Mehiläinen Health Care Agreement
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CPAP therapy
Have you been diagnosed with sleep apnoea? CPAP is the most effective treatment for moderate to severe sleep apnoea. Ask for more information or book the start of the CPAP treatment with our sleep apnoea nurse.
Specialists in the article
LT,Keuhkosairauksien ja allergologian erikoislääk.
Palvelukoordinaattori, unihäiriöt
Revised 9/27/2024
CPAP treatment in brief
- CPAP treatment effectively reduces breathing interruptions, controlling sleep apnoea symptoms and improving sleep quality.
- You can buy a CPAP machine for yourself or rent it from Mehiläinen. You can try CPAP for two weeks before making your final purchase decision.
- If you have already been diagnosed with sleep apnoea, make an appointment with a sleep apnoea nurse for fitting the mask and machine guidance.
Benefits of CPAP
CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure therapy, is the most effective treatment for moderate to severe sleep apnoea. In CPAP, a mask through which pressurised air is led to the upper airways with positive pressure is used when sleeping. The air keeps the airways open and reduces breathing interruptions by more than 90% on average.
- Start of treatment. Before starting the CPAP treatment, an appointment should be booked with a sleep apnoea nurse for mask fitting and CPAP machine guidance. Successful CPAP requires the use of a suitable mask and machine adjustments. This is carried out at the sleep apnoea nurse’s appointment during the initial visit. CPAP does not cure sleep apnoea, but when used correctly and regularly, it keeps breathing interruptions at a normal level.
- Buying and renting. You can buy a CPAP machine for yourself or rent it from Mehiläinen. You can try CPAP for two weeks before making your final purchase decision.
Progress of CPAP treatment
When you were diagnosed with sleep apnoea, the doctor who stated your concise sleep polygraphy recommended treatment for your sleep apnoea.
Book a 60-minute appointment with a sleep apnoea nurse. The sleep apnoea nurse will give you instructions on how to use the machine and choose the mask.
During the two-week trial period, you will learn how to use the machine. After that, you can purchase the CPAP machine for yourself or continue to rent it.
Your sleep apnoea nurse will call you two weeks and three months after starting treatment. Following this, the treatment will be monitored through at least annual follow-up appointments with the sleep apnoea nurse.
If you have any problems using the CPAP machine, you can contact your sleep apnoea nurse.
CPAP treatment prices at Mehiläinen in 2025
- Initial appointment 60 min with a sleep apnoea nurse EUR 138.90 (includes: initial appointment with a sleep apnoea nurse EUR 135 + Kanta fee EUR 3.90)
- Monitoring of CPAP treatment by telephone (two weeks and three months after the start of use): EUR 64.50/call (á 30 min.)
- Annual CPAP control: EUR 138.90 (includes: appointment with a sleep apnoea nurse EUR 135 + Kanta fee EUR 3.90)
- CPAP machine price: EUR 887 (includes: heated hose + humidifier)
- Mask (price depends on the selected mask) EUR 85–200
Regardless of whether the CPAP machine is purchased or rented, the patient must purchase their own mask(s), heated hose and humidifier/water tank. Depending on the mask you choose, these cost approximately EUR 225–340.
Price estimate
- Start of treatment: EUR 223.90–338.90
(includes: initial appointment with a sleep apnoea nurse + Kanta fee + mask). The price range is formed by the differences in the prices of the mask selected. - Costs for the first year: EUR 1,239.90–1,354.90
(includes: initial appointment with a sleep apnoea nurse + Kanta fee + mask + two monitoring calls (EUR 64.50/call, á 30 min) + CPAP machine (includes: humidifier and hose) EUR 887)
PLEASE NOTE! The humidifier and hose are included in the price of the purchased machine, but if the patient does not purchase the machine from Mehiläinen, they will be invoiced separately. - Costs for the following year: EUR 138.90
(includes: annual check-up with a sleep apnoea nurse EUR 138.90 (includes: nurse visit EUR 135 + Kanta fee EUR 3.90)
Trial period
The patient can test the CPAP machine for two weeks. During the trial period, the patient will incur the following costs:
Mask + humidifier + hose + initial visit + follow-up call in week two.
The prices for the trial period are based on the rental prices of the CPAP machine and, therefore, include VAT.
Price estimate
- Trial period: EUR 454.40–584.90
(includes: start-up fee EUR 164.90 (initial visit with nurse EUR 161 + Kanta fee EUR 3.90), mask EUR 85–200 and humidifier + hose EUR 140, follow-up call in week two (when the patient buys the machine for themselves EUR 64.50, when the patient continues to rent the device EUR 80))
Please note that CPAP treatment is always started with a so-called basic machine, not a portable machine.
The rental price of a CPAP machine consists of the start-up and guidance related to the deployment of the CPAP machine, rent, monitoring, mask and any other supplies.
Price list:
- CPAP machine rent EUR 41/week (inclusive VAT 25.5%)
- CPAP start-up/guidance appointment with a sleep apnoea nurse EUR 161 (inclusive VAT 25.5%)
- CPAP monitoring by telephone EUR 80/call (inclusive VAT 25.5%)
- Depending on the model, the price of the masks varies between EUR 85 and EUR 200*
- The hose and humidifier EUR 140, which the patient can also use with a machine received from the public sector, if necessary.*
- Kanta fee EUR 3.90
*CPAP requires the purchase of a mask, humidifier and heated hose for personal use.
Example of a price estimate:
- Start of treatment (initial appointment + Kanta fee) EUR 164.90
- Equipment rent EUR 41/week, i.e. EUR 164/month
- Monitoring EUR 80/call (after two weeks and three months)
- Mask (depending on the mask), hose and humidifier total EUR 225–340
- The total estimated price for the initial appointment is EUR 249.90–364.90
(includes: initial appointment with a sleep apnoea nurse + Kanta fee + mask). The price range is formed by the differences in the prices of the mask selected.
