Canada

I stayed with my parents for a few days when my grandmother died. I was sleeping on the couch and mom my noticed I wasn’t breathing at regular intervals. She said I should get a sleep test when I flew home on Sunday.

I called my doctor on Monday, had an appointment on Wednesday, he sent a referral and I got called on Friday that there was a cancellation that night if I could make to the sleep lab for a sleep test. I had no plans so I paid for parking outside the sleep lab for the night.

I got a call Monday that my test results were back, went to an appointment a few weeks later. Paid for parking again. Was given a trial CPAP to use until a got another sleep test with the machine to get a proper pressure level. I was told not to drive until that test. I paid for subways and busses until that test a week later.

I went for another sleep test, I paid for a taxi since I wasn’t allowed to drive.

I got a machine, a paid $700 dollars and a portion was covered by the govt and then my extended benefits covered the majority. I paid maybe $150 in the end for my machine because I didn’t get the basic model that would have been completely covered.

In all I paid less than 200 for the CPAP and for parking. Everything else was covered.

In the years since I have had about 6 more sleep tests and that is only because my sleep apnea is complex central sleep apnea not obstructive. I have paid nothing for any of those tests or heart and brain scans that were involved. Just the occasional parking near a hospital.

I’ve paid for CPAP machines and masks but had them reimbursed by my extended benefits through work. If I wasn’t covered through work they would still be covered to a certain amount through provincial medical coverage.