My CPAP is broken --- not eligible for replacement for two more years.

[3Hotdogs]

Will Medicare pay to replace broken equipment?

Physician is not available until Monday to send in a new prescription.

[XanaDUer2]

1. I'm sorry

So frustrating

[jpak]

2. That's terrible

Hang in there!

[PuppyBismark]

3. They can be repaired. Contact the manufacturer.

I had one break and my provider give me a loaner while they got mine repaired. You can also contact the manufacturer to see what a repair would cost. Likewise, I would assume there are plenty used machines available in the internet.

You might also Google: "buy CPAP machine"

[Duncanpup]

4. Medicare will pay to have your machine fixed.

[Silent Type]

5. During the 5 years, Medicare should cover repairs, which might include replacing the unit.

https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/sleep/does-medicare-cover-cpap-machines/#:~:text=Medicare%20will%20pay%20to%20replace,cost%20of%20a%20total%20replacement).

[Lunabell]

6. Yes.

Durable medical equipment is covered for repairs if not due to mishandling and if it is not reparable, they will replace it at no cost to you.

[Drum]

7. Kicking for visibility 👀

Good luck!

[MOMFUDSKI]

8. Call your insurance company agent and ask

for an emergency replacement.

[3Hotdogs]

13. It looks like the problem will be solved. I don't have an agent.

My medical insurance is paid by the state as I am a state retiree. They will pay it until I croak. The pension isn't the best, but I have money left over at the end of the month. Not much, but still. No mortgage, just usual bills.

But a bill for a new CPAP would have killed the budget for about 4 months.

[rickford66]

9. Try a dental device.

I've used one since 1997. My late wife said my snoring and apnea stopped immediately. The devices I've used, pull the lower jaw forward, opening the throat more. My first couple were built by my dentist after a sleep study at a local hospital, but now they are readily available online very cheap.

[Wonder Why]

11. There are two types of apnea, obstuctive and central. Many people have both caauses. Your device may work

on obstructive apnea but central apnea (the brain intermittently forgets to breathe) is not helped by devices.

[rickford66]

12. How would the CPAP help with central apnea ?

[Wonder Why]

14. You can easily find it on the net. Here is one source:

Positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy: PAP therapy uses a machine to pump air into the airway to aid breathing during sleep. One of several types of PAP devices may be recommended for people with CSA, including continuous airway pressure (CPAP), bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP), and adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV).

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-apnea/central-sleep-apnea]

[rickford66]

15. The poster doesn't say which type of apnea he has.

So for the price of $40 - $50, he might find relief with a dental appliance, without the expense, discomfort and inconvenience of a CPAP. I'm just offering advice that worked. You can try to talk him out of it. Not my business.

[Wonder Why]

16. I'm not trying to talk anyone out of anything. Central Apnea can be verified by a sleep test but can't be treated by

a dental device. If the brain stops telling you to breathe too often, your lifespan can be reduced - possibly quickly.

I'm suggesting to anyone who has apnea that stopping the snoring with a dental device may not be enough. It might make your spouse happier that you are not noisy at night (my wife was thrilled about that) but she was far more concerned, not by the noise, but by the lack of it when she woke up and realized I was momentarily not breathing. She demanded I get the sleep test. Some spouses, on the other hand, may just use a pillow to finish the job.

[rickford66]

18. I did the over night sleep lab to get diagnosed.

I stopped breathing many times an hour. My wife used to get worried and give me a jab to start breathing again. The sleep study confirmed this. A CPAP was suggested but since I traveled a lot for work, I opted for my dentist to make the appliance. Amazing. Not only did my snoring stop, but I didn't stop breathing during sleep. That's my story. The poster could depend on his costly cumbersome CPAP or at least try an inexpensive dental appliance. I wish him luck.

[Wonder Why]

17. Mine constantly pushes air into my lungs. Pressure is reduced when I exhale.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

10. I had UPPP surgery

Where they removed my uvula, part of my soft palate ( still can get ice cream headaches tho)and removed my tonsils , adenoids and throat tissue in critical areas to tighten it on the inside making it stay open. My sleep apnea has not returned.

The surgery was a suggested option because the trauma and nightmares I have made it so I could not wear the mask at all.

Healing from the operation was painful my sense of taste was off for a week or so(could not taste sweet) I used it to taste honeys to taste the flowers they came from. Don’t drink Arizona tea if for some reason you can’t taste sweetness it was awful.

Maybe you could inquire about this surgery .