Who is CpapforMedicare.com?

CpapforMedicare.com is the name of our website. We are a division of Nor-Cal Diagnostics created by our founder, Steve Yates. Steve, by the way, has sleep apnea himself and uses the same equipment featured on our site. He has used most of the equipment and his company has fitted hundreds of satisfied patients because they give them choice and follow up regularly to make sure they are supplied correctly. Steve noticed that many local medical equipment providers gave their patients little if any choice of quality equipment and the patients never heard from the local provider after their initial set-up. Steve has identified a real need for a knowledgeable provider of sleep equipment and supplies you can count on and at the same time get “your choice” of top of the line equipment delivered direct to your door at little or no cost to you…and we bill Medicare and your insurance company too!

Do you only accept Medicare?

No, we also accept many PPO plans but we first need to verify your eligibility with your insurance carrier to make sure they will reimburse us on your behalf.

What does little or no cost (or expense) mean to me?

It means that when you qualify for enrollment or qualify per Medicare guidelines we make every attempt to make sure Medicare will reimburse us for your equipment before we ship. Assuming you qualify, you are responsible for your Medicare co-payment and deductible. If you have a secondary insurer, they may pick up your co-payment or deductible…therefore, little or no cost to you!

What do I need to become enrolled?

Very simply, we need your full name, Medicare and Secondary Insurance information, date of birth and your address. Since we will need a current prescription provided by Physician licensed to practice in the US, we need your Physicians information to request a prescription or copy of your sleep test if needed. We may also need your authorization for your Physician, Sleep lab or Insurance to disclose any information needed to facilitate delivery of your equipment. Once you are in our system, all shipments in the future should be very easy.

Why do I need a copy of a sleep test?

In most cases Medicare requires you have a sleep test that indicates certain parameters were used and you qualify for CPAP per Medicare’s guidelines.

Are you a Medicare approved provider?

Yes, we are a Medicare approved provider of medical equipment specifically specializing in Sleep Equipment such as CPAP and BIPAP and all the equipment associated with these devices.

Is there a charge for shipping?

There is never a charge for shipping at CpapforMedicare.com

Can I choose any equipment I want?

Yes, as long as your Physician has prescribed the equipment and you qualify per Medicare or your Insurance carriers guidelines you can choose any CPAP device or any Mask that we carry…and we only represent the top manufacturers of CPAP equipment such as ResMed, Respironics, Puritan Bennett, Fisher & Paykel. If we don’t have it you probably don’t need it! At CpapforMedicare.com you have your choice of top of the line equipment delivered direct to your door.

What is the Quarterly Notification and Replacement Program?

We are the only National medical equipment provider with a Quarterly Notification and Replacement program for sleep equipment, Why? Most people do not realize this but Medicare wants to make sure your equipment is maintained properly and will replace your supplies on a regular basis as needed. For example, if you use a mask, even if you clean it regularly, it can pick up facial oils and prevent you from having a good seal. We recommend you change your mask every six months and the cushion or pillows quarterly. Your tubing or hose can be changed monthly if needed, we suggest you change it quarterly if needed as the hose can harbor bacteria and you have to breathe through this every night! If your device uses filters, Medicare will replace those monthly, again it depends on your situation but we suggest 2 each quarter and remember the air you breathe goes through these filters. You have to sleep with this device every night; you want to make sure your equipment is in top shape!

How long does it take to get my equipment?

We can ship the same day we have all the information we need. We use Priority Mail which has been quite good at a 2 to 3 day delivery period. We know that this should be much quicker than getting your first appointment for your equipment locally! We rely on you, your Physician and your sleep lab. The better job you do in providing us the proper information we need, the quicker we get your equipment out the door!

What if I don’t know what equipment to pick?

Don’t worry, many of us are CPAP users ourselves and we know what has worked for us and our patients over the years. We can help you choose the right CPAP or BIPAP and the right mask, we want to help you make the right choices so we will set up a time when our technician can talk to you and help you with your choice.

What if I don’t like my Mask?

If you go with our mask recommendation and do not like the mask in the first 30 days, we will replace it with the mask of your choice that we carry in stock, one time only. We know of no other provider that offers this type of guarantee, because once the mask used we can not resell it.

What about the manufacturers, who do you represent?

