"Cheapest" Sleep Study Without Insurance

I have an extremely high deductible insurance. I would have to burden all the expense for a sleep study. I cannot pay the $2,700 plus for a study. All I want to know is if I have sleep apnea. I have learned a lot in my last week of study. I will use the Resmed 10 Auto with Sleepyhead software. I have the Rx in my hand to purchase all the cpap equipment.

What I am asking is how can I simply determine if I have sleep apnea? I thought about getting one of those Oxygen Saturation things you wear on you finger and wearing it for a couple of nights if I only knew how to record the data for review the next morning. Is there a really inexpensive home study?

I am very new to this area so my questions probably show my ignorance.

Thanks for your input!

An overnight pulse ox test comes with limitations...it only measures oxygen levels and not everyone with sleep apnea will have significant desats.

Cheap home study but you want more than a pulse ox test.
The more comprehensive the test (more data channels) the more it costs. You get what you pay for.

If you can find a place that does a ApneaLink home sleep study or WatchPat...those are decent home studies.
http://www.resmed.com/us/en/healthcare- ... k-air.html

http://www.itamar-medical.com/watchpat-main/

I think that easybreathe.com and 1800cpap.com both offer home studies. I don't know a lot of the details or what test they use but you could check them out and see.

There is also freecpapadvice (dot) com, where a respiratory/sleep tech offers home testing. Scroll to the bottom.
Looks like it's $459. I have not used this test and can't attest to its accuracy, but it might be worth researching.

I hear you on the high deductible insurance!

I used this company for a home sleep study. The wait time to get everything approved was irritating and I am pretty sure it requires a doctor's order, but it was super simple to use and without insurance, I don't think the price was outrageous.

Because I am still waiting for my registration approval, I can't post a link, BUT, if you take out the space between Novasom and .com, you will crack the code, lol and be able to go to the address:

Novasom .com

I hope you can find something that works for you!

Bertha de Blues wrote:There is also freecpapadvice (dot) com, where a respiratory/sleep tech offers home testing. Scroll to the bottom.
Looks like it's $459. I have not used this test and can't attest to its accuracy, but it might be worth researching.

I am familiar with freecpapadvice.com and the guy who runs it and does the testing..
He's a good guy and what he does is accurate.
I think he offers different prices for different channels (data points).
the thread where he talks about it
http://freecpapadvice.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=862

and the actual website for his testing
http://axgsleepdiagnostics.com/
also videos to explain the various types of home studies and which test does more...level 2 to level 4...and yeah, the more data they gather the more it costs.

I wouldn't be afraid to use this website service for a home test...I know the guy...he's a straight up good guy and trustworthy,
Since he doesn't really make money selling equipment the results aren't clouded by a website that makes money selling cpap machines.

Pugsy wrote:

Bertha de Blues wrote:There is also freecpapadvice (dot) com, where a respiratory/sleep tech offers home testing. Scroll to the bottom.
Looks like it's $459. I have not used this test and can't attest to its accuracy, but it might be worth researching.

I am familiar with freecpapadvice (dot) com and the guy who runs it and does the testing..
He's a good guy and what he does is accurate.
I think he offers different prices for different channels (data points).

I wouldn't be afraid to use this website service for a home test...I know the guy...he's a straight up good guy and trustworthy,
Since he doesn't really make money selling equipment the results aren't clouded by a website that makes money selling cpap machines.

Jake's was the first website I found when I was diagnosed with OSA. While I waited to get my machine and mask, I searched online for descriptions and reviews of what was available. I watched tons of his videos and read everything I could. It was very helpful! He seems like a good guy, so it's reassuring to know that it isn't an act.

I think I'd rather have the BEST not the CHEAPEST. Jim

The doctor I used said $700 if I paid cash, and they charge insurance $2100 if you have it and we wonder why our system is broken.

Hornnumb2 wrote:The doctor I used said $700 if I paid cash, and they charge insurance $2100 if you have it and we wonder why our system is broken.

That's actually against a Medicare rule ( I don't know about other insurance).
Providers aren't supposed to charge Medicare patients one thing and someone else a lessor/different amount.
Medicare wouldn't be happy to know that was going on because they would say if you offer this price for this person then you should do the same for a Medicare patient.
It's a big no-no and could result in Medicare sanctions.

