Repair Authority has launched CPAP Medic, a new nationwide service designed to offer CPAP and BiPAP repair services directly to CPAP patients. According to the company, it’s the only CPAP repair and maintenance service targeted specifically to the patient market, where there is a significant demand for support after the capped rental period has ended, the device becomes patient-owned and is out of warranty.
The launch of CPAP Medic builds upon Repair Authority’s 30 years of experience repairing CPAPs, concentrators, ventilators and other respiratory equipment, primarily focused on the dealer market. Repair Authority is an Authorized Warranty Service Center for Philips Respironics and ResMed CPAP devices, as well as for Invacare, Drive DeVilbiss, Respironics and AirSep (Caire) oxygen concentrators.
“By the time patients find us, they are often desperate for help in getting their CPAP device repaired so they can resume therapy,” says Jesse Keirn, CEO of Repair Authority. “ Once their units become patient-owned and are out of warranty, they often struggle to find a solution to their repair needs, especially when it could be a number of years before their insurance company will approve a new device.”
In addition to filling a need for patients, CPAP Medic also eases a significant hassle for HME dealers, who are not reimbursed for devices after the capped rental period ends and the device becomes patient-owned. The process of picking up a patient’s device, providing a short-term rental, sending the device to the manufacturer for an estimate, waiting for insurance approval and then submitting the repair for reimbursement is time-intensive. In addition, dealers often incur additional costs when this process takes longer than the short-term rental period of one month allowable by payers. With CPAP Medic, patients can receive their equipment back within 3-4 business days (for standard service) or 1-2 business days (for rush service), assuming parts availability.
“Given the hassles of managing repairs on patient-owned CPAP units, we are finding that dealers are willing to refer their patients directly to CPAP Medic instead of navigating this process on their own,” says Dan Meyer, Repair Authority’s chief revenue officer. “It not only alleviates a headache for the dealer, but it also improves the experience of the patient, who can get their equipment back and resume therapy more quickly. Patients are often willing to pay out of pocket for this when faced with the alternative – long waits for insurance approval and payment of their deductible.”
In addition to CPAP Repair, CPAP Medic also offers the CPAP Checkup, which is a direct-to-patient preventative maintenance service. It addresses current patient demand for CPAP cleaning options by providing an internal cleaning of the device itself, including replacement of filters and seals, quality testing and firmware updates.
“With patients increasingly bringing a consumer mindset to their healthcare choices, they are demanding exceptional patient experience, fast service and reliable results,” says Keirn. “CPAP Medic is fulfilling that demand for patients whose health depends on CPAP therapy.”
To make it easy for HME dealers to refer their patients to CPAP Medic, Repair Authority is offering free CPAP Medic Dealer Starter Kits that include a starter pack of rack cards and tabletop holders, as well as information to help their staff educate patients on this alternative. Interested dealers can also take advantage of signage for their store or showroom, consumer-friendly online ordering, co-branded marketing materials and more.
