March 13, 2008 (Westchester, Ill.) – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today released a new policy that expands continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for Medicare patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Now Medicare beneficiaries will be able to undergo diagnosis for OSA using a home sleep test. 

The new policy marks a significant departure from current Medicare coverage for CPAP and diagnosis of OSA. Experts with the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), the leading physician organization dedicated to establishing standards for patient care and promoting excellence in sleep medicine health care, education and research, are available to provide official comment on the new CMS policy and its implications for patient care and the sleep medicine field.
 
To arrange an interview with an AASM expert, please contact Kathleen McCann via e-mail at kmccann@aasm.org, or at (708) 492-0930, or (312) 330-7694 (cell).
 
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