States challenge private insurer E/M downcoding
States and professional organizations are increasingly challenging private insurers' downcoding of evaluation and management (E/M) services, a practice clinicians say undermines physician judgment and delays appropriate reimbursement. E/M downcoding occurs when payers automatically reduce the level of a [...]
AASM addresses payer barriers to sleep care access
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recently sent a letter to UnitedHealthcare, raising concerns about the use of Synapse Health for durable medical equipment (DME) fulfillment for CPAP therapy. The letter outlined member‑reported issues affecting patient access to [...]
Key trends in sleep medicine: Q1 2026
Recent developments across technology, therapeutics, policy, and public health point to several themes shaping the practice of sleep medicine in early 2026. Drawing on trends highlighted in the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s State of Sleep Medicine Report [...]
Talking Sleep | Microplastics, PAP Therapy, and What the Science Shows
Season 8 | Episode 6 In this episode of Talking Sleep, host Dr. Seema Khosla explores growing concerns about microplastics in human health and what they may mean for patients using positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy. She is [...]
American Academy of Sleep Medicine launches Full PSG Autoscoring Certification Program
DARIEN, IL – The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has introduced the Full PSG Autoscoring Certification Program, a new initiative that independently evaluates and certifies autoscoring software that interprets adult sleep stages and events from polysomnography data. The Full [...]
Advancing Quality: 2026 CMS Conference Highlights
AASM staff attended the 2026 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality Conference, #QualCon26, on March 16–17. The conference’s theme was “MAHA: Innovating Together for Better Health.” CMS Priority Themes CMS highlighted several priority areas during the [...]
State of Sleep Medicine Report | 2026, Q1
The State of Sleep Medicine Report is compiled quarterly by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine as a members only resource. The report contains news highlights and announcements to help members identify current trends and innovations in sleep [...]
AASM members to advocate for sleep health priorities during Hill Day
On April 14, members of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine will gather in Washington, D.C., to participate in AASM Hill Day, an annual advocacy event that gives members the opportunity to engage directly with lawmakers and their [...]
AASM develops downloadable payer template letter to address in-lab billing policies
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recently sent a letter to Wellmark to raise concerns about a payer policy affecting reimbursement for in-lab diagnostic and titration sleep studies. The policy restricts reimbursement for Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes 95810 (diagnostic polysomnography) and 95811 [...]
Sleep health overlooked: Nearly half of adults haven’t talked to their health care professional about sleep
DARIEN, IL – While sleep is essential to health, nearly half of adults (45%) have not discussed sleep with their health care professional, according to a new survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The health care conversation [...]
Sleep Medicine Weekly Insider – March 28, 2026
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine Weekly Insider keeps members informed about current AASM initiatives and the latest developments in the field of sleep medicine. AASM announces 2026 award recipients Congratulations to the recipients of the 2026 AASM awards: [...]
Talking Sleep | Inpatient Sleep Medicine: New AASM Guidelines
Season 8 | Episode 5 In this episode of Talking Sleep, host Dr. Seema Khosla welcomes Dr. Reena Mehra, professor in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle, and [...]
Talking Sleep | High Altitude Central Sleep Apnea: Diagnosis and Treatment
Season 8 | Episode 4 In this episode of Talking Sleep, host Dr. Seema Khosla welcomes Dr. David McCarty, a sleep physician based in Colorado and Chief Medical Officer for REBIS HEALTH, to discuss the unique challenges of [...]
Highlights of the 2026 CMS Burden Reduction Conference
On Feb. 25, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) hosted the 2026 CMS Burden Reduction Conference, uniting stakeholders in person and virtually for a focused discussion on minimizing administrative burden across the health care sector. [...]
AASM announces 2026 award recipients
Awards recognize outstanding contributions to the field of sleep medicine DARIEN, IL – Five individuals have been selected as the 2026 American Academy of Sleep Medicine award recipients for their outstanding contributions to the field of sleep medicine. [...]
Utah enacts SB 314 to expand public education on sleep health
On March 19, Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed SB 314 (Sleep Disorders Education Amendments) into law, directing the Utah Division of Population Health within the Department of Health and Human Services to develop educational materials and perform public [...]
Sleep Medicine Weekly Insider – March 21, 2026
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine Weekly Insider keeps members informed about current AASM initiatives and the latest developments in the field of sleep medicine.Prior authorization toolkit now availableThe American Academy of Sleep Medicine has developed a Prior Authorization [...]
AASM Prior Authorization Toolkit now available
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has developed a Prior Authorization Toolkit to help practices reduce administrative burden and address inconsistent payer requirements that disrupt patient care and strain practice resources. It provides standardized, specialty specific tools that can [...]
Sleep Medicine Weekly Insider – March 14, 2026
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine Weekly Insider keeps members informed about current AASM initiatives and the latest developments in the field of sleep medicine. APSS releases SLEEP 2026 schedule The Associated Professional Sleep Societies has posted the schedule [...]
Case Study of the Month – March 2026
The AASM Case Study of the Month for March is about a 31-year-old married female, 28 weeks pregnant with her first child, when she presented with a history of narcolepsy diagnosed two years prior. The case was submitted [...]
Sleep Medicine Weekly Insider – March 7, 2026
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine Weekly Insider keeps members informed about current AASM initiatives and the latest developments in the field of sleep medicine. Cast your vote in leadership election AASM invites all eligible voting members to participate in the 2026 – [...]
CMS establishes new HCPCS hypoglossal nerve neurostimulator codes
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have acknowledged stakeholder questions regarding the appropriate coding for hypoglossal nerve neurostimulator procedures used to treat obstructive sleep apnea. Specifically, CMS recognized that existing Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes do not [...]
American Academy of Sleep Medicine announces Fellows for 2026
Fellow standing recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of sleep medicine DARIEN, IL – The American Academy of Sleep Medicine congratulates the 42 members who constitute the 2026 Fellows of the AASM. Fellow standing recognizes outstanding [...]
Vote in the AASM leadership election
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) invites all eligible voting members to participate in the 2026 - 2027 leadership election. Online voting will be open Mar. 5- 27. Last fall AASM announced a call for nominations for [...]
Talking Sleep | Are Hypnotics Safe in Untreated OSA? Insights for Clinicians
Season 8 | Episode 3 In this episode of Talking Sleep, host Dr. Seema Khosla welcomes Dr. Mark Boulos, Dr. Khullar, and Dr. Mak for an in‑depth discussion on a topic that has challenged clinicians for decades: Are [...]