Home AND Lab Sleep Studies?

[Shastzi]

I suppose they wont pay for a funeral unless you can provide papers that PROVE you are dead.

[Jcross2002]

There is often confusion between the AHI and the RDI. Even many health professionals so realize the difference between these. AHI is the apnea/hypopnea index which is how often you are experiencing apneic or hypopneic events. However RDI is the measurement of how your body reacts to these events such as your heart speeding up or your lungs desaturating. This is a better measure of what your body is going through because even if it doesn't happen a lot, if it is severe it is a big deal. Medicare standards for which other insurances follow the guidance of states that either the AHI or the RDI must be >5. Therefore your RDI qualifies you for cpap. The Watermark Ares study is actually a very advanced HST (home sleep study) as most only measure AHI. Many sleep labs also only measure AHI and might miss your sleep apnea. That might be why they didn't do a titration study. Your doctor can order a home titration from your DME with an autopap and that will give you a lot more info about your requirements. Many cardiac physicians are not aware of the cardiac effects of OSA and will dismiss that as a cause. You do have mild OSA according to your RDI and your options are surgery, cpap or a mandibular advancement bite block. You are young and it is often progressive so the other options might not be enough eventually. Also insurance often requires a trial of cpap before paying for other options. So I recommend a cpap trial.

[Tmarsh]

Most insurance companies are allowing home studies vs in lab study due to cost. We are even having the insurance company then request AutoPAP. This means the patient basically bypasses the lab for a proper titration study. Please go see your physician before you take another step and discuss your results and your options. Good luck!

[Ghost1958]

I started with the in home study that measured OAs CA and o2 levels. They told me over the phone after reading the thing exactly what I had done over the night adding that O2 dropping to 60 percent for long periods of the night during apneas wasnt a good thing.

Next was the lab for the titration study to set the pressure max, doc prescribed an auto machine rest is history. insurance covered the standard 80 them 20 me split.

Wife is up to bat this month for her home study.