We all know that a good night’s sleep is considered one of the three pillars of a healthy lifestyle, along with good nutrition and regular movement. But when surveyed, around a third of US adults admit they do not get the recommended daily amount of sleep, and 33% characterize their sleep quality as “fair” or “poor.” Whether inspired by National Sleep Awareness Week in March or by the ongoing needs of members, payers can benefit by considering their approach to sleep management.
For healthcare professionals and health plans, there are concerns that run deeper than the average person’s restless night. It is estimated that approximately 50-70 million Americans have a chronic sleep disorder – meaning a diagnosable medical condition that disrupts healthy sleep. Whether categorized as insomnia, sleep-related breathing disorders, sleep-related movement disorders, or other conditions, these chronic ailments can contribute to a number of comorbid symptoms, from slower reaction times and irritability, to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, depression, and dementia. Recent studies have even shown that patients with long-term untreated sleep apnea can develop Parkinson’s.
Health plan coverage related to sleep disorders
The majority of insurance carriers and payers recognize the need to provide sleep resources and coverage for treatment of the more than 80 documented sleep disorders. But with a range of diagnostic and treatment options including supplements, prescription medications, and behavioral therapy to more costly and involved interventions like overnight sleep studies, neurostimulator implants, and at-home devices like CPAP machines and light therapy, it can be challenging for payers to determine appropriate coverage to match continually changing best practices and evidence.
Evidence-based research helps support sleep management policy decisions
As new clinical information and research develops on sleep medicine, payers benefit from having clinical decision support that offers the latest, rigorously reviewed evidence and save time when using a centralized source of clinical intelligence to help guide evidence-based coverage decisions.
