AASM Spokesperson Babak Mokhlesi, MD
Babak Mokhlesi, MD, is a fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and an associate professor of medicine at the University of Chicago.
AASM Spokesperson Robert Basner, MD
Robert C. Basner, MD, is a fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and is board-certified in sleep medicine, internal medicine, pulmonary medicine and critical care medicine.
AASM President Ilene Rosen, MD, MS
Ilene Rosen, MD, MS, is the 2017-2018 president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and is board-certified in sleep medicine, internal medicine and pulmonary medicine.
‘Doc fix’ legislation moves to House floor
The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 51-0 to approve legislation (HR 2810) that would gradually repeal the sustainable growth rate (SGR). The bill will now head to the full House for consideration.
Final days to apply for ASMF Humanitarian Projects Award
Applications for the 2013 cycle of the American Sleep Medicine Foundation (ASMF) Humanitarian Projects Award must be submitted by August 4, 2013.
AASM congratulates new Fellow members
Fellow status in the AASM is a unique honor that recognizes special competency in sleep medicine and significant contributions to the field. The AASM is pleased to welcome new Fellow members.
CMS proposes cuts to payment for sleep services in 2014
On July 8 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the display copy of the 2014 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule, which reflects proposed updates to payment policies and payment rates for services billed on or after Jan. 1, 2014. The field of sleep medicine is projected to experience cuts to payment for all services in 2014. CMS will modify and finalize policies and rates for 2014 in a subsequent final rule with an expected publication date of Nov. 1, 2013.
August issue of SLEEP now online
Now online at www.journalsleep.org is the August issue of SLEEP, which is available to AASM members as a benefit of membership. In this issue you will find insightful editorials and intriguing original scientific investigations on topics such as orexin gene therapy, the prevalence of RBD, treatment of complex sleep apnea, and sleep patterns and mortality risk.
More doctors opting out of Medicare
Newly released data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) show that the number of physicians opting out of Medicare rose from 3,700 in 2009 to 9,539 in 2012. Low reimbursement rates and burdensome rules were the key reasons cited for opting out of the Medicare program.
Delay of ACA employer mandate will cost $12 billion
According to an Affordable Care Act analysis by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT), the decision to delay the ACA employer coverage mandate by one year will cost the federal government about $12 billion over the 10-year period from 2014 to 2023.
Budget cuts compromise HHS OIG’s anti-fraud capabilities
According to a report from the Center for Public Integrity, the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services will be significantly restricted in its ability to monitor and address Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse within the nation's health care system in the coming years.
New coding education program from the AASM
The AASM Coding Education Program (A-CEP) is a comprehensive online coding program for sleep medicine that makes learning coding and billing basics easy for office staff and technologists.
Two all-new AASM courses – register today
Join our expert faculty for two all-new courses this fall: Managing Sleep Disorders in Patients with Co-morbid Conditions on October 5-6, 2013, and Successfully Navigating Reimbursement for Sleep Medicine on November 2-3, 2013. Both one-and-a-half-day courses are presented at the AASM National Office in Darien, IL (a Chicago suburb).
Sleep medicine exam cram courses
Register for one of the Sleep Medicine Exam Cram Courses for a concentrated, one-day cram course for the ABMS sleep medicine certification exam. Offered at the AASM National Office in Darien, IL on two days only, attendees have the choice of Saturday, September 28, 2013 or Sunday, September 29, 2013.
Out now – AASM Resource Library app for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch
The AASM Resource Library app for your iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch is here! With the app, you can download and read all of your resources without an internet connection. The app syncs to your AASM account to deliver your resources to all of your devices.
Many insomnia patients use sleeping pills off-label in the middle of the night
A study in the July 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine reports that a high percentage of patients with insomnia use sleep medications off-label in the middle of the night to resume sleep.
Leading voices describe the impact of sequestration on biomedical research
In the July 3 issue of the journal Cell, some of the leading voices in the scientific community contributed brief commentaries on the subject, “Sequester impact on biomedical research.” In “Science under siege,” National Institutes of Health Director Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD, warns that an entire generation of biomedical innovation is threatened by the federal government’s automatic budget cuts, known as the sequester. He also notes that the U.S. is cutting research funding at a time when other nations – such as China and India – are increasing their financial commitment to research. “Scientists must sound the alarm,” he writes.
FDA patient-focused narcolepsy meeting will be held Sept. 24
In April the Food and Drug Administration announced that narcolepsy was selected as one of the disease areas to be addressed during the first three years of its Patient-Focused Drug Development initiative. Last week the FDA announced that it will hold a public meeting to gather patient and patient stakeholder input on how narcolepsy impacts daily life and on current approaches to treating narcolepsy.
CMS plans to speed up implementation of ACA payment reform
According to a draft rule released this month, CMS is moving up its plan by one year to shift thousands of physicians in mid-sized physician groups into an Affordable Care Act (ACA) program that ties a portion of their Medicare reimbursements to the quality of their care.
House subcommittee approves ‘SGR fix’ legislation
As reported last week, the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee conducted a hearing on legislation that would repeal the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula.
Shipping is free for all orders over $200
The AASM now offers FREE shipping on all orders over $200; no promo code required! Just fill your cart to $200 and we will take care of the shipping cost.
New course! Successfully Navigating Reimbursement for Sleep Medicine
Register today for the new AASM fall course, Successfully Navigating Reimbursement for Sleep Medicine, to improve your knowledge of coding processes, current sleep medicine codes, incentive programs and working with payers.
Sleep Medicine Exam Cram Course – Two days only
Need more one-on-one prep time? Register for the Sleep Medicine Exam Cram Course for a concentrated, one-day cram course where attendees will take an interactive approach to reviewing the topics covered on the exam including sample exam questions, using an audience response system to poll the attendees and in-depth discussions on correct answers for each question.
AASM participates in Wall Street Journal #SleepChat
AASM President Safwan Badr, MD is educating connected patients around the country on sleep and sleep disorders in 140 characters or less. On Wednesday, he tweeted about sleep disorders using the official AASM Twitter account @aasmorg as part of a national sleep chat moderated by the Wall Street Journal.
Senate committee on appropriations approves FY 2014 Labor-HHS-Education bill
Last week the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations approved the fiscal year 2014 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education bill by a vote of 16-14. The measure, which would provide $165.6 billion in discretionary budget authority, will now be reported to the full Senate for its consideration. Although the fate of the bill is unclear, if passed in the Senate chamber, the bill would move to the House of Representatives, where significant funding amendments would likely be proposed. The House Committee on Appropriations also will be developing its own Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill.