goals.


Edit: And after giving them a little slice you can get way better prices online but if you never buy anything from the sleep clinics they will either go out of business or just start charging a lot for appointments, nothing is free in life.