Doctors Answers (4)
Treatment for any medical condition, including sleep apnea, is more difficult without insurance or funding. There are many medical settings such as medical schools and large clinics which provide services for the uninsured. I would recommend calling local hospitals as many of them have clinics for the uninsured. City and County offices are a resource for medical treatment. The new medical program approved by congress may help with situations such as this.
People can be treated without health insurance but the cost then comes out of pocket. Most specialized sleep disorders centers can come up with a solution that can be of some help.
Diagnostic tests are expensive and sleep studies are no exception. Without insurance the most cost effective way to get evaluated and get a diagnosis is with a home sleep study over 2-3 nights and then participate in an auto-titration with a CPAP or BIPAP apparatus thereafter. You could then rent a unitto use nightly if appropriate from a DME (Durable Medical Equipment) company.
I would recommend seeing a sleep doctor who can help with that. Sometimes you can start a person where sleep apnea is suspected on an Autopap and see if it helps or not. This is not the best way to treat sleep apnea, but if cost is an issue it is an alternative strategy.
