According to AASM analysis of CMS’s proposed CY 2027 Physician Fee Schedule, reimbursement for unattended, low-complexity home sleep tests could decrease by approximately 32%.1 If simpler HSATs become financially unsustainable to provide, patients may face fewer testing options, longer diagnostic wait times, and greater barriers to care. The price of an individual test is not the cost of the diagnostic pathway; payment policy should consider how reimbursement affects access, capacity and patients’ ability to reach diagnosis and treatment.
The communities carrying the greatest burden of poor sleep are often the least likely to receive a diagnosis or treatment. As research on sleep and cognitive health develops, that gap deserves greater attention as a potential contributor to wider brain-health inequities.
