Visiting a sleep specialist is an integral part of the battle against obstructive sleep apnea. A specialist – most likely at a sleep laboratory – will help diagnose you with the sleep disorder, discuss treatment options and prescribe CPAP treatment. The sleep lab may also sweet-talk you into purchasing a CPAP machine and supplies from them, but the truth is that you don’t need to take the machine or mask that they give you. In fact, you may be better off taking your prescription and purchasing equipment directly from an online retailer, like Easy Breathe. Here are five good reasons not to buy a CPAP from a sleep lab.
1. It Can Save You Money
Remember the last time you went to the movies and had to pay $10 for a pack of M&Ms? Remember how cheated you felt because that same pack sells for $1 at the grocery store? There is a simple explanation for the huge mark up – when you’re on the movie theater’s turf, you have no other options so they charge whatever they want. Some sleep laboratories act just like movie theaters when they price CPAPs. If you buy your CPAP from the laboratories, you may end up paying significantly more than you would pay if you bought one online. Luckily, you have other options and can take your prescription and sleep test results and purchase a CPAP from any number of online sleep apnea companies, including www.easybreathe.com.
2. There’s a Complete Selection of Products
You know that feeling when you wake up in a budget hotel and get all excited about the continental breakfast, but then realize your choices are fruit, toast and coffee? I know – it sucks. That is kind of what it’s like when you purchase CPAP equipment from a sleep laboratory. There’s typically no variety and there aren’t a lot of choices that allow you to personalize your CPAP experience. When you purchase online, you have an enormous variety. Not only will you get a wide assortment of the newest CPAP machines, but also state-of-the-art masks and other supplies.
3. Get the Best Customer Service
Most sleep laboratories know that CPAP treatment is the preeminent therapy option for treating obstructive sleep apnea, but many of them won’t be able to go through the exact specifications and benefits of some the newest and best CPAP systems on the market. For this reason, you probably won’t get the best customer service when you purchase from a sleep lab. Plus – after you bring your CPAP home – it will be hard to get a sleep lab on the phone to ask questions. When you purchase your CPAP system with an online retailer, operators are standing by all day to answer any questions you may have about a CPAP unit you are interested in purchasing or a CPAP you are already using.
4. It’s Convenient
When you purchase a CPAP machine and supplies from a lab, you may have to run over to a DME (durable medical equipment) provider. You may even have to make a few trips to get supplies, like masks and hoses. All that running around – between a sleep lab and a DME provider – can get pretty exhausting. The beauty of purchasing online is that you get to make one trip – to a single website – and you don’t even need to leave the comfort of your couch, or your pajamas for that matter.
5. Sleep Labs Aren’t the Only One’s Who “Work” with Insurance
There are plenty of ways for a sleep lab to make a buck and they love working with insurance companies in that pursuit. When you purchase from a sleep lab, you may be faced with strange reimbursement schedules, leasing agreements and other complicated insurance requirements. The most famous gimmick is that you are obligated to rent a CPAP machine until you can own it outright. But after renting it for eighteen months, you have already paid twice as much money than if you just purchased a CPAP system in the first place. When you purchase online, you won’t have to worry about these complicated insurance pricing structures – retailers like Easy Breathe will check your benefits for you for free and tell you what you are paying right out of the gate. Oh and they’ll also submit a claim to your insurance provider on your behalf!
When it comes down to it, wouldn’t you want to cut out the middleman? It’s not that sleep labs are bad – they aren’t – but if you don’t know any better, you could wind up paying more money and dealing with a bigger headache if you purchase CPAP equipment directly from your sleep specialist. Purchasing a CPAP system online – at a retailer like Easy Breathe – will save you money, time and a lot of frustration. If it’s too late and you’ve already purchased from the lab, you don’t need make the same mistake – you can shop around – the beauty of shopping online is that you have options. In the end, the smartest thing you can do is take your prescription for CPAP and bid a polite adieu to your sleep specialist – his or her job is pretty much done after your diagnosis.
