A change in the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority's funding model will end up costing those with sleep apnea.

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority's new funding model for obstructive sleep apnea Continued Positive Airway Pressure equipment is expected to save $4.9-million a year, but it's going to cost Manitobans who use the devices.

As of April 23rd, individuals in Manitoba will be required to co-pay for $500 of the CPAP machine, as well as the costs of supplies like the mask, hose, and related parts.

Robyn Sierks is from Altona, and she's used a CPAP machine for about 10 years. She says the machine is a lifeline for a lot of people, and says those with low income won't be able to afford this change.

"You stop breathing in your sleep, right? So you need it (the CPAP machine), right? ... It's a little bit scary," says Sierks.

Sierks says she has private insurance but at this point isn't sure how much is covered. Regardless, she says, because of the severity of her sleep apnea she would have to come up with the funds somehow.

"That's my lifeline, so I've got to do what I've got to do," she says.

According to WebMD, sleep apnea, if left untreated, can cause high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure and heart attacks, diabetes, depression, and more. The WRHA's chief health operations officer Krista Williams says there are around 2,800 new CPAP patients per year in Manitoba, with 16,000 current CPAP users in the province.

Williams says many private insurance programs offer some kind of financial support and people on Employment and Income Assistance may be eligibile for additional coverage as well. The WRHA has also set up an appeals process for individuals who can't afford the equipment or have extenuating circumstances. She says the details of that process will be put up online.

"Individuals would have to basically identify the reasons why they cannot afford and/or their extenuating circumstances, because there may be other circumstances that we want to consider. So there will be information posted, there will be information that the individual will have to provide for us, and we'll have a panel set up and review each case individually," says Williams.

Williams says she doesn't expect people to live with sleep apnea without treatment. She recommends people with sleep apnea speak with their health care providers about what options are available. She also says the WRHA will continue to provide Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure service, which she says is a similar but different machine to the CPAP used for individuals with the most severe breathing disorders.

The WRHA said when it announced the change that most provinces require individuals to pay the full cost of CPAP equipment and supplies, and this move better aligns with the funding models of most other jurisdictions.