Medicare and Travel CPAP?

[DelawareTim]

I need a new auto-CPAP, and believe I meet all the requirements for Medicare to pay 80%.  However, my Doc told me that Medicare would pay zero for a travel CPAP (I want the Resmed AirMini) - even though the prices I'm seeing for this unit are completely in line with others I would want.  A couple of online DME suppliers refused to comment regarding "insurance issues" - they said to "contact my insurance company" - I'm not hopeful about getting a comprehensible answer from Medicare.

I'm new to Medicare, so I haven't been through the process yet, but can someone please advise if the above is correct?  If so, are there other restrictions on the type of device that Medicare will cover, and if so, where can I find them?

Thanks!

[Sleeprider]

I think the AirMini can be approved as your primary machine. I don't think they differentiate any E0601 device by whether it is suitable for travel or intended as a stationary machine. There are some drawbacks to the AirMini as a primary machine, such as no humidifier, shorter and narrower tubing and mask compatibility, and the Airsense 11 machine is not that difficult to travel with.

[DelawareTim]

Thanks for the reply.  E0601 is a new term for me (the Google just sort of explained it to me).  So I should ask the DME supplier to confirm the unit complies with that standard?  (or is it the case that essentially any CPAP will comply?)  Is there a way to confirm this?  Any chance anyone at Medicare (who I could reach) would know?  As I say, my Pulmonologist and his tech both said Medicare would not cover a travel machine, but your comment makes more sense to me.

I also appreciate the comments about usage as a primary machine.  In my case, I have a second home which I stay at most weekends - that's where this travel unit will stay (except when I'm traveling, which is a fair amount).  So it will typically see about 60 nights/year of usage at that home, and probably 40 nights/year when traveling, so I think the small size outweighs the drawbacks in my case.  I've traveled with my Phillips System One (I don't take the humidifier with me), and I find it rather cumbersome to pack the unit and its large transformer - not sure how the ResMed 11 is in comparison.

Thanks again for the reply - this is a great forum, and I'm learning a lot.

[DelawareTim]

Sorry for another message.  Was just reading that the AirMini "is intended to work with only a few masks."

The only mask I've ever used, which I'm quite happy with, is the Phillips Wisp nasal mask.  The only nasal mask on the AirMini list is their AirFit N20.  So if I buy this CPAP and find that I don't like that mask, I'm out of luck?  That sounds pretty bad, yes?  Am I missing something?

[sauerkraut]

DelawareTim;
     You can buy a tube adapter for the Air Mini to use standard hose masks ..
E-bay I think is were I saw them ..  
     I use an AS 11 for home and travel .. There are humidifier tank replacement covers
which reduce the length about 2" ..  Turning off the tank heater and tube heat reduces 
power usage to the same as the Air Mini .. So it can be powered with a battery .. 
They use the same motor and turbine .. My AS 11 came with a soft carry case for travel ..
So I think it is pretty hard to pass up the AS 11 for a Air Mini .. I don't know for sure but
I haven't been able to find out if the Air Mini has an SD card slot ??  The AS 11 does so 
You can collect data to use with OSCAR !!
  Good Luck with Your choice ..  Steve

[Sleeprider]

I'm pretty certain the AirMini is also compatible with a variation of the AirFit P10. The masks use the heat moisture exchanger (HME) to provide humidification in place of a humidifier, so the masks use a different vent arrangement that preserves the moisture from exhaled air. I will suggest the only place I would be interested in using the AirMini is for camping or travel where I would rely on battery power. Beyond that, give me the regular Resmed Airsense 10 or 11 for maximum comfort, stability and reasonably good portability.

I also have a second home and use a second Aircurve 10 Vauto at that location. Thee are lots of lightly used machines that with patience can be acquired from a private seller on Craigslist, FB Marketplace, and other places. I prefer using a full-size machine, and I also like the Resmed 10 series more than the 11 which uses the same motor as the Mini. The Resmed machines don't use a separate humidifier and are much lighter and more compact than your System One. Anyway, the use of a second machine has a lot of benefits as backup, travel and other purposes, and the Philips machines are especially hard to travel with compared to Resmed. Once you use a Resmed with the EPR feature, you will bin your Philips Dreamstation.

[dwedward]

Back when I realized I had sleep apnea, I bought an AirMini.  I had just had a triple bypass and had to sleep on my back which I couldn't do without a CPAP.  I bought the AirMini as I travel a lot, and so thought it would be useful once I recovered and got back on the road.  However, I found it was actually a GREAT home machine as well.

I tried a lot of different masks and there are different connectors to connect the mask to the AirMini including the one mentioned by Sauerkraut.  It's also on Amazon.  But there is an AirMini frame for the RedMed P10 as well as the N20/30, F20/30, and I think I remember seeing connector frames or tubes for the F/N/P i series (the over the head snorkel masks).  So there is definitely diversity in mask choice.

I liked the fact it was small, and with the optional mounting kit, I screwed it to the back of my nightstand so it was out of sight and I couldn't accidentally pull it off the nightstand (definitely lighter than a standard CPAP so this is a risk).  And since you control it with bluetooth, the only time I ever touched it was to clean it.

For travel, I prefer it to the S11 as it's significantly smaller and takes a lot less space in the suitcase; space is at a premium if you travel a lot as you tend to NOT want to lug around more than you have to.  I bought the optional hard case, so now I split the machine away from the hose/power supply and mask, so it's VERY easy to tuck it into dead space in the suitcase.

Previously to the AirMini I had an AirCurve 10 that was a loaner from my brother.  While that helped, it was an older model and NOT automatic, so I never got below about 18 AHI; which was already lower than my tested 67.  The AirMini auto-titrated me very quickly, and reduced my AHI to consistently below 1.

The only reason I ended up getting an S11 was because I got the new Samsung watch, and it noted that despite the good AHI, I was still experiencing significant O2 drops at night.  The one failing of the AirMini is that you can't get detailed data from it to use either ReScan, OSCAR or SleepHQ to analyze your night.

Through a chin strap, cervical collar and mouth tape (i really don't like full face masks but have been a life-long mouth breather), I've resolved the O2 drop issues.  But since I had compliance on the S11 it's now my main machine for the house.  But, I still take the AirMini when I travel, and frankly I don't notice any difference between the two in terms of my treatment.  I now get good sleep while on the road, which for more than 30 years I never did.

I've noticed people like to bash the AirMini, but I really like it.  At the end of the day, whatever is working for you is probably the best thing for you.