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ABF | Who pays for the sleep apnea study?

Homesick

Homesick

Retired
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Do any other barns have to get sleep apnea studies done when they get their DOT physical? I had my 2 year DOT physical this past week and the physician measured my neck (17 inches) and told me that I may have to get a sleep study done. It turned out my BMI was 32 and my blood pressure was low so I did not have to get it done this time. The physician gave me a 2 year card but told me to expect to have to do the study next time because it was going to be mandatory soon. Is anyone else hearing this?
 
I believe that YOU have to pay for the study. Your insurance may cover some of the cost. Check with your local, They may even be able to get you/members of the your local a deal of some kind.
 
All I have to say is that the cpap machine works and if you think you have sleep apnea then I highly recommend you get a study done. You will feel so much better.
 
I work out of 042 and have some of my friends that have had the study done and our insurance paid for it all. I had mine done last fall and they paid for it all but you have a $150.00 deductible to meet then after that you only have to pay 20% for supplies but the $150.00 is at the first of each year. But unlike my friends I had it done on my own, my doctor wrote me a referal and had the study done. I do know there is a chance you might be asked to take your (SD) card to the provider and they will scan it and send the results to the Ins. Co. and if you don't use your machine for atleast 6hrs. each night they will give you several chances to do so. If you still don't comply they will make you pay for the machine and I believe it is right around $2,500.00.
 
OK. You try the mask but you can't sleep with it. Next option would be throat surgery to remove the skin in the throat that obstructs the air flow. Will Central States pay for it after getting a mask. Better yet, if you can't get an extension on your 90 day med card, & you are disqualified, and can hold a dock bid are you still employed? If you are on a drive bid & medically disqualified are you out of a job? If you are a city driver & disqualified, & ABF will not open a dock bid for you, does the American Disabilities Act come in to play here? Will the answer vary from local to local based on the mood they are in? Lots of questions & no answers.

Here is a better question? First sentence Central Region Local Cartage Supplement Agreement Article 47 Examination & Fees (Physical mental or other examinations required by a government body or the Employer shall pay for all such examinations for all regular & probationary employees). So someone please explain why we are paying for the sleep test & not ABF, based on Article 47. I do not see any gray area in that sentence. Show me the errors of my thinking.
 
Sleep Test

OK. You try the mask but you can't sleep with it. Next option would be throat surgery to remove the skin in the throat that obstructs the air flow. Will Central States pay for it after getting a mask. Better yet, if you can't get an extension on your 90 day med card, & you are disqualified, and can hold a dock bid are you still employed? If you are on a drive bid & medically disqualified are you out of a job? If you are a city driver & disqualified, & ABF will not open a dock bid for you, does the American Disabilities Act come in to play here? Will the answer vary from local to local based on the mood they are in? Lots of questions & no answers.

Here is a better question? First sentence Central Region Local Cartage Supplement Agreement Article 47 Examination & Fees (Physical mental or other examinations required by a government body or the Employer shall be promptly complied with by all employees. The employer shall pay for all such examinations for all regular & probationary employees). So someone please explain why we are paying for the sleep test & not ABF, based on Article 47. I do not see any gray area in that sentence. Please show me the errors of my thinking. von
 
cmsdock said:
All I have to say is that the cpap machine works and if you think you have sleep apnea then I highly recommend you get a study done. You will feel so much better.
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I had 2 studies done one to determine if I had sleep apnea. The second to determine settings for the CPAP. I was not required to get the tests, I went in on my own. Insurance paid for EVERYTHING including the CPAP, with our copay my cost was $275.00. TO SLEEP LIKE A KID AGAIN! :-)
And yes von it does take a bit of getting used to using the CPAP, but you do get used to it. I can't sleep now if I DON'T use it.
 
Minimum usage requirements is only 4 hrs a night 5 nights a week. I was on cpap for the first 6 months of this year and my insurance has never asked to see my SD card. Now I'm using a BIPAP machine and the still haven't asked for anything yet..
 
In defense of the CPAP, your supposed to sleep less. This means your body is getting better rest. I used to sleep 8-10 now I sleep 6-7 hrs and feel better. But I guess it also depends on the person..
 
So the general census is to do the study. The only downside I have heard so far is the price. Does that sound correct? A CPAP machine is a good thing except for the price? I am not asking for professional reasons but personal. Forget all the DOT regulations. For an individual’s personal health, is it worth the money, time and energy to get the study and the CPAP machine?
 
I can tell you that I think its good..it was worth it for me. It's also classified has a major medical problem. I tried to increase my life insurance and was denied because of the apnefunny though how a few years ago it was never rely h
eard of ...
 
