insurance question

hello all I was just on the phone with my DME asking about a new bipap machine and they told me that the only way the insurance will cover a new machine from now on is if mine is broken I have medicaid for my insurance I know they used to cover a new machine every 5 years. my DME also told me that bipaps and cpaps are lasting longer then the 5 years but again I don't know how true this is that the insurance will only cover your machine if its broken. what if you get a new machine and in 5 years it happens to craps the bed. if you only have one machine for example. your SCREWED. and just for the record my current bipap machine is working fine no issues.

It's always best to keep whatever older machine you have for emergencies, fill-ins, etc... but your other questions need to be asked of your insce co. as all are different.

Medicare will only replace a machine if it costs too much to repair it. Of course, the only way to find out how much it costs to repair is to send it to an authorized repair facility and wait for their evaluation. This means you may be without a machine for a month or more if you do not have a back up machine. I found one of our back up machines on Facebook Market Place. The other, I purchased from a forum member. This machine was brand new with zero hours on it.

In your place, I would look for an affordable used machine of the same model.
Everybody needs a backup because breakdowns always happen when the office is closed.
(Unless you work at night, and sleep during the day--when they are available)