Treatment

The most common and effective treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea is Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) Therapy. Each night a person wears a mask that fits over the nose and/or mouth and gently blows air into the airway to keep the throat open during sleep. There are three different kinds of PAP Therapy:

• Continuous (CPAP): Air blows at a continuous pressure throughout the night. This type of PAP therapy is generally the most common.
• Automatic: the machine automatically adjusts the pressure needed to keep the airway open. Throughout the night, pressure will change depending on the automatic needs of the person.
• Bilevel: Bilevel machines alternate between two different pressures throughout the night. During inhalation, the pressure is higher to keep the airway open; the pressure then drops to make it easier to exhale. This sequence of two different pressures continues repeatedly as the employee sleeps.

Each device can record the amount of use each night and show whether or not the employee is compliant with treatment.

According to Medicare guidelines, if an employee is prescribed PAP Therapy they are required to be compliant within 12 weeks of use for the machine and equipment to be covered. University Services is familiar with the rules and regulations of coverage and can work with employers, employees, and Medicare to ensure each employee is covered.

MSWFY can work with employee’s physicians or the company’s medical directors to ensure they are providing the right amount of care and proper treatment. It is important to monitor the effectiveness of treatment to ensure each employee has fewer sleep apnea episodes and sleep better at night.