Questions about getting CPAP

[Newbie_Mike]

Hey guys,

I did a sleep study and found that I had moderate sleep apnea (~25 events per hour) and the doctor at the clinic wrote me a prescription for a CPAP with humidification and initial pressure of 8cmH20. I am going to get the resmed S9 CPAP on monday, but I see alot of people using the S9 autoset. I live in Ontario, Canada, and I've been reading about how hard it is to get a prescription for an APAP. I was wondering if I'm going to be loosing out if I get the CPAP vs APAP machine, or am I overthinking it. Also, if anyone knows about the procedure in Ontario, if I'm for some reason not successful with the CPAP and require an APAP, would I have to pay out of pocket or would I be eligable for another ADP reinbursement ?

Thanks guys,

Mike

[6PtStar]

A auto is nice so that if something changes you can run in auto mode and try to figure out what to do with out having to go through another sleep study. If you can't manage an auto be sure you at least get a cpap that is fully data capable. In the ResMed line I think it is at least the Elite model.

Jerry

[Benz]

I think you should ask your doctor to write the prescription for S9 AutoSet CPAP with Heated Humidifier and Climate Line. If the doctor prescribe that the insurance should cover it too.

[jweeks]

Mike,

I have no idea how your coverage works. The difference in price between the S9 CPAP and APAP is only about $50 if you buy it on-line. Perhaps you can offer to pay the difference in price to get the APAP. Or maybe get the CPAP now, and buy a used APAP later on. It is great to have a 2nd machine as a space, and to have a machine for travel where you don't have to tear down and pack your main machine each time you head out for a weekend or for a trip.

-john-

[brazospearl]

Mike, there's nothing at all wrong about the S9 cpap machine. The advantage of having an auto is that you have more options, but you can certainly get excellent therapy with the S9 cpap. Based on what I've read from our Canadian forum members, it appears that to have your insurance cover an apap you must be prescribed a pressure of 10 or higher; there may also be other requirements depending on where you live. This is different from the way insurance works in the U.S., where, generally, a prescription for a cpap will enable you to purchase an apap as well. In any case, get a copy of your prescription IN YOUR HAND. You can then use the prescription to purchase any machine you like online; the expense will be completely out-of-pocket. There's also a small glitch that one of the major companies won't ship to Canada, but this is overcome by having it shipped to someone in the U.S. and having them send it to you. I think it makes fiscal sense to get the S9 cpap that your insurance covers, then purchase an auto as a back-up. Read everything you can here, and ask all the questions you think of. We'll help all we can, and you CAN do well with a cpap.