insurance
Question:
I posted a letter a couple of weeks ago about my concerns as to possible sleep apnea. I’ve since made an appt with a Dr to discuss this as a possiblity, but I’m afraid my insurance might not cover the cost of the test. Does anyone know if an hmo will cover such things? Also I still have questions about apnea. Does the problem usually occur every night or are there some good nights?I seem to have been better for the past few days but I’m still very tired driving to and from work. I guess I’m afraid of having the test and getting negative results which would leave me back where I started! I appreciate any answers you might have for me. thanks, sue emmons
Response:
On Sun, 10 Oct 1999 12:46:19 -0400 (EDT), Su…@webtv.net (Sue Emmons) wrote: >I posted a letter a couple of weeks ago about my concerns as to possible >sleep apnea. I’ve since made an appt with a Dr to discuss this as a >possiblity, but I’m afraid my insurance might not cover the cost of the >test. Does anyone know if an hmo will cover such things?
There are a wide variety of insurance plans; the great majority of insurance plans do cover sleep studies. Typically, they’ll want to do a review before they do it. One time (before the possibility of sleep apnea crossed my mind), I had the option to select an HMO. One of the things they wanted to pre-certify were sleep studies. My PPO has varied over the years about the things they want pre-certified…. now it’s any inpatient hospital admission that isn’t an emergency. >Does the problem usually occur every night or are there some >good nights?
Snoring and sleep apnea is frequently positional (usually worst on your back); if you slept on your side more than average, you might feel better the next day. >I guess I’m afraid of having the test and getting negative results >which would leave me back where I started!
Well, depending on what they found out during the sleep study, they might turn around and check you out for narcolepsy. Sleep apnea is quite common. However, I remember earlier this year when I got a new internist and I filled out her (interestingly enough, I tend to prefer women doctors as they always seem to be more persistent with problems) questionnaire. It had all these conditions listed… and a blank for OTHER. I had to write in "Obstructive Sleep Apnea!" (Hotels now advertise "data port for your laptop modem," wonder how many years before they start advertising "convenient bedside outlet for CPAP?" Normies can always plug in their laptop….) Also, I live on the Galveston side of Houston. Houston and Galveston both turn out a LOT of doctors. They teach them to take histories by sending them out and reviewing the results. I had one that hadn’t yet had ANY training in sleep disorders. The acronym "CPAP" went completely over his head… then when I said it, he only remembered part of it… he wanted to know MORE about the "Constant Positive Whatchamajigger." I told him, "It sure SOUNDS a lot worse than it is… if it makes you feel better, that’s a powerful incentive to use it." <grin>
Response:
Call them up and ask them, Sue. On Sun, 10 Oct 1999 12:46:19 -0400 (EDT), Su…@webtv.net (Sue Emmons) wrote: > | I posted a letter a couple of weeks ago about my concerns as to possible > | sleep apnea. I’ve since made an appt with a Dr to discuss this as a > | possiblity, but I’m afraid my insurance might not cover the cost of the > | test. Does anyone know if an hmo will cover such things? Also I still > | have questions about apnea. Does the problem usually occur every night > | or are there some good nights?I seem to have been better for the past > | few days but I’m still very tired driving to and from work. I guess I’m > | afraid of having the test and getting negative results which would leave > | me back where I started! I appreciate any answers you might have for me. > | > | thanks, > | sue emmons > |
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