Why Now?

nightowl said:
I can tell you that I think its good..it was worth it for me. It's also classified has a major medical problem. I tried to increase my life insurance and was denied because of the apnefunny though how a few years ago it was never rely h
eard of ...
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Raven, I am glad for you that your sleep study found a problem & things are better for you. Let me try the flip side. Where was all this concern 10 years ago? Fat truckers back then. Fat trucker now. Why no testing back then? There is a strong effort by Concentra Clinics in Indy to force the sleep studies on drivers with 17 or larger neck & BMI above 31. But the other clinics are not forcing this on YRC or many of the other companies in this market. ABF claims they are not behind this; the clinic is pushing the early tests that are not mandatory. Do the Doctors or clinic owners where DOT physicals are performed have any financial interest in the clinics’ that give the sleep test? If you are 6 feet 0 inches weigh 250 pounds according to the US Center for Disease Control you are Obese. According to DOT guide lines you have to have a sleep study. It is proposed now. Mandatory come January 2014. I can promise you if I have to take a sleep test, I and I alone will choose the testing site, especially if I have to pay for it. Not the Doctor at the clinic where the physical was performed.
 
vongrimmenstein said:
Raven, I am glad for you that your sleep study found a problem & things are better for you. Let me try the flip side. Where was all this concern 10 years ago? Fat truckers back then. Fat trucker now. Why no testing back then? There is a strong effort by Concentra Clinics in Indy to force the sleep studies on drivers with 17 or larger neck & BMI above 31. But the other clinics are not forcing this on YRC or many of the other companies in this market. ABF claims they are not behind this; the clinic is pushing the early tests that are not mandatory. Do the Doctors or clinic owners where DOT physicals are performed have any financial interest in the clinics’ that give the sleep test? If you are 6 feet 0 inches weigh 250 pounds according to the US Center for Disease Control you are Obese. According to DOT guide lines you have to have a sleep study. It is proposed now. Mandatory come January 2014.
I can promise you if I have to take a sleep test, I and I alone will choose the testing site, especially if I have to pay for it. Not the Doctor at the clinic where the physical was performed.
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You know that won't work. You will go where they tell you or they will pull your card, its simple as that, its unfortunate but its whats happening now. I really don't think I could sleep in the environment they put you in, thats just me, I think if I was told to take a sleep study I would just move on, its getting way to hard to drive a truck. We are regulated way more than folks that make more money than we do are.
 
grocerythrower said:
You know that won't work. You will go where they tell you or they will pull your card, its simple as that, its unfortunate but its whats happening now. I really don't think I could sleep in the environment they put you in, thats just me, I think if I was told to take a sleep study I would just move on, its getting way to hard to drive a truck. We are regulated way more than folks that make more money than we do are.
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Moving on is more tempting all the time as it gets to be more tedious to maintain a license that worked fine for 20 years. But if someone mandates that we take and pay for a test we should be able to choose our provider, "You're going here for this and you're going to pay for it too", just won't work under a union contract. Non union? Good luck with it. ABF would not be behind it because they aren't losing drivers in fall asleep accidents and it would unnecessarily cost them money.
 
ABFer said:
Moving on is more tempting all the time as it gets to be more tedious to maintain a license that worked fine for 20 years. But if someone mandates that we take and pay for a test we should be able to choose our provider, "You're going here for this and you're going to pay for it too", just won't work under a union contract. Non union? Good luck with it. ABF would not be behind it because
they aren't losing drivers in fall asleep accidents
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and it would unnecessarily cost them money.
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Why is that? I know the answer, same reason we don't lose drivers that way!
 
Mike432 said:
That's a good endorsment!!!!
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Actually....you would be better off in the long run to have the surgery....If you still have your tonsils and adenoids, they will be removed and your airway opened up....you will have the worst sore throat you have ever had for 2 weeks....you will not be able to have anything but fluids and will loose 25-30 pounds during that time and you will NOT have to use a c-pap.

Your BMI will be lowered....your blood pressure will drop...and your airway number will change too....not to mention your neck size will drop....by the way, you are STUCK on the machine for life (They Don't tell You That, as it is a money maker for the medical industry) unless you do the above surgery.....you have to keep coming back to the Dr. every 90 days to get checked....if the card does not show it was used for a Minimum of 4 hours per day on 5 out of 7 days they will take you out of service.

Your insurance keeps paying for this....the insurance also pays for the surgery...I opted for the surgery and lost allot of weight....BMI is 29....airway is wide open and the BP is 122/78.....just a suggestion....go see a ENT ( Ears, Nose & Throat) Doctor and get the check up by Him!.....KK
 
I was thinking about just getting a stent installed.
 
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