3 reasons to replace your CPAP mask parts regularly

mike1953 wrote:https://www.wakeuptosleep.com/blog/2015 ... larly.html

This was written by ResMed....I think the 4th reason is that they will make more money. I have said this before...I have been using my current Quattro mask for 15 months. I change the cushion about yearly although I have been alternating my 2 current cushions for about 18 months. I hane never replaced the head gear. I rarely wash my mask...I wipe my cushion every night with a baby wipe. I have no problems with a seal...in fact...I think older cushions seal better than a newer one. My AHI runs between 1.0 and 2.5...I have zero leaks...I sleep about 7 hours.

I see the ResMed logo on the lower left-hand corner and this in the lower right-hand corner of the links:

ResMed's Sleep Apnea Support Community

and:

The cost of CPAP mask part replacement
We understand that some people consider cost a big obstacle to replacing CPAP mask supplies. The good news is: Medicare and many other insurance plans cover routine replacements. We urge you to talk with your insurance company about your replacement options and order new supplies as recommended to enjoy the benefits listed above and help ensure your long-term health.

In other words......"Insurance Pays"......SOOOOOO, keep sucking money out of your insurance. (that's what keeps the costs of this stuff artificially high)

I've often related my experiences with my masks, cushions and headgear.
But, from some recent experiments.......
A few months ago, I pulled my "original" (2005) UMFF cushion out of storage and put it back into my mask frame. I had exchanged it with a new/spare cushion back in April of 2011 after 6 years of use. It still exhibited approximately the same leak level of the one (now 4 years old) I had replaced it with. So, the first of this month (August), I pulled out a never-used UMFF mask out of the sealed package and box it had been stored in since I bought it in 2006. Surprisingly, the leak rate was higher (six to eight liters) than those two (old) used ones. Now, at three weeks of use, the leak rate is just starting to come down, but still higher than the others. So, it would appear that it's starting to get "broke in".

I also get "years" of use out of my headgear, too.

My overall reaction to the articles in the links is two words......one starts with "B" and the other starts with "S".


Den

.

Geez, that's scummy, even for ResMed. Talk about reversing cause and effect.

Let me make some similar claims, not based on studies, but probably true.

1) They are richer. People making over $120,000 per year replace their masks twice as often as people living below the poverty line.
2) They are more likely to have health insurance. People with health insurance replace their masks 3 times as often as those without.
3) They are more likely to consistently use their CPAP. People who use their CPAP every night are more than 4 times as likely to replace their CPAP parts frequently than those who have put their CPAP machine away and don't use it.
4) They are happier. People who are happy are much more likely to replace their CPAP parts that depressed people who have given up caring about anything.
5) They are healthier. People who take care of their health by exercise and otherwise take care of themselves are more likely to replace their parts more often.
6) They are thinner. People who take care of themselves and lose weight are more likely to replace frequently than fatties.
7) They are attractive. Attractive people replace more often.
8) They are more likely to be employed. Employed people replace more often than the unemployed.
9) They are younger. People in the 30-50 age group are more likely to replace their CPAP parts often than those who are over 65.
10) They are more likely to be alive. There are more than 10 times as many dead people in the group of former customers who don't replace CPAP parts than those who replace them often.

Conclusion: Replace your parts more often and you will be richer, get health insurance, use your CPAP more, be happier, healthier, thinner, more attractive, younger, and less likely to die.

I think the recommended schedule is based on much older equipment. It's also pretty clear that some masks wear out faster than other masks. The problem with the recommended schedule is people think they must replace rather than seeing it as an option only when you need it. And yes maybe you do need it. For instance I know people on here who have used the same nose pillow for a couple months before replacement, and I'm getting a lot of leaks after three weeks. This could be because I'm somewhat between sizes .

Sorry for the disjointed post. I got almost 5 hours sleep last night dang it.

ArchAngel, I love your list.

I have used XPAP for maybe 28 or so years, and my personal experience has been that both the DME and the manufacturers pressure patients to replace mask equipment much more frequently than necessary. Incidentally, I have used the Res-Med Activa masks for about 10 years and like it extremely well. I do occasionally replace mask cushions, but that is only ten months or more than a year. Hoses last much longer. I have only replaced a mask frame when I have accidentally broken a portion of it. And I also find that brushing with plain warm water and ordinary liquid detergent affords quite adequate cleaning of masks and hoses.

Like some other posters on this forum I think that the urge to replace masks and hoses frequently is the underlying profit motive. Just add up the charges and see that since machine life is typically over five or six years, over eager mask, hose etc. costs are considerable greater than the cost for the machine.

This is a bit like the early safety razor vs blade situation. In a 1927 article on razor-blade counterfeiters, Time magazines tated the obvious: "As everyone knows, safety razor manufacturers derive the bulk of their profit, not from razors, but from the replaceable blades."' And this is just as clear today with respect to CPAP and masks.

TheDuke

With some people and some masks, they DO need to replace parts that often. Some people get leaks if they don't replace cushions that often. I don't know if it's a difference in mask design and material, difference in body chemistry, makeup, cleaning process, or what.

One problem is that if they extend the replacement period, insurance won't pay for those who need it more often.