Feeling thankful? Give back with a monthly gift to the AASM PAC
This Thanksgiving, the AASM PAC is hungrier and more motivated than ever before, and we’re ready to take our seat at the table in Washington’s health policy debate. As the future of health care is written, well-represented interest groups [...]
Thankful for my extended family
Dear AASM members, The annual Thanksgiving holiday gives us a welcome opportunity to relax and cherish extra time with family. My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is to curl up on the couch with my family as we watch the Macy’s [...]
Twitter 101: An introduction for the AASM member
Looking to incorporate more social media into your practice, but not sure where to start? The AASM has developed a guide to help you get comfortable with leveraging Twitter – a social media channel that shares what’s happening in [...]
In Memoriam: Dr. Carole L. Marcus, pediatric sleep specialist
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine regrets to announce the recent death of Carole L. Marcus, MBBCh, FAASM, who was a Fellow member of the AASM and a leader in pediatric sleep medicine. Dr. Marcus served as director of [...]
New guideline redefines high blood pressure, considers sleep apnea
How high is hypertension? Earlier this week a new clinical practice guideline for high blood pressure in adults was published by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA). It represents the first comprehensive hypertension [...]
Report of the President from the October board meeting
This President’s Report from the October meeting of the board of directors will update you on current initiatives of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine as well as the activities of our many committees and task forces. I am [...]
CMS seeks comments on Quality Payment Program Year 2 final rule
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently published and is accepting comments on the Quality Payment Program Year 2 final rule for the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). This final rule gives updates [...]
Prepare for the sleep medicine MOC exam with these tips and tools
Here are some tips and resources to help you if you are preparing for the sleep medicine maintenance of certification (MOC) exam, which is Monday, Nov. 20. The sleep medicine exam is being administered by the American Board of [...]
NTSB criticizes FMCSA for lackluster response to fatigue among commercial drivers
On Monday, Nov. 13, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a news release criticizing the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for failing to keep fatigued and unsafe commercial drivers off the roads. The statement coincided with the [...]
Senate GOP tax plan takes aim at ACA individual insurance mandate
On Tuesday, Nov. 14, Senate Republicans released their U.S. tax system reform plan, which includes a provision to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual insurance mandate — a core component of the Obama administration’s health care legislation. While [...]
Study shows therapy improves quality of life in people who have sleep apnea
DARIEN, IL - A new study shows that positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy improves quality of life measures in people who have obstructive sleep apnea. Results show that there were significant and clinically meaningful improvements in general quality of [...]
President Trump taps Alex Azar to lead HHS
On Monday, Nov. 13, President Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Alex Azar as the next secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) -- a position recently vacated by former Secretary Tom Price after [...]
UHC to implement new sleep testing policy in December 2017
UnitedHealthcare (UHC) recently informed its providers that it has developed a revised policy on Attended Polysomnography for Evaluation of Sleep Disorders. UHC has attempted to align its policy with the recommendations in the AASM Clinical Practice Guideline for Diagnostic [...]
Match Day involves a record number of sleep fellows
Eighty-two sleep medicine fellowship training programs welcomed a record number of 150 fellows who were matched on Nov. 1, which was “Match Day” for the 2018 appointment year. The number of certified applicants for the sleep medicine match increased [...]
National Guideline Clearinghouse releases assessment of AASM guideline
The National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC) recently released an assessment of the AASM Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnostic Testing for Adult OSA. The assessment is based on the National Academy of Medicine’s (formerly the Institute of Medicine) Clinical Practice [...]
CMS releases unpublished CY 2018 Physician Fee Schedule
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released an unpublished version of the Calendar Year (CY) 2018 Physician Fee Schedule. The final version of the fee schedule will be published Nov. 15, 2017. The AASM is reviewing [...]
CMS launches Meaningful Measures and Patients over Paperwork initiatives
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently launched two new initiatives to reduce administrative burden on physicians. On Monday, Administrator Seema Verma discussed a new approach to quality measurement called Meaningful Measures during a plenary session at [...]
AASM seeks nominees for 2018 – 2019 Nominating Committee
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) invites qualified members to nominate themselves to be considered for a position that will be opening in 2018 on the AASM Nominating Committee. There will be one opening for a two-year term [...]
AASM seeks nominees for 2018 – 2019 Board of Directors
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) invites qualified members to nominate themselves to be considered for positions that will be opening in 2018 on the AASM Board of Directors. There will be a minimum of one opening for [...]
NTSB concludes drowsy driving played a role in deadly California crash
One year after a commercial vehicle crash claimed 13 lives in southern California, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced in a press release that both vehicles involved in the crash were likely operated by severely fatigued drivers. According [...]
AASM PAC: Your fundraising energy has us fired up!
Thank you to all 105 members who chose to donate to the AASM Political Action Committee (AASM PAC) throughout the month of October. Thanks to you, we’ve skyrocketed past all expectations this month on our way toward raising a [...]
Pick the MIPS pace that’s right for you and your practice
As the 2017 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) reporting year is fully underway, participants should verify which pathway is right for you and implement a reporting plan that complies with the program’s requirements. As a reminder, the following three [...]
Respond to the call for SLEEP 2018 submissions
Beginning Oct. 31, you can submit your abstracts and session proposals for SLEEP 2018, the 32nd annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS), which will be held June 2 - 6, 2018, in Baltimore, Maryland. Visit [...]
Final days to claim your FREE online Scoring Manual subscription
Renew your AASM individual membership online for 2018 before Oct. 31 to receive a FREE subscription to the online AASM Scoring Manual for 2018. Renewing your membership for 2018 also gives you access to a plethora of tools to [...]
Avoid a MIPS penalty by reporting on one sleep-specific measure
The Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) of the Quality Payment Program is already underway. MIPS participants who did not start their activities by Oct. 2, 2017, are no longer eligible for a positive payment adjustment in 2019. However, MIPS-eligible [...]