ASMF announces winner of high school sleep story video contest
The American Sleep Medicine Foundation congratulates Jasper Lown of Wheaton, Ill., who is the grand-prize winner of the 2013 ASMF Sleep Story Video Contest. Lown is a senior at Wheaton-Warrenville South High School, where his sponsoring teacher was Tim Brylka.
ASMF announces high school video contest winner
The American Sleep Medicine Foundation selected an effects-heavy YouTube video about the benefits of sleep as the grand-prize winner of the first-ever ASMF Sleep Story Video Contest. The video was created by Jasper Lown, a senior at Wheaton-Warrenville South High School, located near Chicago. His two-minute video uses creative visuals to provide simple tips to improve sleep habits.
AASM president discusses sleep apnea on radio talk show
On Wednesday, Oct. 2, AASM President Dr. M. Safwan Badr discussed the health implications of obstructive sleep apnea on All Sides with Ann Fisher, a daily public-affairs talk show on WOSU 89.7, the NPR affiliate in Columbus, Ohio.
Review: Weight loss improves but fails to cure sleep apnea
Lifestyle and dietary interventions promoting weight loss improve obstructive sleep apnea parameters but are insufficient to normalize them, according to a literature review and meta-analysis in the October issue of the journal SLEEP.
CDC study links short and long sleep durations with chronic disease
A CDC study in the October issue of the journal Sleep reports that both short and long sleep durations are significantly associated with leading chronic diseases such as obesity, frequent mental distress, coronary heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Video: The future of quality measures for sleep
In a video statement on the AASM website, AASM President-Elect Timothy I. Morganthaler, MD provides a look at the AASM's efforts to introduce quality outcomes measurements into the field of sleep.
Exchanges’ preparedness varies widely in GOP-led states
Officials in Republican-led states with federally run exchanges report wide variances in insurer competition and preparedness, Modern Healthcare reports.
HHS reveals premiums for 36 federally run exchanges
According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) report which provides the first comprehensive look at the average premium prices consumers will pay for coverage through the health insurance exchanges. The report included data from the 36 states in which the federal government will either run the exchange or partner with the state.
See what’s new in the AASM resource library
Browse the latest electronic resources from the AASM through the Resource Library. The AASM Library is your gateway to the leading scientific and clinical texts in sleep medicine.
One week left: apply 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.
Refine your skills to effectively contract and communicate with payers
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.
AASM resources to assist members in navigating state exchanges and ACA
Open enrollment for state exchanges, a key component of the Affordable Care Act, begins today. To coincide with this important milestone in health care reform, the AASM has assembled a series of online resources to help members navigate the state exchange system and other key provisions in the ACA.
Sleeping too little – or too much – associated with heart disease, diabetes, obesity
A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) links too little sleep (six hours or less) and too much sleep (10 or more hours) with chronic diseases – including coronary heart disease, diabetes, anxiety and obesity – in adults age 45 and older. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) encourages patients suffering from these common chronic conditions to speak with a sleep medicine physician who can evaluate their sleep patterns.
AASM supports bipartisan effort highlighting sleep apnea in the trucking industry
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine commends the bipartisan legislative initiative in Congress that is bringing much needed attention to the public health and safety risks associated with undiagnosed and untreated obstructive sleep apnea among commercial motor vehicle drivers. On Thursday, Sept. 26, H.R. 3095 was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in a unanimous 450-0 vote. The bill, which was introduced by Representatives Larry Bucshon, R-Ind., and Daniel Lipinski, D-Ill., seeks to ensure that a rulemaking process is followed for any new or revised requirement related to sleep apnea screening, testing or treatment of commercial motor vehicle operators. A similar bill, S. 1537, recently introduced by Senators Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and Mark Warner, D-Va., has been referred to the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.
Start your Maintenance of Certification now
The AASM is committed to helping our members maintain their specialty and subspecialty certifications, which is why we’ve created AASM MOC: Assessment for Sleep Medicine with discounted AASM member pricing!
Work with payers to improve your practice’s efficiency
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.
Discover treatment models for co-morbid illnesses & sleep disorders on Oct. 5-6
Explore the growing need to understand the complex patient at the AASM’s one-and-a-half-day course Managing Sleep Disorders in Patients with Co-morbid Conditions.
NHLBI announces grant for technologies to assess sleep health
Recently the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) released a funding opportunity announcement (RFA-HL-14-013) for a small business innovation research (SBIR) grant for technologies to assess sleep health status in populations.
CMS releases proposed rule for ACA’s Basic Health Program
CMS released a proposed rule outlining the requirements for the Affordable Care Act's Basic Health Program (BHP), which is scheduled to be implemented in 2015. The program is designed for states to offer lower-cost health coverage options to residents with annual incomes that exceed the eligibility threshold for Medicaid, but are unable to afford the health plans in the law's insurance exchanges.
Pricing glitches affecting federal exchanges
The White House is trying to quickly address a series of "pricing quirks" in the software that will be used for the roughly three dozen federal health insurance exchanges under the Affordable Care Act, according the Wall Street Journal. The online marketplaces are scheduled to open for enrollment on October 1.
AASM surpasses 4,000 Likes on Facebook
The AASM social media efforts reached a new milestone this week by surpassing 4,000 likes on Facebook. Like the AASM on Facebook to receive the latest news on sleep research, patient health information on sleep and sleep disorders and much more. The AASM is also on Twitter, join the conversation by following @AASMOrg.
AASM clarifies hypopnea scoring criteria
In August members were notified that the AASM has suspended indefinitely the requirement for accredited sleep centers to score hypopneas in adult patients according to the 3 percent oxygen desaturation criterion in the new AASM scoring manual. AASM sleep centers must specify in the PSG report whether hypopneas were scored using the recommended rule 1A or the acceptable rule 1B.
CMS delays face-to-face encounter requirements
On Sept. 9 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it will once again delay implementation of the required face-to-face encounters for certain durable medical equipment (DME).
Free PQRS webinar on Tuesday, Oct. 1
Join the AASM for a free live webinar on Tuesday October 1 at 5pm Central to learn about the Medicare Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) and the PQRSwizard registry.
Hypnogram: The future is here
As the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) ushers in changes that are likely to alter the landscape of health care delivery in the U.S., the field of sleep medicine is undergoing its own transformation. “The Future is Here,” my editorial in the Sept. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, outlines current priorities for the sleep field and the AASM.