Buying a machine?

[abradley]

I am also a happy new user with a changed life.

6 weeks ago did a home test with AHI average of 75.6!
After being on a machine for 4 weeks I am now average <2.6
I use ResMed Swift FX nasal pillows.

Here is where I have had another win and this information is for the benefit of people like me who want to purchase their own machine!!

Correct me if I am wrong but sleep apnea machines were 'invented' in Australia by ResMed – an Australian company.
Here I found some alarming facts.
1) The S9 Autoset is US$850 but in Australia is AU$1199
2) The S9 Elite is US$805 and in Australia AU$1139
So why is the Autoset so much more in the country of manufacture?
Government or greedy business? Or both??

But wait…there is more!

I didn’t need the Auto (or APAP machine) but ended up buying the following from the USA.
S9 Auto with humidifier, climate tubing, and mask for US$1281.00
In Australia the same would cost you AU$2387.00 from the manufacturing company.
Delivery cost me AU$110
So delivered it was over AU$1000 saved.

Here is another catch courtesy of the above manufacturer.

Resellers in the USA are not allowed to send any products made by this company outside the USA.
Why?
Probably to stop people buying from oversees and saving a fortune.

What I did was create a “My US” (myus.com) address, had the item shipped there for free and then forward the item to me here in Australia.
No problem and delivered within 1 week from time of purchase.

Some USA stores require you to have a prescription to enable you to make a purchase…shop around they don’t all demand this. I will supply further details if requested.

Given these devices affect our health, why are we being ripped off???

If I have issues with the machine I am told I will not be able to get it fixed here. Worst case I have to send back to the USA and hire a machine to cover.

My machine delivered from the USA is marked on the back as manufactured in Australia at Bella Vista NSW.
Power supply is the same except the part that plugs into the wall is different and you can buy these for less than $10 from Dick Smith or similar. They are user swappable…no electrician required. Alternative is us a USA to Au travel converter from most supermarkets.

Play on words here…….wake up RESMED!!!

[Emeraude]

Hey there,

I'm an Aussie in living in Japan, but will be returning home after nearly 2 decades. National Insurance covers 70% of the cost of a rental machine here.

Does Medicare not cover the cost of a rental machine in Australia?

Thanks!
Emeraude

[PaulaO2]

Since Medicare is a US thing for US citizens, that would be a "no".

If your insurance in Japan is better than what you'd get in Australia, you probably should get a CPAP machine before you leave.

[zonk]

Hey there,

I'm an Aussie in living in Japan, but will be returning home after nearly 2 decades. National Insurance covers 70% of the cost of a rental machine here.

Does Medicare not cover the cost of a rental machine in Australia?

Thanks!
Emeraude

Hi Emeraude and welcome to forum
I don,t think so but Medicare does cover the sleep study. Some social security recipients might be able to get a machine through the system and if insured and having the extras cover might cover some rental and towards purchasing a new machine. Some places might gives you a credit what you paid in rental towards purchasing new machine but the prices too much its cheaper to buy on line from US. You can get new machine at reasonable price from Supplier #2 and also check Supplier #25 for specials
Best of luck

[zonk]

Since Medicare is a US thing for US citizens, that would be a "no".

Shouldn't be confused with Australia and US Medicare
Other than the name not much in common

[PaulaO2]

Oh, really?? It's called Medicare in Australia, too?

How odd! Thanks for letting me know.

I learned something new. That's twice today. Double what I've done all month!

[Surly]

Medicare Australia is our Aust Govt owned and operated national health insurer. Private health insurance operates as an adjuct to it here, as well as covering non-essential services or items not covered by Medicare.

[zonk]

Emeraude
If you want to learn about the S9, there's a good video review at the bottom of this page:
http://www.apneaboard.com/resmed-s9-cpap-setup

[Snoozin]

*My first post* :-)

I just wanted to thank 'abradley' for the info on myus.com. I had never heard of this service before... what a fantastic idea that company came up with :-)

As with the OP I had to purchased my resmed S9 from the USA due to the hugely over inflated prices here in Australia.

The good news is at the moment you can purchased a new machine etc from Supplier #10 and have it delivered here in a week for $99. You do not need a prescription. I also took advantage of the postage costs by ordering a few other things, such as a cpap pillow, cleanable H5i tub, and hypo filters. As for warranty, this company will ship a brand new machine if anything goes wrong at no extra cost (apart from sending the old one back) and the warranty starts over again from day 1. So no need to wait to get things fixed.

For second-hand machines, Supplier #2 also ships to Australia and no prescription required. Postage is $79.00. Warranty however would require you to send it back and wait for repair, plus pay to have it sent back to you.

I know a number of people (from a local forum) who have used both of these companies and had no issues to date. I myself have only ever dealt with Supplier #10

Regards,
Sn

[SuperSleeper]

Howdy, Snoozin...



Glad you were able to get a machine shipped to you for a lower cost. Thanks for the feedback on those two suppliers also.