Hello,
Two years ago, I got diagnosed with severe sleep apnea at the age of 33 (although it was not such a surprise, loud snoring, constantly tired, father has it…).
The overall experience in Japan was extremely smooth. All in all, it was a little more than one week between the first test, the hospital test, and receiving the machine. This is, I think, one of the greatest point in the Japanese healthcare system, the speed!
But what came after was a bit more annoying. To benefit from health insurance, you have to go to the hospital every month! And it's 5000 ¥ each time. I'm flexible with my work, but I feel a bit sad for the Japanese who have to take half a day of paid holiday to go to the hospital. Especially since they just take my weight (as if it would change every month), tension, and ask me if I feel good, and then print the results from the machine, which I can view directly in the ResMed app anyway. It feels extremely pointless; the doctor himself is not a sleep physician (he's an internal medicine doctor). My machine is in full auto-mode, so it's really just half a day lost every month. In comparison, my father in France has just one check (and it's online) every 18 months to ensure everything is running smoothly.
The thing is that I'm doing a one-year world trip with my girlfriend from next April, so the question was: how can I do that? I was thinking of stopping the treatment, but doing a once-in-a-lifetime trip with shitty nights and making my gf endure snoring every day was out of the question.
When I asked the doctor, of course, he did not know; it was the first time he had a patient taking more than 1-month of holiday. So, I had to do the research myself, and I wanted to share it in case it can help anyone facing the same issue.
3-months check
First, for people who, like me, are annoyed by this monthly visit, some clinics allow one visit every 3 months. Not optimal, but better than nothing. Some also allow data transmission online and hold meetings online, but I couldn't find a clinic near my place (in Sapporo) that offers this service. Note, though, that it won't be cheaper, you will have to pay 3 months (so 15000¥) even though you're doing one check.
Buying a machine
The other option is to buy the machine yourself. Contrary to health insurance, you have to pay the whole amount, and you need to buy the replaceable parts (filters, tubes, masks) yourself, whereas these are covered by health insurance if you undergo a monthly checkup.
I reached ResMed Japan directly (very nice customer support btw!), and they told me you can buy it but you absolutely need a prescription (which is a great thing I think), but I was warned that many clinics won't sign the paper (my cynical part is thinking that some clinics don't want to loose such an easy lifetime "patient").
The other options are found:
* Importing the machine from abroad. The website 1800CPAP.COM allows you to import a machine from the US without prescription. I reached other US websites and they require a prescription; I reached my father's doctor in France and France also require a prescription. You, however, don't have any local warranty and, as CPAP machines are highly regulated, there is still a risk that the machine is stopped at the customs.
* Using a local service. I contacted the company https://cpap-sleephome.jp (very polite and nice owner) and they allow importing it for you, but you need a prescription. You, however, get a 2-year local warranty. I got a quote for ¥210,000 for a ResMed 10.
* Directly reaching ResMed Japan (that's the way I choose). I received a quote of ¥300,000 for the ResMed 11 (the latest model), but since I will be traveling for a year, I've decided to opt for the ResMed Mini.
This is expensive, of course, but if you think of it, in 5 years you'll have paid it, and you don't have to go to those monthly visits.
I therefore went to my clinic, a bit stressed that he would not accept. As I've read on Reddit that doctors expect their patients to self-diagnose, I went with full confidence, explaining him that I reached ResMed and that he must sign the paper so I can get the machine, and that this was the only possible choice not to stop the severe apnea I was diagnosed. He felt a bit confused at first, but signed everything (there were some settings that he had to fill regarding the machine that he was not aware of, by the way, confirming to me that he's definitely not an expert in this area and that those monthly meetings are quite pointless).
Hope it helps! 🙂
by bakura10