Medicare Coverage Recommended for In-Home Sleep Testing

SleepQuest anticipates expanding reach to sleep apnea sufferers

SAN CARLOS, Calif., Jan. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Millions of men and women who
suffer from sleep apnea just got some good news: the agency that regulates
Medicare and Medicaid policy recommended the coverage of in-home testing for
diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea.
On December 14, 2007, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
released a policy memo proposing to allow coverage of Continuous Positive
Airway Pressure (CPAP) based upon diagnosis of sleep apnea by home sleep
testing (HST). A public comment period is currently open, and the final policy
will be published in March 2008.
The decision follows a September 12 meeting in which physicians and
experts on sleep disorders testified before the Medicare Evidence Development
& Coverage Advisory Committee (MedCAC) on the merits of at-home testing,
including SleepQuest's Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. William C. Dement, the
father of modern sleep medicine. SleepQuest is a leading provider of at-home
unattended diagnostic sleep testing and sleep apnea treatment, and President
Robert Koenigsberg was a vital part of the coalition that fought for approval.
"We worked hand-in-hand with other companies across the country to lobby
for this," said Koenigsberg, "and worked closely with physicians who
understand the impact that in-home sleep testing can have on a patient's well
being."
When the final approval is granted, Medicare sleep apnea patients will no
longer be required to undergo sleep testing at more costly and less convenient
sleep labs.
"We can do this service anywhere," said Koenigsberg. "Medicare's approval
will give us an expanded opportunity to diagnose and treat the effects of
sleep apnea and other breathing disorders in the comfortable and effective
environment of the patient's own home."
Koenigsberg was also confident other insurance companies would follow
suit. CIGNA and Blue Cross already provide coverage for the treatment in some
areas.
"Over 10 percent of the US population suffers from sleep related breathing
disorders that should be identified and treated," said Koenigsberg. "We've
diagnosed thousands of patients with our unique care model in 13 years of
business. With increasing demand for in-home sleep testing and sleep apnea
treatment, SleepQuest has positioned itself to be ready to meet the needs of
newly-covered patients across the country."
For more information visit http://www.sleepquest.com
SOURCE SleepQuest

Brian Joosse, +1-630-990-0220, brian.joosse@arends-inc.com; or Don Arends,
dlarends@aol.com, both for SleepQuest