We represent only the very top manufacturers of Sleep Equipment. Names such as ResMed, Respironics, Puritan Bennett and Fisher & Paykel. If you have a request for a manufacturer other than those listed, please ask your technician about your request and they will be happy to look into it for you. CpapforMedicare.com is not the manufacturer of the products featured on their website and therefore all services performed by CpapforMedicare.com are independent of the manufacturer.

Why don’t you carry everything?

We and our patients are very happy with the choices we have made. There is a reason we are number one and a reason the manufacturers are number one too! They carry the best equipment and therefore so do we! If you have a special request however, we have been known to do our best to get it for you.

Aren’t all CPAP’s alike?

No, they are not all alike. Some have features and some don’t. Many Medical Equipment companies provide you with only the basic CPAP and basic Mask because it costs them less to buy and they are not required by Medicare to provide you with anything upgraded. Our technicians, when they call you, will help you choose what is right for you and there are no restrictions on what our technician recommends and that goes for your mask too!

How important is the Mask?

The mask is as important as a good pair of shoes! This piece of equipment is as close to you as anything gets, so it better work for you! Our technician can talk to you, and after they decide what type of sleeper you are, they can make a recommendation based on our knowledge and history with patients. If you do not like our initial recommendation within the first 30 days, return it and we will send you one other mask of your choice from our stock…that is our promise to you!

Steve’s story about his first mask

Well, my first mask was issued by a major supplier of medical equipment that has contracts with many of the large HMO carriers. The mask was an inexpensive but decent mask; it just did not fit my style. I normally start out sleeping on my back and once I get to early morning, I like to roll over on my stomach for a while and on my side too. I just seem to get the best sleep that way. Well, every time I went on my side or stomach, the inexpensive mask that worked fine with me on my back, did not work for me with my head lying sideways on the pillow! The inexpensive mask, provided my by my HMO would leak, cause me to wake up just enough and then I would realize my feeble attempt to sleep in my preferred position was not working. I would return to my back position where I just did not seem to get that good sleep. You remember the kind I am talking about; I call it the kind of sleep that restores your soul so to speak! Now, fortunately I owned a sleep lab and was also providing patients with sleep equipment. Little did I know at the time how important each piece of equipment could really influence people’s lives? At the time I had a great technician that taught me a lot about this business and the equipments nuances but I also learned that there is no greater teacher than yourself! Anyway, all I am saying is that you do not need to try every mask or machine to determine what may be good for you. Look to your Physician to guide you and if they are not familiar with them, my staff and I would be more than happy to help you with your choice. The mask I was wearing did not fit my sleeping pattern which was rolling and sleeping on my side or stomach. There are a few masks that are much better for you if you sleep like this and we would be more than happy to help you with your choice. You are not alone out there, now you have a friend in the CPAP business! CpapforMedicare.com

Do you deliver outside the USA?

It depends; some of our providers such as ResMed only allow us to deal with and provide equipment to patients in the USA. Please let us know if you need product outside the USA as we may need to get authorization from that particular provider to ship outside the USA.

OK, what is this equipment supposed to feel like?

As the owner of CpapforMedicare.com and an avid CPAP user myself, my experience tells me the right CPAP feels like there should be almost no effort on your part to get the air you require inhaling or when you exhale either. I originally started on a pressure of 7cm, which was determined by my HMO sleep lab to be adequate. I felt as if I was not getting the air I needed to feel comfortable. I struggled with CPAP because I was not getting the air I needed and the equipment I had was not meeting my needs. I tried an AUTO-CPAP and was titrated to 16cm. Now, that sounded more like it, now I can finally get the air I need! I thought the machine was going to blow my brains out! I thought this CPAP stuff was not all it was cracked up to be! A representative from another company asked me if I would try their AUTO-CPAP. I did and was a believer the first night I used it! It was as if someone had dropped down and adjusted the pressure so it was not too much and not too little…just right at 10.4 cm now and a happy camper! So, I have told you what I did and because of that experience in my life, we provide AUTO-CPAP’s to anyone who may think they want one…I watched my own father with untreated sleep apnea who had a stroke 6 years before he passed away from a heart attack. Had he been treated, I do not believe he would have had his stroke nor do I believe he would have died as soon as he did. You can get the CPAP you want at CpapforMedicare.com. Call us today to see if you qualify at 1-866-742-1238.

If you have a question you want answered, please email Steve personally at: Steve@CpapforMedicare.com