Sleep Study Rip-Off

Sad but true...my brother is 5'8" 170 has apnea. My best friend is 5'10 180 has apnea. I know because both are confirmed and treating. I'm 5'11 260 and don't. but WILL be tested every time.

 

Stevens transport tried this crap when I was with them back in '11. Made everybody with a >16" neck size do a sleep test...with their doctor...at their clinic. Cost? $3000, but they'll happily deduct it out of your minuscule paycheck. If you failed it, you had to purchase their breathing machine. It was almost a bigger scam than their Alliance leasing program.

 

medical profession is going to make money in one way or another.how much did your friend have to pay for the tests?

 

Concentra is a sleep apnea farm. Going there for your DOT check is just asking to get rammed in the backdoor. Company I work for now won't even send people there because they are slow, and try and test everybody.

 

Yeah, Concentra's a scam. They're set up to wring every last dollar out of drivers, or more correctly the companies that keep sending drivers to them. I just did a sleep study where I never stopped breathing, and my oxygen level never dropped below 98%, but somehow thanks to what was described as "shallow breathing" I'm diagnosed with obstructive apnea? I get less sleep and am less comfortable now wearing that stupid gas mask, but even so the job is good enough I won't leave.

Sleep apnea is a real thing and to those that truly need it a CPAP is a godsend. But I think it's an abused diagnosis because we are a captive audience and a huge cash cow for financially motivated places like Concentra.

 

I wonder if some of you affected folks, (by that, I mean SCREWED by Concentra,) would be interested in taking the problem to a class action law suit?
A lot of these dirt bags, are probably the same folks who have been scamming Medicare for years, but since Medicare has finally tightened up, they now have to look for greener pastures. And drivers seem to qualify as those pastures.

 

The problem is the FMCSA started pushing this sleep apnea garbage like it was going to end all fatigue related crashes, without any real proof it would change anything. There still isn't any real regs on it (yet) though they included it in "breathing disorders". The very people they have in charge of their "medical review" board are also the bigwigs at these health clinic chains , as well as the companies that manufacture and sell the sleep apnea/CPAP equipment. FOLLOW THE MONEY. The question I have to ask it how much is it going to take before drivers start to say enough, and start taking action en masse. It's already obvious the corporate slimeball goons at ATA kiss the DOT's behind, and OOIDA is next to spineless in fighting this #####. Give it another few years this industry is going to be nothing but mindless, micromanaged drones in self-driving trucks, constantly watched, monitored, babysat, etc. it's already bad enough with these "drivercams" that the new-breed steering wheel holders love so much.

 

Your kidding $2800.00? That's absurd. Averitt pays for the study and provides you with a machine at no cost to the driver.

 

Been a member of OOIDA for years. They have done very little for me over that
time. I have called them different times with legal questions, and been very
disappointed. I have never actually talked to anyone from there who knows
much about real life trucking. I agree, they are just another spineless
trucking association that wants to take our money.

I changed jobs. They sent me to Concentra
for a physical. Flagged for sleep study. My problem, health insurance cut off
with my old job the day I quit. New company doesn't start for 90 days. I signed
up for Cobra the day I quit. Now I am being told that the actual approval will
take 3 weeks. If they approve me, my doctor has to apply for a sleep study
which will take the insurance company another 3 weeks to approve. Than a
actual sleep study appointment has to be made......

My question? Is it possible to extend my medical card an additional
90 days so I can get this thing done?

 

What I would recommend is finding a chiropractor who is on the NRCME list-- one has an office in the Sacramento CA 49er. Get a quick card to protect your license at least even though the company won't accept it, the Department of Motor Vehicles will update your medical card no questions no problems.