26 April 2012 Owosso, Michigan Apnea Support Group Meeting

[Perplexed]

Memorial Healthcare in Owosso, Michigan will host a free monthly sleep apnea support group beginning Thursday, April 26. The group will meet on the last Thursday of each month from 7PM to 8PM in the Community Room at the Medical Arts Building, 721 N Shiawassee St in Owosso. This inaugural meeting will feature representatives from RedMed, who will review new sleep apnea-related products, and representatives from Sobak's Home Medical of Owosso, who will review insurnaces and the products they cover.

These meetings are open to the public. For more information contact Doug Rowden, manager for Neurodiagnostics, at (989) 729-4784.

[Perplexed]

It was an excellent meeting, especially for a first. The Resmed rep gave an excellent presentation and was able to answer questions and help w/demonstration of mask problems for attendees who asked and needed help and did so in a manner that allowed all of us the learn from it. He had several S9 CPAPs w/him "dressed" in various "skins" including the Detroit Tigers, U of M and MSU logos.

There wasn't time for the Sobak Home Medical reps to give their presentation altho they did jiump in w/comments and information which was welcome by both the Resmed rep and the group as a whole. They did greet and talk individually w/attendees who arrived early and were pleasant and friendly. I look forward to their presentation at another meeting.

The next meeting is scheduled for 31 May, same time and place. I enjoyed this one and will be sure to make the next one. Meetings will be held monthly the last Thursday of every month.

[Perplexed]

Well, the second meeting was as successful or even moreso than the first. The rep from Sobak's was there and the subject was pretty much masks and mask fit and cleaning but we got off onto some insurance issues as well.

There were about 20 apneans present so it was a nice size group. One interesting item discussed by the Sobak rep was this issue of the new Medicare bidding process. He informed us that it could (and has) resulted in a situation where someone released from the hospital w/a script for a hospital bed, wheelchair, toilet seat, and CPAP could end up getting the hospital bed from one DME provider, the CPAP from aother DME provider and the wheelchair from yet another DME provider due to the method of the bidding process. He also mentioned that if you weren't happy w/or about this bidding process to call 1 (800) Medicare and tell them so and why.

He also mentioned the Medicare replacment schedule and the need for patient's to make their needs known to their provider rather than just struggling on w/inadequate, ill-fitting or deteriorating equipment. He discussed the wisdom of only ordering what you need rather than everything on a set schedule. And masks can last much longer if we ask for new cushions rather than a new mask if a full new mask isn't needed.

It was refreshing to have a DME provider advising to be sure to have what you need, to ask for what you need but to also use some common sense about not taking advantage and having some respect for need vs expense.

I'm looking forward to the next meeting in June - the 28th at 7 PM. Always the last Thursday of the month.