When considering a medical treatment for any condition there are several things that both the physician and the patient need to consider. First, is the therapy effective and safe and second is it worth the expense even if it is only to your insurance carrier. This second concern is particularly true if the insurer is the government such as Medicare.
This type of cost-effective analysis has been applied to many therapies including the treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects nearly one billion people with over half having moderate to severe disease. Untreated, OSA has been associated with the worsening of a variety of medical conditions, including high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, stroke, kidney disease, depression, dementia, and cardiovascular disease. If these problems are not enough, OSA is estimated to cause both vehicular and nonvehicular accidents costing $32.7 billion in the US alone. Loss of productivity in the work place is the main contributor to nonvehicular accidents leading to workplace injury, reduced employment, absenteeism and premature mortality.
When it comes to medical cost-effectiveness alone, OSA costs about $136 per person diagnosed with OSA or about $800 million. OSA management leads to improvements in certain medical outcomes and quality of life and reduces the risk of injury.
Treatment for OSA is cost-effective and in many cases lifesaving. Do not put off diagnosis if the possibility of OSA exists. Comply with your OSA treatment but if CPAP is impossible to tolerate contact our office for an evaluation for an INSPIRE evaluation.
