He's shopping at the wrong place. I buy my CPAP masks for less than $200 ... depending on the make/model.

Wow- I was diagnosed with apnea about 5 years ago and have used my CPAP every night since (even took it to China with me). I felt the benefits from the beginning. Still, I would love to not have to use a mask and the other equip necessary. But there is no way on this great Earth that I will be able to come up with $30K nor risk the kind of surgery necessary to have this done. I cannot imagine that insurance companies are going to moving from a $1000 machine to a $30000 surgery that could have significant side affects.

...I no longer have insurance, but I am in need of a new mask, can anyone tell me the best place to look? I appreciate all feedback, they are pretty pricey so any pennies I can save would be a huge help. Thank you.

Try www.cpapman.com.

I was diagnosed with "moderate to severe" sleep apnea 6 years ago. My doctor laid out options for me, including the CPAP and a surgery called UPPP. Before he would perform the surgery, he made me use the CPAP. The machine worked great for the first 30-60 minutes, but I would rip the mask off my face in my sleep. UPPP, though risky, has cured me of my apnea, and there are no devices or machines or electric currents implanted in my body. I would highly recommend asking your doctor about UPPP.

Depsite the idea of market driven healthcare purchasing, most people are not going to go out and search around for the cheapest place to buy their CPAP supplies, or carefully consider the comparative costs of the implant vs. the CPAP. Instead they are going to do what the doctor advises them, and buy from the medical device supplier recommended by the doctor, especially if they have insurance, or they are enrolled in an HMO. The same will apply to this new implantable device. If your doctor tells you you need this device, and instead you want to try something else, you have the choice of acting "Against Medical Advice", in which case you are no longer covered by your insurance, or doing what the doctor tells you. The limit on the doctor will not be your choice, but rather whether your insurance company feels like paying for the implant. Even the doctor cannot buck the insurance company, so in the end it will be a computer program at corporate headquarters which will make the decision on what care you get. Welcome to rationed healthcare.