Where do I get HONEST sleep apnea test?

if you have insurance, which I hope you do, something like this should be covered. Had 2 studies(one to diagnose and the second to set the machine levels) and the machine prescribed. 0 cost to me. No deductable, no copay. just the cost of my time and the gas to and from. Went through my PCP for the referral.

 

Stop worrying about dying, It will happen soon enough. Start enjoying living. I tried to kill myself at the Mustang ranch one time. I ran out of money

 

If I was sane, I would not drive a Truck anyway. On the other hand, the only thing keeping you from success is you. I have seen all of the US. Not many people can say that. Ship tours show the water. We saw the land. The food, the people. Got paid to boot! or you can sit in a cube and wonder about it. The choice is yours.

 

This load is all I have. 24 miles from here. Pick up a Van and they will unload it. Yea right. Where is the hook? Your Wife is with you. Pays 450.00 Wife was listening. Can't send a company driver. requires a man wife truck. &? It's a nudist resort. Wife said, 24 miles people unload the trailer, let's do it. Ok. Had a great time for the week end. Not for everybody, I was a little embarrassed at first. Wife jumped out in her birthday suit. We said we would do it again, never got over that way when a load was going that way.

 

Is it a SCAM? You decide...

"Medicare payments for sleep testing increased from $62 million in 2001 to $235 million in 2009, according to the Office of the Inspector General."

Dr. David Gross medical director of the sleep lab at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, D.C., says "more than three-quarters of the patients who come to his lab are diagnosed with apnea."

Dr. Fred Holt, an expert on fraud and abuse and a medical director of Blue Cross Blue Shield in North Carolina, says "the labs prescribe CPAP machines right away without first suggesting other strategies that could reduce apnea, such as losing weight or sleeping on your side." he also says, "and like anything else in health care, there are unscrupulous people out there who are more than happy to do testing and treatment that might be of questionable value. This might be because of naiveté on the part of the physician, or unfortunately, it could be done for the sake of improving the cash flow of the business."

Source : npr.org

The federal government has identified fraud related to sleep testing as a particular area warranting investigation and oversight. These tests are expensive for the government to reimburse, with each PSG test costing the government approximately $648, each CPAP test approximately $691, and approximately $88 for each CPAP device. In the HHS OIG Work Plan for Fiscal Year 2013, OIG noted that Medicare reimbursement, totaling approximately $415 million for sleep tests in 2010, showed high utilization for sleep testing by sleep disorder clinics. The OIG committed to identifying questionable billing practices for sleep tests and reiterated that Medicare will only pay for "reasonable and necessary" sleep tests.
Source: here

That is with just a little research but take note of the spending increase 2001 $62 Million, 2009 235 Million, 2010 415 Million (just paid for by the federal government.)

This is big business. As with anything that is a money maker there is corruption. Is sleep apena a real problem? For some yes, but using a cookie cutter approach and forcing drivers to take a sleep study based on a few questions and their weight and BMI index, is not appropriate. I can say that IMO a machine is not the answer to every person who is diagnosed with sleep apena. There are other treatments available.

My 2 cents....

 

I'm overweight, tested with the company Prime hires/partners with/probably profits from, and I passed, no sleep apnea.

The technician who ran the test basically said if you don't seem like you need it, he'll try not to put the mask on you during the test (which would also be a lot more paperwork) (which would also mean that you probably don't need a cpap)

Also, sleep apnea is a real medical condition. I do not like the way companies are going about testing drivers, but you should know that oxygen is important. Breathing is how you get oxygen. When you stop breathing while sleeping, you're not getting enough oxygen.. which could be bad.

I'm just saying, if you're in your late 30s or older, and are pretty overweight, you should probably consider getting tested if you have some of the symptoms - like (excessive/regular) day-time drowsiness, or if your partner has told you that you stop breathing while sleeping..Losing weight would be extremely helpful, but if you have it bad enough, that might make it kind of difficult.

Enjoy brain damage!

 

Politics mfg stuffing money in law makers pockets are why we all have sleep apnea

 

Pretty old thread but still a dumb response...
I doubt there is enough money being made to stuff anybody's pockets...

 

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure millions of drivers x thousands of $ in testing and supplies (no matter who's paying for it) = more than enough $ to stuff unscrupulous people's pockets.

This is more than about safety. It's about rent-seeking individuals lining their pockets.