Did you receive a call from a sleep center to schedule an in-center or in-home sleep study?
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects more than 18 million Americans. Left untreated, sleep apnea can have serious and life-shortening consequences: high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, automobile accidents caused by falling asleep at the wheel, diabetes or depression. An in-home or in-center sleep study can diagnose OSA and many other sleep disorders.
Why did your doctor refer you for a sleep study?
It could be one of these risk factors:
- You've complained of excessive daytime sleepiness
- Your neck circumference is over 17" (for men) or 15" (for women)
- You've complained of waking up with morning headaches, dry mouth or a sore throat
- Your bed partner has observed that you gasp for air in the night
- You wake up frequently in the night to urinate
- Your body mass index (BMI) is over 30
What's next?
Contact your sleep center so they can help. They will review the scheduling process with you, find a convenient date and location, and find out what your health insurance covers.
You may have met your insurance deductible for 2014 already. If so, you can take advantage of lower (or no) out-of-pocket expenses for medical services such as sleep studies, PAP or supplies. If you wait until 2015, you will have to meet a new deductible. Click HERE to read our post about using your benefits before the end of the year.
Here at Advanced Sleep Medicine Services, Inc., we're ready to help!
October 28, 2015: We've updated this post with some more links and useful information.
