Options for acquiring CPAP

[brocharlieb]

A friend of mine was diagnosed with sleep apnea and needs a cpap. They diagnosed him by sending him home with some type of monitor. He doesn't have health insurance and couldn't afford a full sleep study. The doc says he needs a cpap, I sent him an old one of mine, but they said that wasn't what he needed. I guess since he didn't have a full sleep study he needs one with more automatic features than my old one had.

Any ideas as to what options he would have. Apparently his doc is willing to right an rx for the machine.

[Pugsy]

With RX your friend can buy a machine from our forum host cpap.com.
From a purely cost aspect and the need for APAP and data to monitor things...the PR System One 60 series model 560 which is the Auto Cpap (APAP) would be good choice. Have to call for final pricing but I believe with humidifier it is around $650.
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/pr-sys ... -tube.html

If money is really tight mcdover has some slightly used machines. He did have a couple low hours PR S1 APAP model 550 which is a great machine. It doesn't have the heated hose feature of the 560 is only potential drawback and that can be managed easily.
viewtopic/t83637/Used-CPAPBiPAPs.html

Craigslist is an option but one really has to know their machines. Secondwindcpap.com also has some gently used and sometimes new/open box deals.

The newer model machines that use the SD card, instead of smart card for data storage, like the PR System One and ResMed S9 also have easy to obtain and use software.

Card readers for the older machines that use the smart card are still available for the Respironics machines but the ResMed S8 machine's card reader is hard to find and very pricey but the S8 machines do have decent data available on the machine's LCD screen.

I personally would still prefer the new models with the SD card because they gather additional data that can be useful that isn't gathered by the older technology machines.
So if it were me I would be looking at either the PR S1 APAP or the ResMed S9 Autoset. The PR S1 costs much less and really it is pretty much of a toss up in regards to which is a better machine. I have used both brands and both do a great job but the S9 Autoset costs a lot more and to be honest...there's not $500 worth of difference. If money is tight...go with Respironics.

[brocharlieb]

Great information, PUGSY, thanks for that.

[Taringa542]

With RX your friend can buy a machine from our forum host cpap.com.
From a purely cost aspect and the need for APAP and data to monitor things...the PR System One 60 series model 560 which is the Auto Cpap (APAP) would be good choice. Have to call for final pricing but I believe with humidifier it is around $650.
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/pr-sys ... -tube.html

If money is really tight mcdover has some slightly used machines. He did have a couple low hours PR S1 APAP model 550 which is a great machine. It doesn't have the heated hose feature of the 560 is only potential drawback and that can be managed easily.
viewtopic/t83637/Used-CPAPBiPAPs.html

Craigslist is an option but one really has to know their machines. Secondwindcpap.com also has some gently used and sometimes new/open box deals.

The newer model machines that use the SD card, instead of smart card for data storage, like the PR System One and ResMed S9 also have easy to obtain and use software.

Card readers for the older machines that use the smart card are still available for the Respironics machines but the ResMed S8 machine's card reader is hard to find and very pricey but the S8 machines do have decent data available on the machine's LCD screen.

I personally would still prefer the new models with the SD card because they gather additional data that can be useful that isn't gathered by the older technology machines.
So if it were me I would be looking at either the PR S1 APAP or the ResMed S9 Autoset. The PR S1 costs much less and really it is pretty much of a toss up in regards to which is a better machine. I have used both brands and both do a great job but the S9 Autoset costs a lot more and to be honest...there's not $500 worth of difference. If money is tight...go with Respironics.

Well said Pugsy. I bet you were a School Teacher in a former life