Confused re: CPAP Prescription in Canada

There is 1 sleep specialist in this city - and one private sleep clinic ( which I would use if I ever needed another sleep study and it still exists at that time. GPs here mostly only refer to the Sleep Specialist at the hospital. They say the private one only wants to sell cpap machines. That doesn't matter to me now since I have been diagnosed and am on a machine (for 12+ years).

If I ever have need of another sleep study - don't see that happening - I would go to the private clinic (I can self refer there) unless the hospital one had driven the private on out of business, which wouldn't surprise me.

I am also glad I found cpaptalk. I have done extremely well working with knowledgeable people on the forum.

Hawthorne wrote:There is 1 sleep specialist in this city - and one private sleep clinic ( which I would use if I ever needed another sleep study and it still exists at that time. GPs here mostly only refer to the Sleep Specialist at the hospital. They say the private one only wants to sell cpap machines. That doesn't matter to me now since I have been diagnosed and am on a machine (for 12+ years).

There's a lot more options for you in Toronto, if you don't mind a two hour+ drive (or train ride) to the GTA. The OHIP-covered clinic I used in mid-town Toronto scheduled a sleep study a few weeks after I received the referral from my GP. They can accommodate up to six sleep studies at once. My consultation was two weeks after the study, and I had a titration study six weeks after that.

The sleep clinic provided me with a prescription which I could have used to go to any CPAP provider, however I used a company (separate from the sleep clinic) on another floor in the same medical building out of convenience.

I am somewhat disabled and a 2+ hour drive to Toronto for a sleep study is not something I can do easily, nor do I want or need to. I am doing fine with my sleep apnea and have been doing well for several years now. I have other medical issues that I am dealing with. Thankfully, my sleep apnea therapy is going very well so that is not something I have to do anything about right now.

Move to Manitoba, all CPAP costs are covered in full by Manitoba Health. Masks and related supplies are provided once a year. It does take a bit too long to have the initial sleep study done if you apply through the Provincial Program ( wait times are about a year) but you can speed the process up by paying for the initial sleep study at any private sleep clinic (cost $195). I chose that route and had mine done in a week after being referred by an ENT. Following that I had to apply through the Government sponsored program and since I had already had the sleep study done only waited about 2 months for that appointment after which I was given a prescription by the Provincial Sleep Clinic. So instead of waiting a year for treatment I was able to go ahead after a couple of months.The Government has a contract with a company to provide all the CPAP supplies you require under Provincial Guidelines and this is the only place you can obtain paid for supplies. If you are OK with paying for everything and I don't know why anyone would want to considering what it costs ongoing for equipment and supplies, you can bypass the Provincial program and be all set to go in a matter of a couple of weeks. In all cases however you do need to be referred by a Doctor.