Frequently Asked Questions
What should I bring to my appointment?
Please bring the following:
- Your insurance card
- Your co-payment
- Any available medical records or prior sleep studies
- Your oral appliance if applicable
- The smart card from your CPAP machine or the CPAP machine, if applicable
Can I change my appointment?
It is important for you to keep your appointment to maintain the continuity of care. If it is necessary to reschedule your appointment, we do ask that you give us as much notice as possible (no less than 24 hours) so that we can help another patient during that time. We will do our best to reschedule your appointment to the next available time.
What happens if I am late for my appointment?
We will do our best to work you into the schedule, however, if you are more than 10 minutes late, we may need to reschedule your appointment in order to allow you and your sleep specialist adequate time to obtain the appropriate information to determine the next steps in your treatment.
I was seen at a hospital, how do I follow-up with my sleep specialist?
Please call our scheduling line at (206) 386-4744 and we would be happy to schedule you. Please tell us that you were seen in which Hospital so that we can schedule appropriately. If you have not been to our clinic before, we will send you a new patient packet for you to fill out and bring in on your first visit.
Why am I scheduled to see an ARNP or a PA-C instead of a physician?
Our physicians, ARNPs and PA-Cs closely collaborate with each other to provide the best possible care for our patients. An appointment can be made with a physician at your request at any time.
When you schedule your sleep study, we will also set up an appointment 10-14 days after your study for you to meet with your sleep specialist and discuss the results and treatment recommendations.
Will my insurance cover my sleep study?
There are many different types of insurance plans with each having different coverage. We encourage you to check with your insurance company to see if they provide sleep benefits. If they do, your study will most likely be covered at the same percent as other outpatient tests. If authorization is required by your insurance company, our billing specialists will obtain the authorization. If there is a problem getting it, you will be contacted prior to your sleep study.
Do you accept Medicare?
Yes, we accept Medicare.
What is a smart card?
A smart card identifies the owner and the set pressure of that particular machine. It also documents how many hours the machine is used per night, and how many nights the machine was used since the last time the card was downloaded. This gives your sleep specialist helpful information that is important to your therapy being successful. The card also allows our sleep therapy specialists to change your pressure without having the machine present. They can enter the new pressure onto the card, and once you insert it back into the machine, it reprograms it to the new pressure.
Why do I have to make a 1 year follow up?
It is important for you to be seen on an annual basis to review the effectiveness of your CPAP therapy. You will need an updated prescription annually to get any new supplies or equipment from your homecare company which you will receive at that visit. This documents medical necessity for your continued treatment. On-going maintenance and review are the best ways for successful treatment and compliance.
Why do I need an annual prescription for my supplies?
Insurance companies require an assessment to verify that the treatment is medically necessary. In order for a practitioner to make this determination, a face-to-face assessment or office visit with documentation is required. We have also found that when patients are seen annually, they simply do better.
How do I request a medication refill?
Please call your pharmacy to request a refill of your
prescription. Your pharmacy will contact us with appropriate information to
process that request. Please allow 2 business days for the request to be sent
to your pharmacy.
How do I request my medical records to be sent to my health care provider?
For continuity of care based on HIPAA guidelines, we do not need a signed
release for this request. Please call our medical records line at (206)
386-4744, and we will process your request. All routine medical records
requests will be processed within 10-14 days.
How do I request copies of my medical records for uses other than sending to my
health care provider?
Print, complete and sign the
Request for Information form and fax to 206-215-1135 or mail to our office at
Sleep Medicine Associates
Attention: Medical Records
550 17th Avenue, Suite A20
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 386-4744
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