I just posted my questions, but I forgot ask what a DME is.  My ear, nose, throat Dr. sent me for my studies.

graceb59 wrote:

I just posted my questions, but I forgot ask what a DME is.  My ear, nose, throat Dr. sent me for my studies.

A "DME" stands for Durable Medical Equipment provider.  Once you get a sleep test, and assuming that your Doctor decides he wants you to use xPAP therapy you have to get the equipment.  Your doctor and/or your insurance company will give you a list of vendors in the area who will provide the equipment.  Your doctor will provide the prescription with the settings and the DME will make the adjustment on the machine and give you the basic training (either in office or in home).  You'll hear some good stories and some horror stories about different DME's (some being local providers, and some being national providers).

My Dr. never did that.  He apparently just ordered the machine & it was sent to me.  He never even called me to tell me he was setting me up on a machine.  I guess I picked a great Dr.

DME is often used to indicate the equipment as well as to indicate the equipment provider.

Call your insurance company and ask them what local DME CPAP suppliers they are contracted with. You may have the option of more than one and if your current local DME supplier isn't satisfactory you might be able to "shop" the others for better service and support. But you generally have to do that w/in the first 30-60 days of first receiving your equipment.

What CPAP brand and model were you provided with? Do you know what your pressure setting is? You might want to ask your sleep doctor for a copy of his dictated results (1-2 pages each) AND the full scored data summary w/condensed graphs (5+ pages each) from both your sleep evaluation AND your titration study AS WELL AS a copy of your equipment order (script). It sounds like you may well need them to help answer some questions, especially if you run into problems w/your therapy. And you never know when traveling out of town when your xPAP might be stolen, lost or needs repair. You would need them for proof of need for replacement, loss or repair.


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Some people are like Slinkies... Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Resmed VPAP Auto. Humidaire 3i, Simplicity & Micro masks, ResScan 3.4, S8 ResLink, Embla oximeter.

I have a resprontronics - Remstar M.  The mask is a comfort select.  My setting is 15.  Thanks, I'll call my Dr. for the results.  I didnt realize I could control who sent me the machine.

Well, actually it is your insurance who "controls" where you get your equipment from depending on how many local DME CPAP suppliers they are contracted with. Your current supplier MIGHT be the only one they have contracted with.

All of the current Respironics xPAPs are RemStar M something: Respironics RemStar M Series Plus w/or w/o C-Flex (I would NOT accept this one, its capable of compliance data only), Respironics RemStar M Series Pro w/C-Flex (this is a good one and fully data capable), Respironics RemStar M Series Auto w/C-Flex, Respironics RemStar M Series Auto w/A-Flex. So, look at your Users Manual or the top of your device to see which one you have.


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Some people are like Slinkies... Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Resmed VPAP Auto. Humidaire 3i, Simplicity & Micro masks, ResScan 3.4, S8 ResLink, Embla oximeter.

I had no control over who my DME was either.  I was never given a list of vendors in the area who will provide the equipment.  The sleep center called to tell me I could come in and get the c-pap machine.  It ended up being from their vendor "sleep med therapy". I did not know anything becasue I had not come to this wonderful forum yet.  It did not dawn on me to get on the Internet for support until after I got my machine and was having problems adjusting.  So just that you know you are not alone.  I was clueless!

I too was clueless in the beginning...then was stuck with a bottom shelf CPAP for 4 years.  The only way I could get a new one before 5 years was if I needed different equipment due to medical reasons...which ended up hapenning this last spring...so now on a BiLevel.  I received substandard therapy for my conditiions for 4 years!  Not that the machine did not work or gave less therapy per se... it was not data capable...that was a big issue for me...it was the fact that I needed the bilevel and was also haivng leaks that I was unaware of.


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BiPAP Auto M 13/8 Mirage Nasal Swift. 20 years+ undx'd. RLS/PLMD, Hypersomnia & more.