What CPAP Supplies Are Not Covered By Insurance? Travel CPAPs Are The Big One

Aeroflow Sleep would love to be able to supply all of its patients with CPAP equipment covered up to 100% through insurance, but unfortunately, not all CPAP equipment is covered; not even a little bit. That’s why we’re here to distinguish which CPAP supplies you can get from Aeroflow Sleep and which you can’t, especially the in-season specials: travel CPAP machines.

Getting CPAP machines through insurance is literally Aeroflow Sleep’s entire business model, plus CPAP supplies, education, and quality patient care, of course. It’s really easy to join our family of sleep apnea patients too, but first, you need to be diagnosed with sleep apnea.

If you don’t yet have a diagnosis, ask your doctor or primary care physician for a sleep study. Symptoms that may indicate sleep apnea include…

• Daytime sleepiness & fatigue
• Loud snoring
• Gasping for breath
• Dry mouth or sore throat
• Insomnia

They will most likely refer you to a sleep specialist for a sleep test, which may be performed at-home or in a lab. With your sleep apnea diagnosis confirmed, you can then sign up for your first order of CPAP supplies by filling out our online qualification form.

Patients who already have a diagnosis can fill out the same form above and get started on your sleep apnea journey with Aeroflow that much sooner.

We are accredited by both Medicare and Medicaid, meaning we may take both depending on your state of residence’s coverage. We are also in-network with most private insurance providers; including Aetna, Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana, and United Healthcare. You can combine these for secondary insurance purposes too.

Meanwhile, Aeroflow Sleep will be using the information you enter to determine eligibility. Check out your account trackers for any outstanding steps in the process or, if your order is complete, for your order’s tracking number. Your CPAP supplies may be on the shipping truck right around the corner!

The CPAP supplies that may be on said truck are what’s really in question though, because not all parts are created equally; nor are they covered by insurance equally. You can almost always expect the basic pieces of CPAP equipment needed to treat your sleep apnea will be covered; those are…

• CPAP, APAP, or BiPAP Machine
• CPAP Mask & Standard Parts
• CPAP Hoses & Tubing
• Standard Water Chamber (or Humidifier Chamber)
• Filters (Disposable & Non-Disposable)

In the case of your machine, the sleep doctor who diagnosed you will prescribe you with a specific pressure setting, and that prescription will tell Aeroflow Sleep which models you qualify for. A BiPAP, for example, is a machine with two pressure settings, prescribed to patients who have more severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) or one of the lesser common forms of sleep apnea: Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) or Mixed Sleep Apnea.

A CPAP hose, or tubing, is another required CPAP part that you’ll find among your first order. Some patients are prescribed heated tubing. Both standard and heated CPAP tubing are covered, however heated tubing is typically only prescribed to sleep apnea patients who suffer from dry mouth or sore throat. It may still be needed for people who live in naturally cold and dry climates to simulate a healthy, tropical environment though, so ask your doctor if heated tubing is right for you.

Standard vs heated water chambers (or humidifier chambers) is similar, but not all heated elements are covered equally. You may not see the same coverage for a heated humidifier chamber, so again, consult with your prescribing physician if you think you need both the heated tubing and a heated humidifier.

Now, let’s talk about what’s not covered. Aside from the occasional heated element, you have…

• Replacement Supplies Outside of the Normal CPAP Schedule
• CPAP Accessories
• Travel CPAP Machines

CPAP accessories that are covered are much easier to assess. The following are typically outlined as luxury items by the insurance companies:

• Cleaners & Sanitizers
• Mask Liners
• Soft Wraps
• Power Supplies & Battery Adapters

Why are these considered luxury items? Because your insurance company has determined that they are not of medical necessity to your sleep apnea treatment. If you have asthma, think about the difference between an inhaler and the spacer that you may want to use to distribute the air more evenly. The spacer isn’t typically covered by insurance, because you don’t need it to deliver the medication. The concept is the same for these parts. They’re comforts; not requirements.

Finally, the coveted travel CPAP machines. The short answer is that this too is considered a luxury item, but the long answer can be found in the next section.

Travel CPAP machines are compact, miniature versions of CPAP machines that deliver pressureized air. They’re meant for travel and are approved for in-flight use, but so are most of your regular CPAP devices. In fact, CPAP machines are not counted towards your in-flight carry-on baggage allowance for that exact purpose.

Thus, since you may use your everyday CPAP machine on a plane, train, boat, or even camping, insurance companies do not cover travel CPAP machines. These devices include:

• ResMed AirMini
• Transcend Micro Auto
• Breas Z2 Travel Auto

Seeing your CPAP therapy covered through insurance is Aeroflow Sleep’s prerogative, but should you need to buy CPAP supplies out-of-pocket, we do have some tips and tricks to work around the lack of insurance coverage; such as shopping at our preferred online retailer rather than searching a less reputable source. We encourage this, because at the very least, you’ll be confident in their medical practice of needing a prescription. That can’t be said of Amazon or (God forbid) Facebook Marketplace.

Definitely make sure you double check with Aeroflow before you settle and overpay though! Again, all you have to do to see the required CPAP supplies covered is to fill out our online qualification form; we’ll take care of the rest!