The Price of Masks and parts

[cato47]

Does anyone think that the mask manufacturers are raping and pillaging us poor apneacs with their outrageous pricing for masks and parts. I come from a Mfg background and I can tell you straight up that the cost of the materials to make a mask is less than a pack of cigarettes, maybe with the exception of a gel mask. Yes , they have to tool up for each new design and fabricate dies, but a high dollar football helmet doesn't cost as much. As for chin straps, this is another great example of sticking it to us. Too bad everyone that comes to this forum couldn't take a minute and email their prospective mask Mfg and voice the outrage. I'm a newbie to the sight but an old timer when it comes to sleep apnea.

What think yee my brothers and sisters?

[6PtStar]

When you log on to one of your own posts there is a edit box in the right hand corner. Just click on it and it will let you edit.

Jerry

[WearyOne]

The mask prices are bad enough, but even worse are replacement cushions and pillows! Over on CPAP Auction, I just won a bid on a Hybrid with everything included (except the carrying case). Never used to sleep, just opened and used for demonstrations at a store in my local area. I just need the medium oral cushion and large nasal pillows, and what I paid for the whole thing on the bid was just a tad more than getting only the cushion and pillows new. And like a lot of people here, I try to trade the sizes I don't need for the ones I do.

Pam

[CRMW]

Hi cato47, are you refering to the DME prices for the masks, if so check out the online prices. CPAP.com seems to have some of the better prices that I have found. As to the rest, I assume that either there are more football helmets made than masks resulting in discounts for volume or there needs to be some more competition among the manufacturers.

Chris

[TXKajun]

cato, of COURSE they are!! But, then again, so are the manufacturers of almost every other product we use or consume. It's called "business" and "free market enterprise".

But yep, I wish also that the prices would be more reasonable. And I wish gasoline wasn't over $3/gallon and that .........oh well, nebbermind.

Kajun

[lusoman]

What think yee my brothers and sisters?

Definitely seem expensive to me, especially the filters: has anyone found a good cheap online source for Respironics M-Series filters?

[WNJ]

1) There is no meaningful competition in the manufacture of masks and parts. There is little competition in the sale of these items, as the manufacturers will not allow it. (At one time, such vertical price-fixing would have been considered a violation of the anti-trust acts.) Many consumers are railroaded into a particular DME by their physician (e.g., my doctor faxed my Rx to a local DME before advising me) and think they have no choice to shop around. Those of us who are proactive in our treatment are a small minority.

2) These items are not very price sensitive because many end-users are covered by insurance and many of them have the same co-pay regardless of price, with the insurance company paying the difference.

Wayne

[Wulfman]

When you can hang the "Medical" tag on these products AND get the government (Medicare/CMS) and insurance providers to agree to what will be paid for these items.....you can charge many times what it costs to make/produce this stuff.

Try this with some other items......like computers. Imagine how much you'd have to pay for them if outfits like Dell, HP/Compaq and others could do what ResMed, Respironics and others do with their products.

Den

[krousseau]

Medicare just paid Apria $51+ for a hose I can probably get for around $10 at cpap.com and $32 for one grey and two white filters. Yet Medicare won't let me get it for a lower price and reimburse me. Of course I'm sure Medicare would rather deal with Apria than with all the Medicare recipients Apria "serves".