Cassidy Huff, a Los Angeles-based actress and disability advocate, is currently navigating a stressful battle with her medical equipment provider, Apria Healthcare. She had believed that her life-sustaining BiPAP machine was on a standard rent-to-own agreement that would end after 10 months. Then, Huff was blindsided when a call with a representative, following a new invoice, allegedly told her her BiPAP was a “forever rental.” The video documenting the call went on to get over 19 million views.
The saddest bit is that right before this confrontation, Huff made a cute video about finally being able to customize and decorate her BiPAP machine since she finally paid it. A few days later, she took to Instagram and TikTok to share her phone call with an Apria representative. In the caption, she explained, “I was not informed until today, almost a year after getting the machine that keeps me alive at night, that Apria Healthcare incorrectly has my machine on a forever rental.”
The caption noted, “Meaning that as long as I have the machine in my possession, I will have to pay $200-$300 a month. This is NOT a luxury. I should NOT have to pay to breathe.” To ensure she understands what the representative is saying, Huff asks him, “Just to be so, so, so clear. And by the way, you are being recorded. Are you saying that I, who has a chronic lung condition that will never get better, needs to rent a machine that keeps me alive every night forever?” In a sobering moment, he just says, “Yes.”
Not a luxury
He tells her he will direct her to another department so that she can ask about purchasing. This is when Huff poses another question. “So, if you were in my position, right, if you had a chronic disability, which you will at some point because disability is inevitable. You later on down the line, needed my specific BiPAP because your lungs were failing at night, and you had to pay upwards of $300 a month, what would you do?”
The representative replied to Huff, stating, “I do really apologize for that one, but, I think that I am not in a position to answer that one.” Huff has gone viral for highlighting the challenges that come with disability, most recently for calling out the LA buses.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, a BiPAP, or bilevel positive airway pressure machine, is a form of noninvasive ventilation used for people who can breathe on their own but require assistance to get enough oxygen or remove carbon dioxide. Unlike a CPAP, which provides continuous pressure, a BiPAP adjusts pressure based on whether the user is inhaling or exhaling.
For Huff, who lives with a chronic lung condition, this machine is critical. She clarified in response to social media skepticism that, “I have restrictive lung disease and a history of my lungs collapsing. My BiPAP keeps that from happening by forcing my lungs to stay open throughout the night.”
Videos 2 and 3 feature clips from Huff’s conversation with an employee, where she asks questions about the discrepancies in the billing. It was triggered by an employee telling her that her monthly co-pay was only $18. However, her three-month bills always exceeded that.
Eventually, Huff reached out to her insurance. To her relief, they allegedly confirmed she was indeed under a 10-month rent-to-own contract. She claimed that her insurance provider informed her that Apria had provided incorrect information and that the company was in violation of their contract if they attempted to reclaim the machine or continue billing indefinitely.
Allegedly, her insurance representatives reportedly had to intervene to speak with an Apria supervisor, who claimed to have “lost” the contract and had no record of the 10 payments already made. It should be noted that outside of her recordings, all we have is Huff’s perspective on the matter, so her story shouldn’t be treated as verifiable fact. Apria Healthcare has not publicly responded to Huff’s claims, and its side of the billing dispute has not been independently confirmed.
In her next video, Huff provided details for her alleged billing errors. She claimed that she had been charged for supplies she never ordered and that the supplies she did receive were often incorrect. She stated, “I believe they have been grossly overcharging me for months. I’m seeking legal counsel and an attorney.”
Support poured in from her viewers. Many were angry at the system for her. One user commented, “Welcome to americas greatest healthcare system you owe money to die.” Another noted, “12 month rental is the maximum timeframe. Lifetime rental is a made up scam.”
Huff ended by stating that she intends to keep fighting but also asked her viewers to think of those who might be trapped in similar cycles of incorrect billing and misinformation.
Published: Sep 5, 2026 10:30 am