OIG Announces $3.4 Billion in Expected Recoveries
On June 1 the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a statement announcing that it expects to recover $3.4 billion from investigations, audits and reviews occurring between October 2010 and March 2011, mainly involving Medicare and Medicaid. Coding Corner articles are archived on the Coding Page of the AASM website for future reference.
Board Exam Preparation: Less than Six Months Remain
Physicians planning to sit for the Nov. 10, 2011, sleep medicine certification exam have less than six months remaining to prepare. During this time, take advantage of the many resources offered by the AASM for board review including the Board Review for the Sleep Specialist Courses, Board Review Webinar Archives, Practice Exams.
Arrive Early in Minneapolis to Register Onsite and Add Courses for SLEEP 2011
Pre-registration for SLEEP 2011, the 25th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS) is now closed. Individuals wishing to register for the meeting or add courses to their existing registration must do so onsite in Minneapolis.
Screening high-risk employees for sleep apnea could save a corporation millions of dollars
Large corporations could save millions of dollars by screening and treating high-risk employees for obstructive sleep apnea. A study to be presented at SLEEP 2011 found that a large Florida-based corporation could save an estimated $136 million in lost productivity over 10 years. Untreated sleep apnea results in job performance deficiences such as excessive sleepiness, cognitive dysfunction, irritability and reduced vitality.
Sleepiness may impair the brain’s inhibitory control when viewing high-calorie foods
Daytime sleepiness may affect inhibitory control in the brain when viewing tantalizing, high-calorie foods, suggests a new research abstract. Greater sleepiness was associated with decreased activation in the prefrontal cortex during visual presentations of enticing, high-calorie food images. The prefrontal cortex is a brain region that plays an important role in inhibitory processing.
Study finds that wives’ sleep problems have negative impact on marital interactions
The quality of interactions among married couples is affected by wives' inability to fall asleep at night, but not by husbands' sleep problems. Study results show that, among wives, taking longer to fall asleep at night predicted their reports of more negative and less positive marital interactions the next day, and it also predicted their husband's reports of less positive marital interaction ratings the following day.
Sleep type predicts day and night batting averages of Major League Baseball players
A Major League Baseball player’s natural sleep preference might affect his batting average in day and night games. The results of a research abstract to be presented at SLEEP 2011 indicate that players who were "morning types" had a higher batting average in early games than players who were "evening types." In games starting after 2 p.m., players who were evening types gained an advantage that persisted through the evening. A group of 16 players from seven Major League Baseball teams participated in the study.
Simple analysis of breathing sounds while awake can detect obstructive sleep apnea
The analysis of breathing sounds while awake may be a fast, simple and accurate screening tool for obstructive sleep apnea. Results of study to be presented Monday at SLEEP 2011 show that several sound features of breathing were statistically significant between participants with obstructive sleep apnea and healthy controls.
Get Involved: Volunteer to Bring Science Education to Local Classrooms
The AASM encourages members to get involved in your community by volunteering to bring science education to local classrooms. One resource that can help you is the National Lab Network, a national initiative that connects K-12 teachers with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals to bring hands-on learning experiences to students in all 50 states.
AASM Acknowledges May Contributions to the ISR Testing Program
Each month a new set of 200 consecutive epochs from a sleep record is posted online for the AASM Inter-scorer Reliability Testing Program. This convenient online program provides sleep centers, educational programs and research labs with the opportunity to compare the scoring ability of their staff and students with the AASM Gold Standard Scorer.
AASM Congratulates Recipients of the 2011 Section Investigator Awards
The AASM congratulates the recipients of the 2011 Section Investigator Awards, which honor the most outstanding abstract from a young investigator within the membership of each section. The award recipients will be recognized and will have an opportunity to present their abstract during their membership section meeting at SLEEP 2011 in Minneapolis, Minn.
AASM Urges CMS to Include Sleep Measures in Standards for Accountable Care Organizations
In late May, the AASM submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed rule to establish standards for the operation of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), which create incentives for health-care providers to work together to treat an individual Medicare patient across care settings – including doctor’s offices, hospitals, and long-term care facilities.
Medicare Publishes Proposed Rule on Accountable Care Organizations
In April, Medicare published a proposed rule describing the Shared Savings Program, which is required by the Affordable Care Act to improve outcomes by promoting accountability and quality of care. Providers are encouraged to review the proposed rule and submit comments to Medicare by close of business on June 6, 2011.
Final Days for FREE Shipping and Discounted Personalized Brochures
Tuesday, May 31, 2011, is the final day to receive FREE shipping on product orders through the AASM Online Store. Members in the 48 continental United States can take advantage of this offer on all UPS Ground orders for our most popular products including reference manuals, patient education brochures (non-personalized), educational CD-ROMs and more.
Last Minute Registrations and Planning for SLEEP 2011
The last day to pre-register is this Wednesday, June 1; after this date, only onsite registrations will be accepted. Space remains in several ticketed courses and sessions along wtih the Silver Jubilee reception. More information can be found in the Final Program, available at the SLEEP 2011 website.
Attend Your Membership Section Meeting at SLEEP 2011
All SLEEP 2011 attendees are invited to attend the AASM section meetings, which provide members with a means to share focused interests, discuss ideas, develop methodologies, recommend programs, promote education through the AASM, stimulate research and express concerns.
CMS Issues Proposed Rule to Revise Medicare Electronic Prescribing Penalty
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a proposed rule for changes to the Medicare Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program. The proposed rule is on display at the Federal Register, and the deadline for submitting comments is July 25, 2011.
Collins Testifies before Senate Subcommittee on FY 2012 NIH Budget
National Institutes of Health Director Francis S. Colins presented the NIH fiscal year 2012 budget request before the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies.
OIG Presentation Materials from Provider Compliance Training are Available Online
The Office of Inspector General has posted presentation materials on its website from the recent HEAT Provider Compliance Training webcast.
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. f you are interested in becoming a Fellow member of the AASM, please review the requirements on the AASM website.
NHLBI Grants Target Obesity and Diabetes Using Virtual Reality Technologies
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has issued two program announcements and two requests for applications related to Virtual Reality Technologies for Research and Education in Obesity and Diabetes: a research project grant, an exploratory and development research grant award, a small business innovation research grant and a small business technology transfer grant.
AASM Remasters Board Review Webinar Archives for Online Learning Center
Several presentations from the AASM online webinar series covering topics related to the blueprint of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) sleep medicine certification exam have been remastered to improve audio quality and compatibility with the AASM Online Learning Center.
Registration Open for Two Live Board Review Practice Exam Courses
In addition to Board Review courses, reference texts and online practice exams, the AASM has announced a live, full-day Board Review Practice Exam course that will be held twice in the weeks prior to the exam. Individuals may now register for this course, which will be held Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011, or Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011, at the AASM national office in Darien, Illinois.
Pre-Registration for SLEEP 2011 Ends June 1, 2011
SLEEP 2011, the 25th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS), is less than one month away! The last day to pre-register is Wednesday, June 1, 2011; after this date, only onsite registrations will be accepted.
Shaquille O’Neal Brings Attention to Sleep Apnea and CPAP in Harvard Video
The video, "Shaq attacks sleep apnea," shows NBA big man Shaquille O'Neal interacting with Harvard sleep specialists as they prepare him for an overnight sleep study. They discuss treatment options and select a CPAP mask after the study shows that he has moderate obstructive sleep apnea.