AASM Submits New OSA Care Model Proposal

The AASM proposal outlines a new care delivery and management model for patients with OSA anchored by the sleep physician and accredited sleep center.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recently submitted a proposal to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that aims to revamp the clinical care model for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The proposal, titled The Innovation Care Delivery and Management Program for Patients with OSA, was submitted to CMS’ Healthcare Innovation Challenge, which provides grants for original programs that test new care delivery and payment models, while aiming to simultaneously reduce costs and improve health outcomes.

CMS is expected to announce recipients of the Healthcare Innovation Challenge grants in late March.

The AASM proposal outlines a new care delivery and management model for patients with OSA, where the board-certified sleep physician and accredited sleep center serve as “anchor points” during a patient’s care, while also maintaining communication with the primary care physician. In addition, the sleep medicine physician is charged with managing the patient’s sleep-related care, from start to finish—“initial visit to the diagnostic test to equipment titration and long-term follow-up.”