American Academy of Sleep Medicine Weekly Insider

Sleep Medicine Weekly Insider – Dec. 8, 2018

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine Weekly Insider keeps members informed about current AASM initiatives and the latest developments in the field of sleep medicine.

HHS includes sleep in Healthy People 2030

The Sleep Health topic area and objectives that were in Healthy People 2020 have been included by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the proposed structure for Healthy People 2030. Submit comments by Jan. 17.

Coding FAQ: Billing for telemedicine

Question: Can we bill for telemedicine services in sleep medicine (consults, follow-up encounters)? What is the code for that? Answer: CMS recently finalized the addition of several new HCPCS and CPT telemedicine codes.

Submit SLEEP abstracts by Dec. 17

Abstracts must be submitted by 8 a.m. CST on Monday, Dec. 17, to be considered for presentation at SLEEP 2019, the 33rd annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS) in San Antonio, Texas.

Register for Sleep Medicine Trends 2019

Register now for Sleep Medicine Trends 2019, Feb. 15 – 17 in Anaheim, California, where we will focus on “Reimagining Sleep Medicine.” It’s a warm winter escape and the premier weekend event for sleep clinicians.

ICYMI: Collaborative summit explores models to improve patient care for sleep apnea

Recently the AASM hosted 35 representatives from 14 societies for a one-day Sleep-Disordered Breathing Collaboration Summit to discuss strategies to improve the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.

ICYMI: The 2018 AASM Physician Compensation Survey final report is now available

The 2018 AASM Physician Compensation Survey is the largest national salary and compensation survey of sleep physicians and advanced practice providers. The final report is now available online as a members only resource.

ICYMI: Complete analysis of the 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule

The AASM provides this analysis to help members understand the changes to the 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. You can download two payment and RVU comparison documents, which include a summary of reimbursement for sleep medicine and E/M codes for 2018 and 2019.

CMS aligns hospital outpatient reimbursements with physician fee schedule

In the 2019 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System Final Rule, CMS capped payment for clinic visits provided in all off-campus provider-based departments at a rate equivalent to the Physician Fee Schedule.

Watch the new clinical practice guideline webinar on pharmacologic treatment of chronic insomnia in adults

Now available for you to watch online is “Pharmacologic Treatment of Chronic Insomnia in Adults,” the latest webinar in the AASM Clinical Practice Guideline Webinar Series. It reviews the 2017 AASM clinical practice guideline, discussing the reasons for this update, methodology employed, good practice statements adopted, recommendations and associated remarks, and future directions.

Apply to AASM Foundation for 2018 ABSM Junior Faculty Award

Apply to the AASM Foundation by Jan. 8 for the 2018 ABSM Junior Faculty Award, which has an increased award amount of $100,000 over 2 years. The award supports mentored sleep and circadian research projects.

Study evaluates oximetry monitoring during PAP initiation

Oximetry should be part of positive airway pressure (PAP) initiation among patients with obesity and those with low oxygen values during sleep, according to a study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

Study examines predictors of OSA using HSAT after negative PSG

A study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine reports that patients who had negative results from polysomnography (PSG) and positive results from a home sleep apnea test (HSAT) are more likely to be older and have the diagnosis of hypertension.