What do I do now? - Sleep Apnea Bob Stanton

You just went for your DOT physical. During the physical, the medical examiner asks you lots of different questions like if you snore and how loud you snore. The medical examiner gives you a 90-day conditional certification pending completion of a sleep study.

What do I do now?

DON'T PANIC - Your trucking career is not over. The medical examiner is just following new recommendations from the FMCSA Medical Review Board to include screening for sleep apnea as part of DOT Physicals.

DON'T JUST FIND A NEW DOT MEDICAL EXAMINER - Called “doctor shopping,” it opens you up to a whole host of legal issues for “giving false statements” to the medical examiner.

DECIDE IF YOU WANT TO USE IN-LAB OR PORTABLE AT HOME TESTING - An in lab test known as polysonogram (PSG) is the “gold standard” sleep apnea testing. It does require you to schedule to be at a sleep lab for an overnight stay. Portable or at-home tests can be shipped to you - taken at home and returned to the sleep doctor for interpretation. There are major cost differences between PSG and home studies. If you are considering an at home sleep study, be sure the provider will use a type of sleep study that has been validated to ensure it is as accurate as a PSG. Some types of simple (2 channel) at home studies can miss important medical issues such as central apneas.

DO YOU HAVE MEDICAL INSURANCE - If yes, contact your primary care physician. Explain that you have been screened as high risk for sleep apnea. They will most likely refer you to a local sleep lab within their “preferred provider network”. When you use a local sleep lab, make sure they understand the FMCSA MRB Sleep Apnea guidelines.

You may be able to use one of the larger nationwide sleep lab networks that are now gearing up to handle the needs of over the road drivers. Providers such as Sleep4Safety and Sleep Pointe offer PSG using a nationwide network of sleep labs often with parking for coupled units. Check with your insurance carrier if these providers are part of your insurance's preferred provider network.

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE INSURANCE - Contact some of the sleep apnea providers that advertise in HTAA to get an idea of the costs and services provided. Most of the advertisers offer fee structures for testing and treatment for the first year. If your test for sleep apnea is negative, they will refund the costs for the CPAP machine and treatment charging you only for the actual sleep study. Be sure to keep a copy of the results for future DOT physicals.

Portable at home testing can be a more cost effective option for getting a sleep study where the costs for an in-lab PSG may not be covered by health insurance.  HTAA advertisers such as Safety First Sleep Solutions and Roadside Medical offer portable at-home sleep apnea testing that has been found to be as accurate as an in-lab study at a much lower cost.

NEXT - What to do if you test positive for sleep apnea… Getting and living with your CPAP machine.

Bob Stanton is an over the road driver who was diagnosed with sleep apnea in 2002. He is the Co-Coordinator of the Truckers for a Cause Chapter of A. W. A. K. E. which is a volunteer support group for truck drivers with sleep apnea. Bob also is a part-time consultant for Safety First Sleep Solutions.

Awake.truckersforacause.com 

awake@truckersforacause.com