Medicare planning to cover sleep disorders

"In a proposal that is intended to help treat the estimated 20 to 30 million Americans who suffer from undiagnosed sleep disorders, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently announced a plan that would reimburse patients for the costs of home sleep apnea tests." (Source: "Questions surround sleep test funding," Tribune Chronicle, Jan. 13, 2008.) Final approval of the plan is not expected until March. Medicare coverage is currently limited to sleep apnea treatments for seniors diagnosed in an on-site sleep laboratory, while the proposal would cover the costs of cheaper, home-based tests.