Editorial questions use of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale for insurance authorization
An editorial in the Oct. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine points out that insurers may be abusing the Epworth Sleepiness Scale by using it as part of a prior authorization process for diagnostic sleep testing. According to the editorial, the ESS has inadequate sensitivity and specificity as a screening tool for obstructive sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea trucking bill becomes law
On Tuesday, Oct. 15, President Obama signed into law H.R. 3095, which requires a formal rulemaking process to be followed for any new or revised requirement related to sleep apnea screening, testing or treatment of commercial motor vehicle operators.
State run exchanges receive 100,000 applications
More than 100,000 residents have completed applications for coverage through the Affordable Care Act's state-operated health insurance exchanges, and at least 38,000 have enrolled.
ASMF modifies eligibility requirements for ABSM Junior Faculty Award
The American Sleep Medicine Foundation recently announced changes to its requirements for the American Board of Sleep Medicine Junior Faculty Research Award. Young researchers are now eligible to apply after completing a one-year sleep medicine fellowship in an ACGME approved or non-ACGME approved fellowship.
Call for volunteers: Serve on AASM Nominating Committee
The AASM invites nominations from the membership for candidates interested in serving one two-year term on the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee is charged with the evaluation of applications received from the membership for open positions on the Board of Directors and the recommendation of highly-qualified candidates for service in leadership capacities.
Complete PQRS reporting in 2013 to avoid penalties in 2015
Now is the best time to submit your 2013 PQRS measures through the AASM PQRSwizard. Register today as an individual and the program is $225, but if you register in a group of 10 or more, each individual will receive 10 percent off the AASM PQRSwizard program, 21 or more, each individual will receive 15 percent off!
AASM Quarterly Catalog: Your official guide for center resources
Whether you are opening a new sleep center or you’re an old pro, these center management resources from the AASM are essential for every sleep center. Take a look at the AASM Quarterly Catalog to find products to fit the needs of your center’s staff. Inside you will find training solutions, online resources and center management resources to help run your sleep center more efficiently.
Seats still available for the Successfully Navigating Reimbursement course
Navigating reimbursement claims can be time consuming for staff and costly to your center. Join us for a discussion with an expert faculty to learn practice efficiency, how to effectively contract and communicate with your payers and how to comply with the October 2014 implementation of ICD-10.
Medicare report finds high improper payment rate for CPAP
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) supplies had an improper payment rate of 56 percent and a projected improper payment amount of approximately $356 million during the 2012 report period, according to the Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) 2012 Improper Payments Report. Most of the improper payments were due to insufficient documentation to support the medical necessity of the devices. The AASM continues to advocate for a Stark Law exception that will bring continuity of care to Medicare by allowing board certified sleep medicine physicians to provide PAP therapy for Medicare patients with OSA.
OIG releases polysomnography billing report
Earlier this month the Office of Inspector General (OIG) released its report on Questionable Billing for Polysomnography Services, finding that Medicare made $16.8 million in inappropriate payments for polysomnography services in 2011. About $16 million of these payments were related to claims with inappropriate diagnosis codes. CMS plans to investigate and attempt to recover the payments that did not meet Medicare requirements.
Free AASM apps teach children about the value of sleep
The AASM has developed a series of kid-friendly apps to help children learn about the importance of sleep. The free apps - I See the Animals Sleeping and The Animals Sleep - are available to download on the App Store, Google Play and Amazon.
Studies show how critical sleep is to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Three new studies show just how critical it is for adults to seek treatment for a sleep illness and aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Free, kid-friendly apps provide perfect parent tools to teach about sleep
Two free interactive apps from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) launched today, giving parents new resources to teach their children about the value of sleep using an iPad, Kindle Fire or Android tablet. Available for download from the App Store, Google Play and Amazon, the apps will help kids understand the need for a soothing sleep environment and the importance of developing healthy sleep habits that will last a lifetime.
The AASM announces its sixth year offering the Young Investigator Research Forum
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) announces its 6th offering of the Young Investigator Research Forum to be held April 9-11, 2014 at Bethesda Marriott Suites, 6711 Democracy Boulevard, Bethesda, Maryland.
PQRSwizard webinar now available on demand
On October 1, the AASM hosted a live webinar with PQRSwizard staff to educate members about the importance of 2013 reporting and the ease if reporting using the PQRSwizard.
Physician groups must register for PQRS by Oct. 15 to avoid Medicare penalty
In response to provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) intends to apply a 1 percent Value- Based Modifier (VBM) penalty to the Medicare payments of physicians in groups of 100 or more that did not engage in group participation in the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) in 2013. To avoid these penalties, physicians in groups of 100 or more should ensure that their group is registered for one of the PQRS group participation options by Oct. 15.
Sleep apnea trucker bill passes Senate, awaits President’s signature
A bipartisan legislative initiative in Congress has led to the passage of a bill that requires a formal rulemaking process to be followed for any new or revised requirement related to sleep apnea screening, testing or treatment of commercial motor vehicle operators. The bill, H.R. 3095, was passed by the Senate Oct. 4 after previously passing in the U.S. House of Representatives by a unanimous 450-0 vote. The signature of President Obama is now required for the bill to become law.
Summary of the September Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board meeting
On Sept. 23, 2013, the 36th meeting of the Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board was held at the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research in Bethesda, Md. Dr. Sairam Parthasarathy chaired the meeting, and NCSDR Director Dr. Michael Twery gave a presentation on Inter-agency activities, Healthy People 2020, and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) initiatives and events. Other presenters provided updates on the Joint SRS/AASM Research Task Force; the Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) initiative; the Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating Study (FLASHE); and emerging TransNIH interest in sleep and pain research.
Apply by Friday to review abstracts for SLEEP 2014
The APSS Program Committee is now accepting applications from AASM and /or SRS members wishing to serve as expert reviewers of scientific abstracts submitted for presentation at SLEEP 2014, which will be held May 31-June 4 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. By becoming an abstract reviewer, you have the opportunity for deeper involvement in the SLEEP meeting while evaluating the most current and exciting research in sleep medicine.
New MOC modules for ABIM and ABPN
The AASM is committed to helping our members maintain their specialty and subspecialty certifications, which is why we’ve created the AASM Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program.
Don’t miss out! Renew your Scoring Manual subscription!
Make sure you have the latest version of the AASM Scoring Manual by renewing your subscription.
Learn reimbursement skills at the newest AASM course
Navigating reimbursement claims can be time consuming for staff and costly to your center. Join us for a discussion including practice efficiency, how to effectively contract and communicate with your payers and how to comply with the October 2014 implementation of ICD-10
Hypnogram: Inspiring the next generation
Promoting the AASM vision of achieving optimal health through better sleep requires a multi-faceted approach to raise public awareness of the importance of healthy sleep.
Government shutdown to impact NIH/National Library of Medicine functions
Due to the lapse in government funding, the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) announced that its website and services, including PubMed/MEDLINE, may not be up to date.
Call for volunteers: You could serve on the AASM Nominating Committee
The AASM invites nominations from the membership for candidates interested in serving one two-year term on the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee is charged with the evaluation of applications received from the membership for open positions on the Board of Directors and the recommendation of highly-qualified candidates for service in leadership capacities.