Testing For Sleep Apnea

Medical insurance companies can take several months to pre-authorize patients for a sleep study at a sleep center.  Technology however has advanced sufficiently now that sleep studies can be done in the convenience of our homes and at a much affordable price. Many vendors provide this service.

My office has evaluated multiple home sleep study service vendors and chosen SleepTest.com as they are convenient, fast, and affordable, and offer verification of medical benefits and direct billing to medical insurance. They also offer a self-pay option for those without insurance coverage or who choose to use other means, such as a Health Savings Account for the entire treatment spanning sleep study and oral appliance therapy.

The process

SleepTest offers a simple testing process to patients that can take as little as 3 weeks. The process applies to those who plan to use their medical insurance for both sleep study and sleep apnea therapy using oral appliances.

The patient, in consultation with SleepTest

• reviews his medical insurance copay and cost of the study
• attends a pre-test-telemedicine consult appointment with a sleep physician
• receives insurance-approved sleep testing device by mail from SleepTest.com
• completes sleep testing within a 5-day window
• returns the device to SleepTest.com in the prepaid package
• attends a telemedicine consult with a certified sleep physician and reviews results
• receives a prescription for sleep apnea appliance therapy from the physician

SleepTest shares the patient’s sleep statistics and his prescription with Dr. Chitgopekar. She will study the data and interpret it taking into account her own findings from the patient’s comprehensive medical examination, gender, health and dental history and his/her work- and personal lifestyle. She will then finalize an optimal treatment plan in collaboration with the sleep physician.

Sleep Test Devices 

SleepTest.com has a choice of 3 types of sleep testing devices that they make available to the doctor for use in the patient’s sleep study. However, it is the patient’s medical insurance that has the final say on the device that they mandate and pay for.

• SleepImage Ring that the patient wears on his thumb before going to sleep
• ResMed ApneaLink Air Device that the patient wears around his chest + nasal cannula
• Nox T3 Device that the patient wears around his chest + nasal cannula