Please note that CPAP treatment is always started with a so-called basic machine, not a portable machine.
Please note that renting a CPAP machine from Mehiläinen for temporary use, for example, does not rule out the possibility of public healthcare.
Mehiläinen also offers portable CPAP machines that are especially suitable for travelling. Only a basic machine can be rented (no portable machines can be rented). If necessary, the portable device is ordered separately for a patient who has visited a Mehiläinen sleep apnoea nurse’s appointment, in which case the delivery takes about a week. The price of a portable machine including an accessory package is approximately EUR 1,200–1,300. Mehiläinen’s sleep apnoea nurses can also help with the adjustments and use of the portable machine if the customer has purchased the portable machine directly from the manufacturer.
Prices are starting prices and depend on the selected studies and treatment methods. An outpatient clinic fee and Kanta fee are added to consultation visits.
| Service | Price estimate |
|---|---|
| Start of CPAP machine therapy (1st appointment with a sleep apnoea nurse) *The customer purchases a CPAP machine for themselves, starting from EUR 223.90. | from 223,90 € No Kela reimbursement |
| Initial examination for snoring | from 66,80 € Without Kela reimbursement from 96,80 € |
| Concise sleep polygraphy No Kela reimbursement will be paid for a concise sleep polygraphy. Learn more and book an appointment for a concise sleep polygraphy | from 542,40 € No Kela reimbursement |
| First visit for sleep apnea splint Total cost estimate for the sleep apnea splint from 1200 €. Learn more about the sleep apnea splint and book an appointment (in Finnish) | from 96,80 € Without Kela reimbursement from 123,80 € |
| Initial evaluation for sleep apnoea | from 66,80 € Without Kela reimbursement from 96,80 € |
| Initial examination of sleep disorders | from 66,80 € Without Kela reimbursement from 96,80 € |
Related symptoms
Insomnia
Being stressed and busy daily can make it difficult to calm down, which, in turn, will affect sleep.
Other sleep disorders
Sleep disorders include restless legs and the rarer disorders of narcolepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome and various parasomnias.
Sleep apnoea
Narrowing of the airways and relaxation of the muscles during sleep can lead to pauses in breathing.
Snoring
Noise during sleep is caused by a narrowing of the airway.
Frequently asked questions about CPAP therapy
CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) is the most effective treatment for sleep apnoea.
Sometimes the letter combination APAP is used, where the first letter A comes from automatic, i.e. the machine automatically detects pressure fluctuations and adjusts the pressure level accordingly. The majority of today’s CPAP machines are automatic, although a constant pressure machine is still justified for some patients.
CPAP treatment does not cure sleep apnoea, but it improves sleep quality, reducing daytime fatigue and other health problems caused by sleep apnoea, while also improving the quality of life.
CPAP is a positive pressure respiratory machine that provides positive pressure to keep the upper airway open. The CPAP machine comes with a mask attached to the machine with a hose. There are different masks: full face mask, nasal mask and nasal pillow mask. The CPAP machine available through Mehiläinen also includes a humidifier and heated hose to help you with your dry mouth.
CPAP treatment does not cure sleep apnoea, but the use of the device improves sleep quality, reducing daytime fatigue and other health problems caused by sleep apnoea. Therefore, the treatment improves the patient’s quality of life by reducing breathing interruptions.
Sleep apnoea is a sleep breathing disorder in which breathing stops or slows significantly and repeatedly during sleep. Breathing interruptions cause a person with sleep apnoea to wake up repeatedly during sleep, even up to hundreds of times in one night. This means that sleep is not refreshing. Untreated sleep apnoea puts a strain on the body and makes you prone to various illnesses.
Avoiding excess weight gain, losing weight if necessary, not smoking, exercise, reducing alcohol consumption and avoiding medications that depress the central nervous system decrease the risk of sleep apnoea and often reduce the severity of already diagnosed sleep apnoea. If lifestyle changes are not sufficient, sleep apnoea can be treated with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine or an oral appliance for sleep apnoea, and, in some cases, also with positional therapy or surgery.
At the sleep apnoea nurse appointment, sleep apnoea as a disease is discussed and guidance for the use of the CPAP machine is provided. In addition, the sleep apnoea nurse will fit the mask and you can test how you can breath with the machine.
The CPAP machine is set up to remotely monitor the machine's functioning and use. If necessary, the machine settings can be changed via remote monitoring.
The sleep apnoea nurse will usually contact the patient two weeks after the start of CPAP treatment and the next time three months after the start of treatment. Following this, the treatment is monitored annually. The first annual check-up is carried out at a sleep apnoea nurse’s appointment.
Patients can contact their own sleep apnoea nurse in case of problems.
Place the mask in the centre of the face, ensuring that the thickest part of the strap is on the centre of the neck. Check that the mask is in place. Switch on the machine. Pull the mask gently away from the face, slightly forwards and downwards, so that the silicone part of the mask straightens out and is evenly against the skin. In this way, the pillow part of the mask is filled with air which makes it tighter and softer against the skin. Put the mask back on your face.
If you use a face cream in the evening, apply the cream 2–3 hours before putting on the mask so that the silicone mask remains in place.
Always adjust the mask straps on both sides at the same time. Make sure that the mask fits evenly at the top and bottom. If the lower straps of the mask are tighter, it will leak from the top and vice versa.
If there are red marks on the face and bridge of the nose, the mask strap is too tight. Loosen the straps – often just a few millimetres is enough. However, please note that there will always be some marks on the face, as the mask’s tightness requires that the straps cannot be too loose.
