how often do you get a new cpap machine, just diagnoised and recieved my 1st machine wed of last week

i was just diagnosed with mild sleep apena, and have a weird question will i get a replacement loaner if i need it repaired, on medicare how often do I get a new one, and how often just received my machine Thursday night, another question what if I am in an accident and need to stay over night in hospiital and didnt have my cpap machine with me, then what, how often do i have to do a new sleep study?

I am not in the US, but I believe the US Medicare rules for replacement parts etc are extremely generous. Someone must be making big money on it. This link gives you the schedule and codes they use for replacement.

https://www.sleepapnea.org/treat/cpap-therapy/care-and-replacement-of-cpap-equipment/

My wife has a CPAP machine that is about 5 years old and it works fine. Mine is 3 years old and works fine. I am basically using a 3 year old mask with a new nasal pillow cushion. All the rest is original. You really only need to replace parts when they deteriorate. Some of the replacement frequencies allowed by Medicare are downright ridiculous. 5 years for the machine is probably reasonable though.

Hospitals should have CPAP's to use, but I know from experience if the hospital visit is planned then they ask you to bring your own machine. Keep in mind that especially when you have mild apnea a CPAP machine is nothing close to being essential for life. It is a long term risk and sleeping a few nights without it, is not really a big deal. If you snore, it may annoy someone else in the room though.

If you have an automatic machine you are unlikely to need a periodic sleep study, and one is not necessary unless you are having issues with achieving a low enough AHI. AHI should be under 5, but many people get under 2.

If you have a PC or Mac with a SD card reader you may want to download a freeware app called OSCAR that shows all the detailed data that the machine is capturing each night. It allows you to monitor the efficiency of the machine better and will let you know if you may benefit from adjustments. Here is an example of a report from my ResMed AirSense 10 machine.

One of my machines is almost 7 years old and has done over 16,000 hours. It has some issues but no more than it had all through the years.

The newer machines don't seem to be as durable but time will tell.

The CPAP store that issued the machine should supply a loan machine if they need to send your CPAP off for repairs.

The actual rule for Medicare and most insurances is the 5 year rule unless the machine has issues before hand. After the warranty period it sometimes is not worth to repair so they replace it. We have had some instances in which the insurance refused replacement even at the 5 year mark, as there was nothing wrong with the machine. They have gotten stricter in cases of lost or stolen machines by requiring police or fire reports. If your insurance is one that will allow replacement after 5 years it’s not a bad idea to keep your current machine as a back up while it’s still operational. These rules, especially Medicare/Medicaid are subject to change so it’s best to check when you are thinking of getting a new one. Secondary or travel machines are not covered by insurance.