Backup Equipment Necessary?

[indyzoom]

Hey everyone, been reading through many of the posts on here, and it seems like a lot of people have backups of equipment. Two questions:

1) Is it necessary/advisable to have backups? If so, what backups should I have (mask, hose, etc)?

2) Will insurance cover backups? If not, do you buy them yourselves or is there a way to get it covered (such as waiting for the period when they get you another one and keeping the old one)?

Thanks!

[indyzoom]

I should probably add that I travel a lot -- primarily car travel requiring overnight stays, not much air travel. Not sure if that makes a difference on whether I should have backups!

[cowlypso]

You want to have a backup of anything that you wouldn't be able to do without. So, ideally, mask, hose, humidifier chamber, and even a spare machine.

I don't plan of keeping a spare machine, but I do want to have a backup of everything else. The way that you get these backups is to request all the equipment you're eligible for (and keep using the old stuff until it actually wears out) until you end up with the backups you need. Right now, I have a spare mask new in package on the shelf, and I should be able to get a spare humidifier chamber. I did have a spare hose, but my old hose broke, so now I'll need to order another hose when I'm eligible. Basically, rather than ordering new equipment when the old stuff breaks, order a new one when you take the spare off the shelf. That way, you're never left in a bind of something breaking on a holiday weekend or something.

[indyzoom]

Great, that's basically what I figured but was thinking there might be a quicker way of getting backups. Just started on CPAP and want to make sure I'm well prepared when I hit the road next!

[Goofproof]

It all depends on how much drama or hassle you want to contend with, I find life provides all the hassle I want so as a responcable adult, I try to plan for the worse and be prepared for what the future brings. Many people don't it's their choice, just don't whine to me. Jim

[Lizistired]

I had a hose split during the first 6 months. I taped it up and it will still function as a back up. I got a replacement when I hit 6 months. I got a mask from another member here and then bought one, so I have 3. I rotate them. Sometimes one works better than another. All I order now is pillows and filters. Once you get a backup stash it becomes hoarding. Co-pays add up. I'll probably get a full face fro cold and flu season, but I'm good now.

[archangle]

Backups are good to have.

Most insurance will pay for a new mask, mask cushions, headstraps, humidifier chambers, hoses, filters on some specific schedule. I recommend everyone get replacements the first time or two they are offered and have one or two spares on hand. Then order replacements as needed.

I like to clean everything one week, then use the spare hose, mask, water tank for the next week and let the just cleaned set unused and dry out for a week.

Most insurance won't pay for a spare CPAP machine. Keep an eye out for friends, garage sales, craigslist, etc. to see if you can snag a used machine for cheap enough. Or buy one outright online. A cheap, old, dumb, manual CPAP is fairly easy to find. I've bought two top of the line PRS1 Auto machines from craigslist sellers and am happy with them. I had to watch the ads for months to get a good deal, though.

[bdp522]

I have multiple spares of everything! No matter what goes wrong I have a spare to go to. I don't ever want to sleep without my machine!

Brenda

[nanwilson]

I do not have insurance and I am a senior on a fixed income, yet I have a backup of everything. I purchased my second machine, slightly used from a member here. i purchased an extra hose and filters from cpap.com, they were not expensive. My masks are all slightly used, ones that other members have tried and didn't like or could not use. So you see extra equipment need not be a burden to your pocket book if you are patient and frugal. (Thank you to forum members here that have helped me out over the past year and a half.)
Merry Christmas
Nan

[indyzoom]

Great advice! Since my insurance provides me with new equipment on a schedule, I guess I'll just keep an old one around in case. I'll keep my eye out for an extra machine too, especially if I can find the travel-size version, which would be much easier to travel with!

[Mary Z]

I don't have any back up equipment except mask and hose. $ is a problem as far as a machine. My power goes out very rarely.

[Titrator]

Greetings Folks,

If you are a Medicare patient there is a rule that states that you must get someone to give you in person support within, I do believe, 2 to 4 hours. It may just be 2. So, what I am saying is, that if you had a machine dispensed to you from a homecare company and Medicare bought it, the local homecare company who sold it must provide near immediate action to continue to be a Medicare provider. I know that oxygen patients have to have back up portable air to use, and homecare companies must have someone on call, to handle these types of emergencies, 24/7.

If you don't have much money, and you cannot afford a backup machine, you can at least feel a little bit more secure knowing this.

If you are still in your working years, I advocate a backup machine and mask. It doesn't have to be a new, or fancy machine, but one that holds you over, so you don't miss a night of therapy. One way to do it for a mask is to save your old mask when you get a new one. You may want to purchase a replacement cushion for the old mask, to get it ready in case you break the new one.

I have had masks break and it is no fun if you don't have a backup. I personally, feel weird not having my machine when I sleep. It pretty much wrecks my sleep to worry about it.

The best thing you can do is imagine if both your main machine and your mask were to stop working right now, what would you use that night? If the answer is not to your liking, then either buy or save your older gear to use as a backup.

Cheers to all,

Titrator

[Paul56]

Hey everyone, been reading through many of the posts on here, and it seems like a lot of people have backups of equipment. Two questions:

1) Is it necessary/advisable to have backups? If so, what backups should I have (mask, hose, etc)?

2) Will insurance cover backups? If not, do you buy them yourselves or is there a way to get it covered (such as waiting for the period when they get you another one and keeping the old one)?

Thanks!

Without a critical item backup how long will it take you to get a replacement and
how bad will you be feeling until that replacement arrives?

Most insurance, at least with my experience, will not cover for duplicate backup
equipment.

I have mask, hose and humidifier backup but no machine backup as yet. The
machine backup will happen this year. I'm not in a panic about it given I can
get a machine from cpap.com overnight.

[Titrator]

Paul, You are correct Sir... You certainly can get a machine overnited to you very easily. I have sent many a person a machine overnite due to every situation imaginable. I had lots of customer's who had multiple houses and had a machine in every house, so they would not have to undo the machine on the night stand. I keep my spare machine ready to travel with everything I need. I hate undoing the nightstand machine, because when I get back, I have to crawl around to set it up before going to bed. There is nothing like jumping into bed after a long trip and grabbing the hose and mask without a second thought.

Ted

[chunkyfrog]

My backup blower would have to be able to run on DC power; as we do have the occasional downed line.