Our 48 yo niece lives in Indiana.

[TNNurse]

She let us know that her CPAP machine died. A new one $1200, a sterilized one $500. Her insurance would not pay for it. What the hell kind of insurance does not pay for medical equipment that keeps you from dying while you sleep??

We got her the money but we should not have had to do that. She is getting ready to care for her 72yo mother when she starts treatment for uterine cancer next month. Life is not fair.

[smirkymonkey]

1. I'm so sorry. That is so wrong. What was their rationale for not paying?

I can't believe how cheap and evil insurance companies have gotten these days. This is not a frivolous thing and it's not even really that expensive. It was very good of you to help her out.

[phylny]

2. One of our daughters has one.

Insurance can yank it if she doesn't use it. She has to upload from the machine's software, and if they see non-compliance, they can refuse to renew it. I'm not saying this is what happened to your niece, but I do know they'll find any reason they can to deny coverage. I wish our niece and her mother well.

[TNNurse]

4. Her machine died.

We did not want her to do the same.

Thanks.

[phylny]

7. Of course you don't.

Insurance companies look for any excuse not to pay.

Again, I wish her only the best.

[Ohiogal]

3. I hear you TNNurse!

It's heartbreaking and infuriating. And tone deaf and cruel Republicans do absolutely nothing except try to gut Obamacare and make Medicaid recipients jump through a thousand hoops. It sickens me that the rest of the world has this all figured out, and here we are still being held down by sanctimonious assholes a.k.a. "conservatives".

[sakabatou]

5. We have terrible insurance

[spinbaby]

6. My insurance pays only when the machine dies

They used to pay for a new one every five years, but now you have to do without while you jump through hoops to get a replacement. They seem to regard it as some kind of optional accessory. I’m fortunate enough to be able to just buy a backup machine from CPAP.com.