Quick answer: Yes. Medicare Part B covers a CPAP machine as durable medical equipment (DME) if a Medicare-covered sleep study shows you have obstructive sleep apnea. Coverage starts with a roughly 90-day trial: use the machine consistently and follow up with your doctor, and Medicare continues paying on a 13-month rental — after 13 months of use, the machine is yours. You pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after meeting the Part B deductible; masks, tubing, and filters are covered on a replacement schedule.

If you’ve been told you have sleep apnea — or your spouse has been telling you for years — the good news is that Medicare treats CPAP therapy as standard, covered medical equipment. The less good news is that Medicare attaches usage rules to that coverage, and people in Southern California lose their CPAP coverage every year simply because they didn’t know the rules existed. Here’s how it works in plain English.

What Medicare covers

Medicare Part B covers CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) therapy under its durable medical equipment benefit. That includes:

The machine itself, covered as a 13-month rental. Medicare pays the supplier a monthly rental fee for 13 months of continuous use. After month 13, ownership transfers to you. You don’t buy the machine up front, and you shouldn’t let a supplier talk you into paying cash for one before checking your Medicare coverage.

Supplies on a replacement schedule. Masks, cushions, tubing, filters, and headgear wear out, and Medicare covers replacements at set intervals. Your supplier should know the schedule — if you’re being told “Medicare won’t replace that,” it’s worth confirming the interval on Medicare.gov or with the supplier’s billing office rather than taking it at face value.

A sleep study first. Coverage requires an obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis from a Medicare-covered sleep study — either an overnight study in a sleep lab or, commonly now, a home sleep test ordered by your doctor.

The 90-day trial: where most people get tripped up

Medicare doesn’t just hand over a CPAP machine indefinitely. Coverage begins with an initial trial period of about 12 weeks. To keep coverage going past the trial, two things have to happen:

You have to actually use the machine. The standard Medicare applies is at least 4 hours per night on 70% of nights, measured over a consecutive 30-day window within the first 90 days. Modern CPAP machines record this automatically and report it to your supplier.

You have to follow up with your doctor. Your treating practitioner needs to see you during the trial window and document that the therapy is helping. Skipping that follow-up visit can end coverage even if you used the machine faithfully every night.

If the trial doesn’t go well — you couldn’t tolerate the mask, the machine sat in the closet — Medicare stops paying, and the supplier can take the machine back. You can re-qualify later, but it generally requires going back to your doctor and starting the evaluation process again.

The practical advice: if you’re struggling with the mask in the first few weeks, call your supplier and ask about different mask styles early. Mask swaps during the trial are normal and can save your coverage.

What you’ll pay

With Original Medicare, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for the machine rental and supplies after you’ve met the Part B deductible for the year. Current deductible amounts change annually — check the current figure at Medicare.gov.

How the remaining 20% gets handled depends on your coverage path. A Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan generally picks up the Part B coinsurance, so ongoing rental months and supplies may cost you little or nothing out of pocket. A Medicare Advantage plan must cover CPAP therapy at least as well as Original Medicare, but costs and rules are set by the plan — copays differ, and most plans require you to use DME suppliers in the plan’s network, which matters in Southern California’s HMO-heavy Medicare Advantage market. If you’re on an Advantage plan, call the plan before choosing a supplier. For a refresher on how these two paths differ, see our Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage comparison.

The supplier matters

For Medicare to pay, the CPAP supplier must be enrolled in Medicare, and you’ll generally pay less with a supplier who accepts assignment (agrees to the Medicare-approved amount). Southern California has no shortage of DME suppliers, but not all of them work with Medicare, and online CPAP retailers frequently don’t. Before you accept equipment, ask directly: “Are you enrolled in Medicare, and do you accept assignment?” You can also search for enrolled suppliers on Medicare.gov.

What Medicare does not cover

Original Medicare’s CPAP benefit doesn’t extend to comfort upgrades and cash-pay extras: travel CPAP machines as a second unit, battery backups for camping or power outages, cleaning devices (the sanitizing machines advertised on TV are not covered), and over-the-counter anti-snoring devices without a sleep-apnea diagnosis. If it’s marketed to you as “no prescription needed,” Medicare isn’t paying for it.

How this fits the bigger coverage picture

CPAP follows the same logic as most Part B coverage decisions: Medicare pays when something is medically necessary and properly documented, and it attaches conditions to keep paying. If you’re curious how Medicare draws these lines across other services, start with our hub: Does Medicare cover it? California coverage guides — and for what treatment costs look like across all the parts of Medicare, see What does Medicare cost?. New to Medicare entirely? The turning 65 guide covers enrollment step by step.

Frequently asked questions

Does Medicare pay for a CPAP machine outright?
No — Medicare covers it as a 13-month rental. Medicare pays the supplier monthly while you use the machine; after 13 months of continuous use, you own it.
What happens if I don’t use my CPAP enough?
During the first 90 days, Medicare expects at least 4 hours of use per night on 70% of nights over a consecutive 30-day period. Fall short and Medicare stops paying — the supplier may reclaim the machine. Re-qualifying generally means restarting the evaluation process with your doctor.
Do I need a sleep study to get CPAP coverage?
Yes. Coverage requires an obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis from a Medicare-covered sleep study — a lab study or a doctor-ordered home sleep test.
How much does a CPAP machine cost with Medicare?
With Original Medicare, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the annual Part B deductible (current amounts at Medicare.gov). Medigap generally covers that 20%; Medicare Advantage plans set their own copays and supplier networks.
Does Medicare cover CPAP supplies like masks and tubing?
Yes — masks, cushions, tubing, filters, and headgear are covered on a set replacement schedule through a Medicare-enrolled supplier.
Does Medicare cover a travel CPAP or a CPAP cleaning machine?
Generally no. A second machine for travel and sanitizing devices are typically not covered — those are out-of-pocket purchases.

Sources & official references

This is a non-government resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare.gov or the federal Medicare program. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) — in California, the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) — to get information on all of your options. Matt Medicares Insurance is an independent insurance brokerage and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or any government agency. Educational information only, not individualized advice. Medicare figures reflect 2026 and can change annually — confirm current amounts at Medicare.gov.