I know it is done all over the place but it's against Medicare rules and regulations.

xxyzx wrote:doctors charge different things all the time

Yeah, they do but again...if a doctor/cpap provider/sleep lab, etc....is a participating Medicare provider they have certain rules and regulations (or laws if you want to call them that) that they are supposed to abide by.
One of those is you can't charge Medicare patients one thing and offer someone else or insurance a different (usually lower) fee schedule.
Just because they do it doesn't mean it is legal. It's highly illegal in Medicare's eyes.
Medicare is a form of insurance. As such there are contracts that must be met.

Now if a provider wanted to charge everyone that $700 cash discounted price..that would be fine but it's illegal to have two sets of fee schedules when the provider has a contract with Medicare and no patient in their right mind who has Medicare will go to a provider who doesn't accept Medicare.

Just because "it's done all the time" doesn't make it legal. I speak from first hand experience working with physicians and clinics. Big fines and such could happen if Medicare got wind of 2 different fee schedules. Ever hear about "Medicare Fraud"...that's what's going on when a provider offers cash discounts.

Goofproof wrote:I think I'd rather have the BEST not the CHEAPEST. Jim

So would I. But more often than not, "the best" is too expensive for folks like me who don't have the finances for it and also can't afford insurance with a decent deductible.

Personally, I'd get a good APAP, and the software, and make myself a do it yourself personal project, after finding I had a few of the problems that Sleep Apnea entails. Reading here is free, quite a few have done it that way. At worst you can recoup some of your investment, if by some chance you don't have Sleep Apnea, or aren't willing to put in the effort to treat it. If you do have Sleep Apnea, treat it, save your life and maybe others. Jim

I paid $249 US for my sleep study. I am self-pay on all of my health items.

The test device came via FedEx. It included a data unit, cannula, O2 sensor, and thingy to wear around your chest (measures chest expansion?).

I plugged it all in and rigged it up (wore some different clothes than usual to eliminate dangling wires), slept poorly most of the night because of the device, got tired of it after about 5 hours, checked it and it said it had enough data, threw away the cannula and O2 sensor, packaged it up the next day and shipped it via FedEx that morning.

In a few days I got a call from the tech at the website. My AHI was 68 and I had had hundreds of events which had been verified by the 3 data points.

That weekend, I ordered a BiPap machine from the same company. I had it in about a week and started sleeping with it that night.

I already knew I had "apnea" from the way I felt and family feedback. In hindsight, the added expense of the $249 for the sleep study was mostly unnecessary.

All in, I'm at about $1500 US. This includes the sleep study; my first order with BiPap, humidifier, and full face mask; and my second order with data module, nasal pillow, and heated hose. I probably would have saved some money by going all the way on my first order and getting the heated hose and data module. The full face mask was a cruel joke. Live and learn.

I had expected to pay somewhere around $3000 US when my doctor gave me a prescription for a sleep study. So I feel pretty good about the expense (which was funded by my very sweet daughter).

I read a thread recently where a poster on this forum self-diagnosed, bought a unit on the interwebz without a prescription, and self-titrated. He saved even more money than I did.

HTH

Try to find your local medical school. Ask if they will accept as full payment,without your paying deductible, whatever insurance you have.

One of the worst part of our 'insurance problem" is that those who have minimal insurance, usually because they work, can still not afford health care. While the poorest among us get health care for free. Our health care system should be concerned with keeping those who work, healthy enough to keep working.

the poorest among us get health care for free.

Common misconception that "oh, you can't afford regular insurance just go get on Medicaid"...
people don't realize that Medicaid doesn't take just everybody just because they don't have funds for whatever.

Medicaid is state regulated. Rules and requirements can vary a lot by state. Here in Missouri there are a lot of people with no income with health issues and denied Medicaid coverage. You don't just go sign up and get it...you have to qualify and it is fairly restrictive. They look for any reason in the world to deny coverage so they don't have to pay for anything...save the state's money.

Some states opted to say "screw you" to Obamacare when it was deemed that those who can't pay for any insurance should just go get on state Medicaid (Medicaid was supposed to be wide open for all) which meant the state had to foot the bill for the most part. Missouri was one of them who chose to not open wide the Medicaid doors to the people who couldn't qualify for any sort of help under Obamacare.

The poorest among us don't always get health care for free...it depends on where you live and here in Missouri it can mean zero health care coverage unless you can pay out of pocket for it.
I personally know of more than one person with significant health issues and needing medications and some that cost over $300 a month and denied Medicaid coverage.

Here in Missouri you can still fall through the cracks when you are poor and have no health insurance and have health problems.