Dedicated to help his patients to sleep

Photo agence qmi, Amélie St-Yves
Michael Christmas would like to be able to help his patients who suffer from sleep apnea to buy the machine which would process.

Amélie St-Yves

Saturday, 24 February, 2018 22:07

UPDATE
Saturday, 24 February, 2018 22:07

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THREE-RIVERS | respiratory therapist dedicated to doing everything to raise money in order to help his patients who suffer from sleep apnea to be able to afford the machine that relieves, but that will cost you between 1400 $ and 2200 $.

Michael Christmas is regularly confronted with patients who received a diagnosis of sleep apnea, but who do not have the means to take care of itself.

The machine that pushes air into the lungs during the night to avoid pauses in breathing is worth 1400 $ to 2200 $. Health Canada recommends to replace it every five years.

It is also necessary to replace the mask every year, resulting in a cost of $ 200, in addition to other accessories that amount to another amount of $ 100 per year.

“It is common that people are gasping and having knowledge of the cost and prefer to wait to heal, to see if they could find cheaper. I would love that treat them, these people, who do not have the means to pay for the device, ” he explains.

Endure

In the end, the costs are such that many patients choose to endure rather than to treat it, according to the respiratory therapist.

Sleep apnea, if not treated, can cause other serious disorders, such as depression, diabetes, cerebral vascular accident (STROKE), even a myocardial infarction.

The respiratory therapist, 27-year-old does not understand that the device is not reimbursed by the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ).

“This is a treatment that works and it is recommended by Health Canada. Personally, I find it a bit strange that it is not covered “, laments he.

By launching a campaign on GoFundMe, he wants to be able to offer the machine to severely ill patients who do not have the means. They do not remain as accessories to pay.

Injustice

The Quebec lung Association is currently drafting a memorandum on the issue which will be submitted to the government of Quebec at the end of the month.

“There is a great injustice in Quebec. If you live on social assistance or have private insurance, you are helped financially, but the people with low income have nothing “, said the director-general Dominique Massie.

No action is currently pending at the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec to correct the situation, because of the costs that it would create and the ” low-fidelity to treatment “.

The RAMQ is based on a study of the Institut national d’excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS), which indicates that a regime of reimbursement by the public would cost 41 $ 46 million per year.