A sleep disorder can be a very dangerous condition that is often the cause of vehicular accidents. According to Medical Daily, a study found that people driving with obstructive sleep apnea were 2.5 times more likely to be in an accident than people without it. Aside from that, sleep deprivation can also be a serious complication of sleep apnea, which can affect your overall well-being. So it is crucial to get early detection once and for all. But how much does sleep apnea test cost?
Average Cost of Sleep Study
The average sleep apnea testing cost in an in-center setting is around $500 to $3,000. It could cost even more depending on the sleep facility you prefer or if a combination study is being integrated.
The highest price reported was around $7,800 for a split-night study. However, some even claim to have their insurance charged as high as $10,000 after $1,200 in out-of-pocket expenses.
Kinds of Sleep Studies Explained
For those who want to know the actual difference between each test and why their costs differ, below are some details of what they can detect and how they are carried out.
- Polysomnography
This kind of sleep test is mostly used to diagnose sleep apnea as the PSG monitors physical activities during sleep such as nasal airflow, eye movements, snoring intensity, muscle activity, and body position as well as heart functions like heart rate and rhythm.
Polysomnography prices range widely and can be very costly at times, mainly depending on the sleep center and its location. The reported cost can be as low as $600 or as high as $6,000 or more.
- CPAP Titration Study
If you are positive for a sleeping disorder, you may be required to have a second overnight sleep study, like in the case of sleep apnea, where the optimal pressure settings for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy are being determined.
This sleep study can cost somewhere around $1,400 to $3,000 when done in a sleep clinic. Otherwise, you will be required to either buy or rent the equipment. The machine costs around $500 to $3,000.
- Split-Night Study
This type of study combines a PSG for the first half of the night and a continuous positive airway pressure for the next half. The subsequent use of the CPAP is dependent on whether the patient will exhibit sleep apnea tendencies or not.
If it turned out positive, the patient would be woken up and be required to use a mask that is hooked up to a CPAP machine, which would monitor the airflow through the test called CPAP titration.
The split-night study tends to be more expensive than PSG. Reported costs from different sleep centers around the country range from $1,400 for PSG and $3,000 for continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, for a combined cost of $4,400.
- Multiple Sleep Latency Test
This type of day sleep diagnostic is used to identify other sleep problems like narcolepsy. This measures how fast a patient falls asleep in quiet surroundings, which usually consists of four or five naps every two hours.
Daytime sleep tests such as this can sometimes be less expensive than those comprehensive tests performed in the evening. The MSLT price typically ranges between $300 and $850.
- Maintenance of Wakefulness Test or MWT
This daytime test measures how long a patient stays awake and alert in a dark or dim room. This is typically a supplemental test after conducting polysomnography to check whether or not your sleep issue will be a concern for your safety.
The cost for this test is similar to that of the Multiple Sleep Latency Test, which ranges from $300 to $4,000.
- Home Sleep Test
This is also known as the Home Sleep Apnea Test or HST. As the name suggests, it diagnoses obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA. The crucial components of the study are the airflow from both the nose and mouth, respiratory effort, and the oximeter finger probe.
Home sleep testing uses sleep study equipment that costs around $150 to $300. A separate professional fee is usually charged at around $150.
Additional Costs
You might shell out the following additional costs as part of your sleep study expenditures:
- A patient is usually referred by a primary care physician prior to going directly to sleep experts. If this is the case, the initial visit is basically free. But if you were not referred, the first consultation may be charged around $250 to $600.
- Any diagnostic procedures and studies that produce a result and automatically, there needs to be an interpretation. This typically costs around $200 or more.
- As mentioned, if you are prescribed CPAP therapy, you either purchase or rent a device. You also need to replace the accessories like the mask, cushion, filters, tubing, water chamber, etc. ideally every three months.
- If your first option is the home sleep test and it turns out negative but you still want to be tested for other sleep problems, expect a hefty fee if you do not have health insurance or they refuse to have the test covered.
- Before considering a home sleep test, you may first be required by your insurance company to have a face-to-face consultation with a physician.
Factors Affecting Sleep Study Cost
1. Insurance
Aside from your insurance having to do with how much a sleep study costs, there are still insurance sub-factors that affect what you have to spend for the procedures.
- The relationship between your insurance company and the sleep study center also plays an important part. Surely, you will spend less, depending on the coverage of your policy. But you will pay even less if the insurance company itself contracts for the services to be provided for you, instead of you going for the services and finding out if your insurance provider covers the services. The typical price difference in this instance is around $150 to $1,200.
- Some insurance companies set certain deductible amounts after which the coverage would begin. Some of the reported deductible amounts can be as much as $2,000, $4,000, or more. So until these deductibles have been met, you have to pay out of your pocket for the meantime. But this does not necessarily mean the cost afterward will be shouldered entirely by your insurance company, so it is important to know your policy very well.
2. Whether In-Center or Home Sleep Test
If you suspect that you have sleep apnea but do not want to subject yourself to an in-center test, you can resort to an out-of-center sleep apnea test. But remember that this kind of test is limited to a single sleep disorder and can not diagnose any other sleep problems.
This is one of the reasons some insurance companies decline the in-center testing request because HST is less expensive and not as effective in diagnosing sleep apnea. However, if you and your physician can prove that a more comprehensive sleep study is crucial to your overall health and safety, an in-center sleep study will definitely be acknowledged and covered by your insurance provider.
3. The Sleep Center and Location
Sleep apnea testing costs and other sleep tests depend on location as different center per state tend to have varying rates. If you have the tendency to move around, check out several centers to compare prices.
Also, even sleep study centers and clinics within the same state may have varying rates. If the choice is all up to you, try to compare prices before agreeing to do the diagnostic procedures.
To illustrate these price differences, the cost of various sleep tests in Sleep Resolutions in Kansas are the following:
- Nocturnal Polysomnography (NPSG) – $3,000
- Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) – $800
- Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT) – $800
- Split Night Study –$3,000
- CPAP Titration Study – $3,000
Sound Sleep Health in Washington meanwhile has the following rates:
- Nocturnal Polysomnography (NPSG) – $1,300
- Split Night Study – $1,400
- CPAP Titration Study – $1,400
- Home Sleep Test (HST) – $450
- Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) – $850
- Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT) – $850
- PAP Nap –$750
- EEG Diagnostics – $600/$800
4. Discounts
Price tags of the sleep study are most of the time for the insurance companies to cover. Most sleep centers offer discounts for cash payments. In fact, some offer 20% discounts for upfront cash transactions.
Shopping for Sleep Study
If you are looking for a sleep study center, you have several options, including:
- If you came from a visit to your physician, they may possibly be referring you to a sleep center for further evaluation.
- You may also call your insurance company to check for their accredited sleep centers.
- You can check online for various sleep centers in your area. Once you have chosen a particular facility, ask if whether they are in-network or not and if they are accredited by your insurance provider and up to what extent. They can possibly give you an estimate of what to pay after considering the insurance coverage.
- Check out some home sleep apnea study kits being offered by different brands which can start at only $249 before considering the Polysomnography cost.