Online CPAP - North of the Border

[GregPS]

There seems to be quite a few CPAP providers in Canada. Does anybody have a preference? Good experiences or Bad to share?

Thanks

[Cpapian]

Cpapmachines.ca

They are located in Richmond Hill, Ontario. They offer specials, will price match Canadian prices, free shipping over $100, no customs or border delays, will provide written predetermination for extended health insurance and ...... their prices afe much better than the DME. in my case the mask I chose was 40% of the DMEs price.

I orded one afternoon. Next day email received, order was shipped and next day received in the morning. Well packaged, mask in sealed package.

Very happy with them.

[Julie]

Vitalaire - various locations (Google).

[Hose_Head]

Vitalaire - various locations (Google).

Seriously? Have you used them?

Vitalaire was my first DME and at first opportunity I RAN from them. Rip off company.

That was 10 years ago. Maybe they've changed..... Maybe not.

A couple of points:
1) most companies probably have good people working for them, and a few bad apples. It might not be fair to judge an entire company based on experiences with just one of its employees. But if you find that poor customer service is endemic, then look elsewhere.
2) on the other hand, you can judge a company on the basis of its policies and prices. Bad policies and/or prices that are way outside the norm are indicative of a company that really only cares for it's own bottom line. Customers (i.e. patients) are secondary interests, or worse.

In my 10-years-ago experience with Vitalaire, they failed on both 1) and 2).


To the original poster, here are a couple of my favourite online Canadian Sources:
Clinicalsleep.com based in Vancouver. They are competitive with cpap.com
cpapoutlet.ca based in Toronto.

I also like to order from our host, cpap.com. Problem is that they cannot ship Respironics or Resmed products across the border.

[Julie]

Wow! Things are different in Ont. (where I lived and worked in T.O. x 20 yrs til just before 2000).

I got my first machine/mask from Vitalaire in Halifax - given an auto rt. away and nasal mask, but after they checked into things (I was 100% ignorant of all until later on) suggested a FFM, I tried many within a few mos. and settled on what I still use now. My ex's insce. pd for my first machine/mask so I honestly can't say if they charged too much but have so far otherwise been fine with them.

But have continued with Vitalaire on the odd occasion when needed (in Moncton now vs Halifax) and have had no problem at all.

[Hawthorne]

I just found a new one last night - "Monster CPAP". i will be trying an order. I have mainly used cpapclinic.ca. They are good - reasonable prices and quick shipping.

[D.H.]

You might want to consider driving across the border and buying in the U.S. I don't know if the price will be better, worse, or the same (after currency conversion). You do theoretically need a prescription for a CPAP in the U.S., but a Canadian prescription would probably be honored.

Also, before you consider this take into account support & servicing, and what your insurance might provide (and perhaps not provide in the U.S.).

[Hawthorne]

My experience, with shopping cpap, tells me that there is no saving in driving across the border! A prescription is needed here, as well, for machines, at least. Our dollar is not that strong right now. A Canadian prescription will be honoured in the US but, financially, it probably would cost more right now. Canadian insurance will NOT accept items bought in the US. There are enough Canadian online suppliers now, making a trip across the border unnecessary and, probably, more expensive.

[D.H.]

My experience, with shopping cpap, tells me that there is no saving in driving across the border! A prescription is needed here, as well, for machines, at least. Our dollar is not that strong right now. A Canadian prescription will be honoured in the US but, financially, it probably would cost more right now. Canadian insurance will NOT accept items bought in the US. There are enough Canadian online suppliers now, making a trip across the border unnecessary and, probably, more expensive.

I'm not surprised, especially given that insurance is involved. However, it did make sense during the first decade of this century, at least in some provinces.

[Julie]

Ridiculous, as usual.

[Hose_Head]

My experience, with shopping cpap, tells me that there is no saving in driving across the border! A prescription is needed here, as well, for machines, at least. Our dollar is not that strong right now. A Canadian prescription will be honoured in the US but, financially, it probably would cost more right now. Canadian insurance will NOT accept items bought in the US. There are enough Canadian online suppliers now, making a trip across the border unnecessary and, probably, more expensive.

Not entirely true. It depends on which insurer and insurance plan you are talking about.

Yes, the Ontario government OHIP - ADP plan will not pay for purchases made in the USA (in fact, they only will pay for machines purchased from government-selected companies). But some private insurers will cover it, depending on the plan. For example, my own private plan (Great West Life) will cover the cost of masks, hoses, and humidifier tanks; over the years, I have purchased these from cpap.com with reimbursement from GWL . I've never tried to buy get GWL to pay for a US-purchased xpap and cannot say whether it would be covered, or not.

However, I agree that there now are enough Canadian online suppliers who sell at competitive prices to make it unnecessary to pay the added shipping costs (and time) to purchase from elsewhere.

[Hawthorne]

Thanks for clarifyng. I should have said that MY extended health will not pay for cpap equipment purchased from a US company.