How Much Does a CPAP Machine Cost? Expenses and Financing Explained

Getting a good night's sleep is important to staying healthy. Yet 1 in 3 adults aren't getting enough sleep, due in part to sleep disorders like sleep apnea.¹ With sleep apnea, people can experience an inadequate or abnormal number of breaths while sleeping.² This can not only impair sleep quality — leading to fatigue, cognitive problems and other issues — but can cause other health complications to the heart and lungs.²

One of the most common treatments for sleep apnea is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy.³

What Is a CPAP Machine?

A CPAP machine helps people with abnormal breathing by continuously pushing air through a tube into the person's nose or mouth, or both, while they're sleeping.³

CPAP machines often include:⁴

• A mask that fits over the sleeper's nose and mouth
• Straps to hold the mask in place
• A tube connecting the mask to the machine's motor
• A motor that pushes the air through the tube

CPAP machines help keep breathing airways open during sleep, significantly reducing the chances of an obstructed airway and, ideally, leading to deeper and more continuous sleep.⁴

Different Types of CPAP Machines

Depending on your health needs and other factors — such as whether you might have to travel and the climate you live in — there are different types of CPAP machines you may want to consider, including:

• Auto-CPAP (APAP). CPAP machines deliver airflow at a steady rate, or they can change the rate of airflow based on sensors that monitor the person's breathing. CPAPs that vary the level of airflow pressure are called auto-titrating CPAP, or auto-CPAP (APAP). APAP machines respond to the specific changes in a person's breathing, which can be easier for some people to tolerate.³
• BiPAP. A bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) machine also varies the airflow based on whether the person is inhaling or exhaling. Airflow tends to be higher as a person inhales. BiPAP is often prescribed to people with obstructive sleep apnea who don't respond as well to regular CPAP. ³
• Travel CPAP. For people who rely upon a CPAP to sleep, travel CPAPs are smaller, lightweight versions of CPAP machines that make them portable. Be sure to check that they are TSA- and FAA-approved if you are taking them on airplanes.⁵
• CPAP with heated humidifier. Some people find that the steady flow of air through the CPAP leads to dry sinus, dry skin, scratchy or irritated throat, congestion, nosebleeds and stuffiness, but a CPAP with heated humidifier can help reduce those symptoms. This version of a CPAP comes with a chamber that can be filled with distilled water and a heating element that heats the water, dispersing a thin, warm mist into the CPAP. You can also purchase external humidifiers that attach to a CPAP. ⁶

Average CPAP Machine Cost

The price of CPAP machines can range between $649 and $989 based on the type, brand and additional features or supplies.⁷ According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), the national average cost of a CPAP machine is about $800.⁷ Other costs associated with CPAP therapy include:⁷

• Masks
• Tubes
• Filters
• Water chambers
• Humidifiers
• Any cleaning supplies

Health insurance, payment assistance programs and refurbished equipment are ways to reduce the costs. However, the NCOA warns that the “best" model for a patient is not necessarily the cheapest one, but the one that can offer the right therapy.⁷

CPAP machines cost by type

Additional CPAP accessories costs

In addition to the machine costs, supplies must be purchased for your CPAP machines, many of these multiple times per year. Below is a chart of average supplies needed, how many purchases per year and their average costs.⁹

Are CPAP Machines Covered by Insurance?

Health insurance companies generally do cover some or all the costs of a CPAP machine if it is considered medically necessary. To determine this, a patient will typically have to take a sleep study, prescribed by their healthcare provider, and those results will have to be confirmed with the insurance company that the CPAP machine is necessary.⁸

Some insurance companies may charge a copay for the equipment, and some may set up a rent-to-own plan.⁸

Medicare does typically cover some of the cost of CPAP machines. They may begin with a three-month trial that requires you to visit your doctor again to continue coverage. You may also have additional out-of-pocket expenses for your CPAP accessories.⁷

Can You Rent a CPAP Machine?

If your health insurance doesn't cover a CPAP machine, it is possible to rent one for around $30 to $70 per month. However, over time, this will become more expensive than actually purchasing one outright.⁹

Health insurance companies will typically replace a CPAP machine every five years, which is the average life expectancy of a CPAP machine.¹⁰ Even at the lowest rate of $30 per month to rent, that's $1,800 over five years.⁹

Possible Side Effects of CPAP Machines

Some potential side effects from using a CPAP machine can include:⁴

• Sinus congestion or irritation
• Runny nose
• Dry mouth
• Nosebleeds
• Mask irritation to the skin of the face and mouth. There are multiple kinds of masks, so speak to your healthcare professional to find one that works.
• Stomach discomfort or bloating. If you experience these symptoms, you should immediately stop using your CPAP machine and call your healthcare provider.

Don't Wait to Get Treatment

If you suspect you have obstructive sleep apnea or other sleeping disorders, or have been diagnosed with one, a CPAP machine can improve your quality of life and even be lifesaving. Whether your health insurance covers your CPAP machine or not, there are a variety of options and price points. Be sure to talk to your doctor as you choose the CPAP machine that is right for you.

Managing Health and Wellness Costs With the CareCredit Credit Card

If you are looking for an option to help manage your health and wellness costs, consider financing with the CareCredit credit card. The CareCredit credit card can help you pay for the care you want and need and make payments easy to manage.* Use our Acceptance Locator to find a provider near you that accepts CareCredit. Continue your wellness journey by downloading the CareCredit Mobile App to manage your account, find a provider on the go and easily access the Well U blog for more great articles, podcasts and videos.

Your CareCredit credit card can be used in so many ways within the CareCredit network including vision, dentistry, cosmetic, pet care, hearing, health systems, dermatology, pharmacy purchases and spa treatments. How will you invest in your health and wellness next?

Author Bio

Jordan Rosenfeld has been freelance writing for 21 years about finances, health, education and more. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, The Billfold, Good Magazine, GoBanking Rates, Daily Worth, Quartz, Medical Economics, The New York Times, Paypal, The Washington Post and more.