How to Qualify for CPAP

A CPAP machine is designed to help relieve the symptoms associated with sleep apnea. Getting access to a CPAP machine requires the completion of a medical test to establish the need for the CPAP. By providing continuous positive air pressure to the patient's airways while sleeping, the machine allows him to get more oxygen throughout the night and hence get better rest.

Things You'll Need

• Home sleep study
• Titration study
• Prescription

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Instructions

• 1

  Request and complete a sleep study, which monitors an individual's breathing during the night. Monitors are connected to the patient to record the number of breaths they take and how long the spacing lasts between each breath. The monitors will also record how deeply the patient breathes through the course of the night as he moves in and out of REM sleep. The initial sleep study can be completed at home and the data is downloaded from the monitor.

• 2

  Complete a titration study. If the results of the home sleep study show a possible need for a CPAP, the doctor will usually order a titration study: conducted in a hospital and monitored by medical personnel. The patient wears a nasal mask during this study.

• 3

  Tell your physician about your symptoms. Sleep apnea can cause extreme daytime fatigue, poor decision making abilities, insomnia and mood disorders. Sharing these symptoms with a physician will provide him with a more complete picture of your health.

• 4

  Get a prescription from a doctor. Insurance will not pay for the use of CPAP machine without a written prescription from a doctor. Some insurance companies will also require a letter from a physician that states the medical need for the CPAP.