how often do you buy supplies?

I was wondering how often you need to buy supplies for the Cpap. The company that I bought mine from is calling me ever month to order supplies. This seems exsesive to me. Does anyone know how often you should buy the different supplies?

Thank you

It depends on what you need. I change my filter every 2 weeks and everything else when it wears out. Insurance will dictate when they will pay for things, and my insurance only pays for a new mask every 9-12 months. If I need to replace the seal, etc. before then, I use cpap.com. My DME has never called me about ordering supplies, and they will only give me one filter at a time, and they expect me to drive 40 minutes to pick it up. Hope this helps.

Tcamillemars - You'd be better off buying some backup filters (more than one) from cpap.com when you are ordering replacement mask cushions. It would not be covered by insurance maybe but you would save the cost of the gas to drive to the DME and the shipping from cpap.com would not be any more by adding a few light items like filters.

Wow - are we really supposed to replace those filters every two weeks?! Does it depend on your system or is that the norm for all machines?

The black ones are reusable. They should be washed and replaced every 2 weeks. Your machine should have come with 2 so that you can wash one and have a clean dry one ready.

The white filters are optional. People with allergies and others who want that "extra" filter use these. They are not washable or reusable and should be replaced at least every month or when they look gray.

I can't remember - is this outlined in the machine User's Guide?

Hawthorne wrote:The black ones are reusable. They should be washed and replaced every 2 weeks. Your machine should have come with 2 so that you can wash one and have a clean dry one ready.

The white filters are optional. People with allergies and others who want that "extra" filter use these. They are not washable or reusable and should be replaced at least every month or when they look gray.

I can't remember - is this outlined in the machine User's Guide?

I don't THINK Hawthorne meant to imply that the foam filters needed to be discarded after two weeks.
I'm still using the same ones I started out with 4+ years ago. Just rinse/wash them out every couple of weeks and after using a towel to dry them out, I put it back in the machine.

To your question of "How often?".......for me, not very often. In fact, after I determined what mask worked best for me, I purchased several extra masks, additional seals and extra headgear. I also purchased extra hoses (although I'm still using the same one I started out with 4+ years ago). All these "extras" have been purchased out-of-pocket because they would have been subject to insurance deductibles and that would have been ridiculously expensive to do it that way.
I have enough extra stuff to last (somebody) long after I'm planted in the ground.


Den

No! I didn't mean "replaced' as in "throw away". I mean "change" the one in the machine every 2 weeks.

Yes, I still have my original 2 for this machine (had this machine for 18 months) and will probably be using them for a long time yet. I use one for 2 weeks and take it out and put in the other one. I wash the one I took out and it's ready to be replaced in the machine in 2 weeks.

Thanks for catching that Wulfman!

I change my filters when I feel like too much dust is getting through. That means once a month in high pollen season; less often the rest of the year.

My insurance (KPNW, an HMO) allows for a new mask every 6 months, and since it took me forever to get a mask that really works for me, I have a drawer full. They usually replace pillows/cushions for free every 3 months, but I rarely need replacements that often. It's a good idea to take advantage of this at least for a back-up mask.

They used to give free filters (ResMed) whenever I asked for them, but they changed their prime provider to Respironics, so now they charge for them. The OT suggested the washable/reusable kind.

They let us purchase a new machine every 5 years. I assume it's the same for humidifiers. There is a timeline for new hoses, too, but I've never needed a new hose.