ordering device/supplies overseas (China)

[cpapuser123]

Hello community,

I am in the US currently but am about to move to China for the next few years (though I'll travel to the US a couple times a year, at least).

I have obstructive sleep apnea (fairly severe) and currently use a REMstar Pro (Philips Respironics) CPAP, w/ CFlex. While it is working fine, I have had it for about 9 years. And because my sleep apnea is pretty bad, I'd really like to avoid having to go multiple nights without a machine. So I want to make sure that, whenever it does stop working, I'm in a position to get a new one immediately.

Does anyone have any on places to order a new CPAP device (and supplies) from while in China? I'll have (Chinese) health insurance through my (Chinese) employer, but I don't yet know whether any expenses will be covered, whether a doctor over there will write a prescription for me to get a new device, whether insurance over there will accept a US prescription, etc. So I want to be prepared for the possibility that I'll need to pay for this out of pocket.

I've done some research on this myself, but I haven't been able to find out a lot (partly because my attempts to contact CPAP/medical supply companies that have offices in China have not been successful).

Thanks very much!

[Walla Walla]

I think I'd buy a new one now before you leave.

[jaswilliams]

I think you should look at Supplier #33 and get a new resmed Autoset 10 for her with humidifier & heated hose and then keep your old machine as a spare

[Gideon]

I think you should look at Supplier #33 and get a new resmed Autoset 10 for her with humidifier & heated hose and then keep your old machine as a spare

I would also get a spare humidifier.

[Sleeprider]

Machine costs in Asia are very high and not necessarily covered by your insurance there. I agree with the others to get the new and far better machine before you leave. The Resmed Airsense 10 Autoset is a huge improvement over your current Remstar Pro.

[Fats Drywaller]

Just a thought: To prevent hassles at customs (mainly paying import duty) when traveling internationally with your CPAP machine, maybe it'd be a good idea to bring a copy of the sales receipt showing the make & model & serial number? Presumably that goes for all electronics and other valuables.

It'd be convenient if you could use one or more of the U.S. trips to replace a machine with a new one and stock up on masks & supplies, but then you get hit with the bill at customs, and who knows how much that'd be. Probably you could find out in advance; it's usually some strange function of the retail value of the item and its weight and size. Also, that leaves insurance out of the calculation, and I can't see any insurer going for that kind of purchase by the patient.

FWIW in case you're ever desperate for a replacement machine over there where possibly Resmed and Philips are exotic brands, there is one obscure CPAP manufacturer that's Chinese, and that's Apex Medical. Unless there's a new one in the last several months, the current model is called "iCH II Auto" (second generation of "iCH Auto") and an earlier one is "XT Auto". APAP yes, SD card yes, Sleepyhead no. The proprietary data-viewing software for Wintel PCs only is called "Easy Compliance" and is available here in the private-files area, but I don't know whether it's useful for anything.

[DeepBreathing]

...there is one obscure CPAP manufacturer that's Chinese, and that's Apex Medical.

There are many Chinese manufacturers, probably the best known being BMC. Have a look on Alibaba and AliExpress. Resmed has also acquired at least one Chinese manufacturer (Curative) in 2015, and have a local office and distribution channel in China. The Resmed Chinese website lists both Airsense 10 and S9 series machines as well as hospital-style ventilators. So you should have no trouble getting hold of a machine in-country.

However I agree with the comments above that it may be easier to purchase a machine in the States and take it with you. That way you can get used to the machine before you go, and any problems are likely to present themselves early. As far as customs, my guess is that once you have opened and used the machine it won't attract any attention - just carry it as hand luggage.

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Your REM Star Pro is living on borrowed time. It has been overdrawing that account for four years now. It may work for 7 or 8 more years, but it is far more likely to die tonight. The next time you put on that mask and try to turn it on. You don't want to be in a position to get a new one immediately. You want to be in a position to not have to worry about that while abroad for an extended time. Replace it.

Buy a new machine before you go. Maybe two if you can. Leave one of the new ones here and take the old one as a short term backup there and plan to just leave it when you finally come home. Or buy a used one as a backup. Really. It would be much comforting to have a spare there. Take supplies with you.

Phillips makes nice machines. In the USA. I think. Which is better than others. Made somewhere else. IMNSHO.

[cpapuser123]

Wow, thank you all so much for the information and advice! This has been incredibly helpful.

[Fats Drywaller]

What OMMOHY said about having a spare machine is true. It's worth it to get a backup if you can afford it, even though insurance won't buy the second machine for you. Paying for it up-front is a bite, but that expense is another kind of insurance premium, especially when you consider that over the typical five-year lifetime of a $600 machine being used every night, the cost per night is only about 33 cents. So, looking ahead a month or two, if you have just bought two new or almost-new machines, that's at least ten years of use, along with the peace of mind of having the backup.

Supplier #2 hasn't been mentioned yet in this thread, so I'll mention it. That's a good, reputable outfit (with good people, too) that sells "gently used" (low-mileage) CPAP machines in addition to new ones. If you need to economize, that is one possibility besides looking at craigslist, letgo, ebay, etc.