REDWOOD CITY, Calif, (April 15, 2021) – Lack of quality sleep is linked with numerous acute health problems and has been known to lead to flare-ups of chronic medical conditions like diabetes or heart failure. Sleep issues are also expensive for the country: An analysis published in Rand Quarterly estimates the estimated economic cost of sleep treatment was $299 billion and $433 billion in 2020 alone.
Yet most health plans only provide limited coverage for sleep disorder treatments. Medicare Part B, for example, only covers Type 1 tests if they’re conducted in a sleep lab facility. Few other health plans cover in-home diagnostic testing, except in special circumstances. Not only does this limited approach stymie the effectiveness of sleep interventions, but it keeps vulnerable, high-risk populations from accessing the help they need to improve health and stay out of the hospital.
As a means to address the growing need for remediation of sleep disorders, Somnology, a premier sleep monitoring digital health enterprise assisting a global population affected by sleep disorders, has launched Somnology Independent Diagnostic Testing Facility (IDTF). Non-board-certified sleep physicians will be able to refer patients directly to Somnology IDTF for concerted and comprehensive sleep assessment services.
“The numbers don’t lie: an estimated 70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders, yet the country only has 3,500 certified sleep specialists practicing across the country,” said Patrick Yam, CEO of Somnology. “To boot, the current model of sleep care is incredibly fragmented. The industry must work together and lean on innovative care models to offer sleep care to all populations.”
Somnology is dedicated to creating mobile, interactive solutions that empower patients to get the best night’s sleep for health and optimum performance. Somnology IDTF offers a more holistic and comprehensive care plan for patients, rooted in improving both patient outcomes and financial costs.
In partnership with Redwood Pulmonary Medical Associates, established since early 2000, Somnology recently completed a five-year analysis (2015-2019) of a private private‐public partnership between a private sleep medicine practice (Redwood Pulmonary Medical Associates) and county medical system (the Health Plan of San Mateo) to provide a coordinated, value‐based sleep apnea program to adult residents of San Mateo County, California. Comparing actual costs of the program to projected fee‐for‐service costs for the same services, the program saved the Health Plan of San Mateo $1,132,510, or approximately 52 percent. Additionally, of the patients returning satisfaction surveys, 97 percent would recommend the program to a relative or friend, and all respondents (99 to date) who were using CPAP felt it had benefited their health overall. This program demonstrates the potential clinical and financial benefit of private‐public partnerships in administering clinical programs to high-risk populations, as private businesses can quickly adapt to new technologies, adopt telehealth, financial metrics and standards of care.
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