This guide is written from Singapore government documents, not from hands-on testing. The source is the Agency for Care Effectiveness (ACE) medical technology guidance Positive airway pressure for moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnoea, published 1 April 2026, with its annex and plain-English summary. ACE is the Ministry of Health’s health technology assessment agency.
What changed in April 2026
The Ministry of Health’s Medical Technology Advisory Committee recommended positive airway pressure (PAP) for government subsidy for people with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).
Who qualifies
ACE sets three conditions. You need all of them:
- Age 16 or over, with moderate-to-severe OSA. ACE uses the apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) from a sleep study: moderate is 15 to 30 events an hour, severe is more than 30. Mild OSA (AHI 5 to under 15) is not covered.
- A one-month trial you actually stick to. You must use APAP or CPAP for at least 4 hours a night on at least 70% of nights during a one-month trial. ACE’s plain-English summary puts that at about 21 of 30 nights.
- Specialist review. You must be assessed and reviewed by a specialist trained in sleep medicine, under the hospital’s own clinical privileging rules.
If you meet them, the subsidy is one-time.
The only subsidised machine
The ACE annex lists one model: the ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet, supplied by Junnimed Service Pte. Ltd. and Easmed Pte Ltd. The subsidised package includes:
- one AirSense 10 standard filter
- a ClimateLineAir heated tube
- a HumidAir cleanable water tub
- the 90 W power supply and cord
- the Air10 travel bag
The annex says it will be updated as models are revised. The newer AirSense 11 is not on it.
For comparison, one Singapore retailer listed the AirSense 10 AutoSet at S$1,680 nett on 14 October 2026 (GST included). The ACE documents do not publish the subsidy amount, so ask your hospital what your share would be after means testing.
What is not covered
- BiPAP. The committee left bilevel PAP out of scope. It says bilevel suits a small group, such as people with severe OSA who cannot tolerate CPAP or APAP because they need pressures above 20 cmH2O.
- Masks bought later. The annex covers the machine package. It does not list replacement masks or parts. See CPAP masks in Singapore and CPAP tubes, tubs and filters in Singapore for retail prices.
- Other brands. Only the listed model attracts the subsidy.
How to use it
- Get a sleep study and a diagnosis from a sleep-trained specialist. ACE writes its guidance for Singapore’s public hospitals and institutions, so start with a public sleep clinic.
- Do the one-month trial. The test is nightly use: at least 4 hours on at least 70% of nights.
- Ask the clinic how it orders the subsidised AirSense 10 AutoSet from one of the two listed distributors.
If the remaining bill is still hard to pay, ask the hospital’s medical social worker about MediFund.
Why ACE recommended it
ACE says its committee looked at clinical need, effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and the estimated annual cost. It found PAP gave clinically and statistically significant improvements in OSA severity and daytime sleepiness, measured on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. The committee also considered 29 testimonials from patients and carers. Some said the device improved their blood pressure and made them less irritable during the day.
If you are choosing a machine privately instead, compare prices in CPAP machine prices in Singapore.