Government
Medicare could expand sleep apnea coverage
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Jan. 21, 2008
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has proposed expanding Medicare's coverage of continuous positive airway pressure therapy when it is used to treat obstructive sleep apnea.
Currently, Medicare covers the treatment only for beneficiaries who have received a diagnosis of moderate to severe sleep apnea from a treating physician and confirmed by a sleep laboratory. CMS is proposing an expansion of this coverage to individuals who receive a diagnosis using the combination of a clinical evaluation and a home sleep-monitoring device. Additional beneficiaries could be covered through clinical studies.
The proposed decision memo is available online (link).
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/01/21/gvbf0121.htm.












