Medicare Coverage for Sleep Apnea
Heavy snoring is not a joke!If you are one of the millions that suffer from sleep apnea disorders, you know this very well. Or, you may be the spouse, partner, roommate or relative of a person who has sleep apnea. In spite of the joking, sleep apnea should be taken very seriously. Sleep apnea cause sleep deprivation, which leads to diurnal somnolience and permanent fatigue. More obvious are the negative effects for room partners: noisy snoring prevents them from proper resting. Consequences of sleep apnea do not stop here. Studies show that sleep apnea sufferers have a significantly increased risk of high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, heart attack, stroke and diabetes. More indirectly but not less dangerous, the state of chronic fatigue associated with apnea leads to an increased chance of being involved in car crashes and other accidents. |
"...as a potentially life-threatening condition, Sleep Apnea requires immediate medical attention..." |
Does Medicare cover sleep apnea?
Very often people assume that Medicare and other
Health Insurance
programs will not pay for diagnostic or treatment costs associated with
bad snoring or poor sleep. Unfortunately, this keeps many
people from being properly diagnosed and treated. The good news is that
Medicare recently revised the definitions and problems associated with
obstructive sleep apnea in the light of current medical research.
Medicare now covers the use of a device known as Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP). This device consists of a nose mask that provides an airflow during sleep, preventing the collapse of the internal walls of nose and throat, which causes episodes of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). |
"...The use of CPAP is covered under Medicare when used in adult patients with moderate or severe OSA for whom surgery is a likely alternative to CPAP..." |
Who gets covered?
If you are concerned about obstructive sleep
apnea, first
thing to do is visiting your doctor and talk about it. If necessary,
your physician will ask you to get a Polysomnography, or sleep test.
This painless test is performed at a specialized laboratory, where you
spend the nigth and your sleep is monitored. Medicare covers this test
if your doctor prescribed it.
If you are diagnosed moderate or severe
obstructive sleep
apnea, your doctor will prescribe a CPAP device, and its cost is
covered by Medicare. For milder sleep apnea other options are
available. First approaches usualy involve losing weight and sleeping
on your side. There are also mouth devices to help keep the airway open
and reduce snoring.
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Steps to
get rid of sleep apnea and getting covered by
Medicare:
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