Aetna Contracts W/Home Sleep Testing Service

LifeWatch AG announced today that Aetna (NYSE: AET) now has a national contract with LifeWatch to provide access to the NiteWatch Home Sleep Testing service for their members effective September 15, 2010.

I'm actually a fan of home sleep testing, so I think this is a good thing.

Slinky wrote:LifeWatch AG announced today that Aetna (NYSE: AET) now has a national contract with LifeWatch to provide access to the NiteWatch Home Sleep Testing service for their members effective September 15, 2010.

Yeah!!! I'll never have to deal with my evil sleep lab again. Go AETNA!

Slinky wrote:LifeWatch AG announced today that Aetna (NYSE: AET) now has a national contract with LifeWatch to provide access to the NiteWatch Home Sleep Testing service for their members effective September 15, 2010.

Just checked Nightwatch out. Sounds good and hopefully will be a lot less expensive. You really have to wonder about the results you get in a strange bed, with people watching your every move. I know I spent longer on my back because I was afraid to dislodge the equipment leads. And there was cold air blowing directly on me all night. They said it was necessary to get good results. I was so exhausted in the morning I had to sleep for an hour in the parking lot before I could make the hour drive home.
http://www.nitewatchservices.com/siteFi ... 0/6877.asp

Sillyme wrote:

Slinky wrote:They said it was necessary to get good results.

Nope, nope. It was NOT me who said keeping the cold air blowing on you was necessary to get good results!!! That was a stupid statement that has no truth to it. If it is so cold it disturbs your sleep it is NOT a good thing as you are NOT getting "normal" or good sleep and thus the results are somewhat skewed.

I am assuming that you were referring to an in-lab titration study w/the CPAP and mask being used? If so, the cold air you are referring to could have been the humidification they were using in passover mode, i.e. w/o heated humidification. My first titration that is what they did to me too, but I told the tech that my nose was froze, and I also was experiencing some cold water dripping into my mask. My sleep tech then turned the heated humidification on and that was MUCH more comfortable!! No more cold water dripping in my mask and no more froze nose!!

A Board Certified Sleep Physician interprets and evaluates the test results and sends a summary of the findings and treatment recommendations to your physician.

From their website. So, some dude who you never see and who doesn't know you sends a "summary" to your physician? Really? How does one go about getting the whole data enchilada?

That's how a lot of sleep labs operate nowadays anyway. The "patient" never, ever even sees the sleep doc.

Janknitz wrote:That's how a lot of sleep labs operate nowadays anyway. The "patient" never, ever even sees the sleep doc.

I had the study done because my Neurologist recommended it and I do trust him. I didn't know much about Apnea at the time. I realize now that noone has ever actually looked in my mouth to see if there were any other contributing problems. Between the Neuro, the PCP and the Sleep Lab - maybe everyone felt someone else would do it. I miss tha good old days when I didn't have a different doctor for each body part.

Slinky wrote:Nope, nope. It was NOT me who said keeping the cold air blowing on you was necessary to get good results!!! That was a stupid statement that has no truth to it. If it is so cold it disturbs your sleep it is NOT a good thing as you are NOT getting "normal" or good sleep and thus the results are somewhat skewed.

I am assuming that you were referring to an in-lab titration study w/the CPAP and mask being used? If so, the cold air you are referring to could have been the humidification they were using in passover mode, i.e. w/o heated humidification. My first titration that is what they did to me too, but I told the tech that my nose was froze, and I also was experiencing some cold water dripping into my mask. My sleep tech then turned the heated humidification on and that was MUCH more comfortable!! No more cold water dripping in my mask and no more froze nose!!

It was MY sleep center tech that told me the cold air was necessary. There was a vent in the ceiling right over the bed directing cold air at my face. I asked if it could be turned down and that is what they told me. And yes, I think it disturbed my sleep a great deal as I could not get warm even with extra blankets. Because of computer problems we couldn't get started 'till way after my normal bedtime. It was an all-around exhausting experience. I went there excited to see how I would feel after using CPAP all night and left pretty discouraged. This board is where I have gotten most of my useful information. It wouldn't take a lot of time and effort for a professional to go over what to realisticly expect.

Janknitz wrote:That's how a lot of sleep labs operate nowadays anyway. The "patient" never, ever even sees the sleep doc.

Yeah, but that "patient" can still get the full data set from the sleep lab. Not sure if these guys will do that.

The very first in-lab sleep study I had was at a local hospital's sleep lab. Everything was attractive and comfy - except it was on the top (fourth) floor and right above my room as one of the big roof air conditioners for the building. I'm not usually super sensitive to sound but ....

I wouldn't be bashful. I would write a letter to the sleep lab detailing how disappointing that sleep study was and why: 1] the ridiculous notion that "freezing you out" w/your bed under the cold air ceiling vent and the sorry excuse the cold was needed to enhance your sleep, 2] the computer problems delaying the start of your study way after your normal bedtime, 3] that you went into that sleep study all excited to see how you would feel after using a CPAP that might actually start you on the road to restorative, restful sleep and 4] how discouraged you are about the way things were handled.

They won't have any incentive to improve things they aren't aware of. You don't have to be combative w/your complaints, they are just a heads up to them that they need to improve their protocol, placement of the bed or use of the air vent, etc. Every in-lab PSG I've had done I was given a Questionaire in the morning to fill out asking about my experience that night. I always filled it out truthfully, complaints as well as compliments.