Can't Afford CPAP? Current Help With Machines and Supplies

Quick answer: If your CPAP prescription is unaffordable, start with your insurance benefits and the supplier's full written quote. Then ask your sleep clinician or social worker about assistance. The CPAP Assistance Program accepts applications, but its inventory, wait list, locations, and eligibility change. Do not stop prescribed treatment solely because an old article lists a program or price that may no longer apply.

Check the benefits you already have

Ask your insurer whether the machine, mask, tubing, and filters are covered as durable medical equipment. Confirm the in-network supplier, whether the device is rented before ownership, your deductible and coinsurance, and any usage requirements. Request the machine and supply estimates separately. Your clinician may be able to provide the prescription and documentation a supplier needs.

Medicare's CPAP coverage page says eligible people may receive an initial 12-week trial. Continued coverage depends on follow-up documentation that therapy is helping. After the Part B deductible, a beneficiary typically pays 20% of the Medicare-approved amount when the supplier accepts assignment. Medicare describes a 13-month rental path to ownership. Medicare Advantage and other insurers can have different rules, so verify your own plan.

Apply to an active assistance program

The CPAP Assistance Program currently offers an application pathway for machines and masks. Its site reports limited inventory and a waiting list, with machine shipments available in selected states. Read the current application for prescription, location, fee, and documentation requirements. Do not assume that a machine is immediately available because the program appears in a blog post.

A clinician, social worker, community health center, or hospital financial counselor may know local equipment banks and charitable resources. Ask the organization directly whether it supplies the prescribed device and a properly fitted, unused mask. Some programs accept devices only through clinical partners.

Compare a reputable used or refurbished option

If assistance is unavailable, ask your clinician whether a refurbished device from an established supplier is suitable. Confirm the device model, usage hours, warranty, recall status, sanitation process, and whether the supplier will set it to your prescription. Buy a fresh mask, tubing, and other patient-contact supplies. A low sticker price is poor value if the machine is unsupported, recalled, or cannot provide usable treatment data.

What to avoid

• Do not use somebody else's settings without a clinician confirming that they match your prescription.
• Do not assume a used mask or opened tubing is safe to reuse.
• Do not rely on outdated application fees, addresses, or state lists copied from older guides.
• Do not stop treatment while waiting for assistance without contacting your care team.

If you also need a diagnosis, read how home sleep testing works. If you already have equipment to give away, see the updated donation guide.