Cpap and medicare

I am having trouble with Apria. They want me to rent the machine and I thought it had been paid for by Medicare? Would like to hear from anyone that has Medicare and a cpap.

Thanks

This is the way the sales rep at my DME explained it to me. (I think)

Medicare will pay for a rent to buy machine - usually for 10 months or 15 months. At the end of the period you may choose to accept ownership of the machine and pay no more, or continue to rent it through medicare.

If you choose to accept ownership, the machine is yours and you must pay for all the repairs, replacement parts, etc.

If you choose to continue renting the machine, then medicare will pay for all the repairs, replacement parts, etc.

I have not decided what I will do when I come to that point. Right now medicare is paying 80% of the machine (usage and replacement parts), my secondary insurance is paying 80% of the 20% left , and I am paying the balance.

My experience is the same as Amos'. However the DME rep advised me not to purchase and to continue renting. I asked how I can trade my Remstar Pro 2 for an M series, and was told I couldn't for 5 years.

Specifically, it works out like this:

Above posts are correct. It rents for 13 months then you get the purchase option letter.

If you chose purchase, you do actually own the machine from that point on. As if you had paid cash for it up front. All further repairs and services are of course yours. Barring any significant factors that machine is all Medicare will purchase for a minimum of 5 years. It's not an automatic replacement at 5 years - that's just the minimum expected lifespan.

If you chose the rental option - it stays the property of the DME company. However - NO FURTHER RENTAL BILLS ARE SUBMITTED. That's the part that most people don't seem to realize. Just like the purchase option there aren't any more payments but the machine stays the property of the DME company and therefore all repairs and upkeep are the responsibility of that company. Further, it can be a lot easier to change machines if your needs change. It still isn't easy, but it is easier than if you chose the purchase option. With the rental - there are generally 2 charges per year to cover all upkeep costs. Many companies don't even bill those charges just because it's generally more headache than it's worth (This is several different providers have told me when I asked).

So in a nutshell it seems that purchase, you pay for everything. Rental, they pay for everything.