Appointments 425.454.5046

PATIENT INFORMATION

Welcome to the Overlake Sleep Disorders Center (OSDC). We understand that you may be anxious to find out what happens once you’ve been referred to a sleep specialist. To assist you in understanding what happens next, we are outlining steps below so that you know what to expect as you move through the initial referral, assessment, and treatment process at OSDC. Please keep in mind that this is the most common flow of care at OSDC, but each individual’s care may vary slightly depending on your unique needs and/ or the specific guidelines of your insurance plan. Here are the steps:

1) Consultation with one of our sleep specialists: You will be scheduled for a 40-minute consultation with one of our sleep physicians to begin the assessment process. Next steps regarding further assessment and/ or treatment will result from this initial visit.

2) Appropriate sleep study (if indicated): If your physician determines that additional information is needed to provide an accurate diagnosis, the appropriate sleep study will be recommended to you at the time of your consultation.

3) Prior authorization: Based upon the specific requirements of your insurance plan, your sleep study may or may not require prior authorization. If prior authorization is required, this process may take up to two weeks, depending on your insurance carrier.

4) Receiving study results: Your physician’s nurse or medical assistant will contact you with the results of your sleep study within 10 days of the date of your study and inform you of the next steps advised by your physician during that call. This step of the process will move most efficiently if results are reviewed by phone. However, if you prefer to see your doctor in person to review the results, we welcome you to schedule an appointment to do so.

5) PAP titration study (if indicated): If PAP therapy is indicated as the best line of treatment, the next step will often be a second sleep study to determine the optimal pressure and setting for your PAP machine.

6) PAP set-up: Once your PAP titration is complete, your physician will complete a prescription with the settings best suited to your individual needs. This prescription will be provided to the durable medical equipment (DME) company of your choice, who will then assure they have all supporting documentation in place to submit to your insurance company to process your order. It may then take up to a week before you hear from your DME company to schedule you for a set-up appointment since obtaining a benefits advisory, and potentially a prior authorization, will need to occur beforehand.

7) DME follow-up assessment: A respiratory therapist will follow up with you (by phone, in person, or both) to assure your new therapy is going well. If you are being serviced by OSDC’s DME department, we will ask to schedule a two-week follow-up appointment for you with one of our respiratory therapists to ensure that everything is going as planned.

8) Physician follow-up: Lastly, to assure that you receive the best care and to meet requirements set forth by your insurance plan to cover your PAP therapy, we advise you schedule a follow-up appointment with your physician 6 to 8 weeks after the initiation of your PAP therapy. We urge you to schedule this appointment at the time of your set-up to assure that a convenient and timely appointment with your physician is available to you.

We look forward to assisting you in attaining the good night’s sleep you deserve! Please do not hesitate to contact our staff at (425) 289-3000 with any questions or concerns along the way.

PARTICIPATING INSURANCE NETWORKS

As a general rule of thumb, it is always best to contact your carrier directly to see if a physician you will be seeing is in network.

The following are health plans we participate with as of this writing. Please note that this list is NOT all-inclusive; there are other (smaller volume) plans not listed here that you will find, by calling your carrier, that we are a participating provider, and vice versa.

  • Aetna
  • Cigna
  • Encompass Specialty Surgical Network
  • EvergreenHealth Partners LLC Clinically Integrated Network plans: First Choice, Regence Accountable Health Network, Cigna, Puget Sound High Value Network, Premera ACO, Washington State Health Care Authority ACO.
  • First Choice
  • Medicare
  • Premera Blue Cross
  • Premera Exchange Network plans: AK Global, AK, Heritage Plus, AK Heritage Select, Foundation & Foundation Plus 1, Global, Heritage & Heritage Plus 1, Heritage Prime, Heritage Signature
  • Regence Blue Shield
  • Regence Uniform Medical Plan
  • United Healthcare
  • UW Medicine Accountable Care Network (Boeing & Washington State Public Employees Benefit Board Program & Premera Accountable Health System)
  • Workers Compensation

Please note that this list of participating insurers will change from time to time. This list in no way guarantees that your insurer will cover a visit even to an in-network provider. It will ultimately be up to your insurer to make that determination; therefore, please contact them directly, and you will also be able to obtain benefits information pertaining to your specific coverage.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS RE: YOUR SLEEP STUDY

Where do I park?
OSDC is located on the 3rd floor of the South building at the One Twelfth at Twelfth office complex. For your convenience, please be sure that you park close to the South (RED) elevator or have someone drop you off at the South (RED) elevator at the garage level. Patients should park in the underground parking garage which can be entered heading northbound on 112th Avenue NE or eastbound on NE 12th Street.

The reduced overnight parking fee for patients of OSDC is $4.00 (if you arrive after 5:00 pm and leave before 8:30 am). PLEASE NOTE: Please bring the parking ticket you receive upon entering the garage up to the sleep center when checking in for your study. OSDC staff will validate your parking ticket, which will reduce the overnight parking fee to $4.00—payable by debit or credit card only upon exiting the garage at the conclusion of your study. If your testing requires you to stay past 8:30 a.m., the cost will be at the normal rate which is approximately $18.00 for a 24-hour stay.

When do I check-in for my sleep study?
If you’ve been scheduled for an on-site sleep study at our facility, please arrive at 8:00 pm unless otherwise specified. This will allow time for you to change into your sleep wear, fill out the pre-sleep questionnaire, and get comfortable with the sleeping environment. Your room setup is similar to a hotel room with a private bathroom.

How long will I stay for my sleep study?
Most patients will need to stay for approximately 10 to 12 hours. Some patients may also have a Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) on the day following their sleep study. You will be informed of this possibility by your sleep physician in advance of the study. If you have a sleep study and an MSLT, be prepared to stay approximately 22 hours.

What should I bring to my sleep study?

  • Loose-fitting night clothes that have a top and bottom (NOTE: 2-piece sleepwear is required.)
  • Personal toiletries.
  • All prescribed medications, which you should continue to take on your regular schedule unless otherwise instructed by your physician.
  • Any over-the-counter medication that you might need (i.e. aspirin, Tylenol, antacids, etc.).
  • Your favorite pillow(s) from home if you’d prefer to bring them. Otherwise, pillows are supplied by OSDC.
  • Reading materials or a video/DVD (satellite television is available).

What should I not bring?

  • Work-related materials
  • Valuables or large sums of money
  • Alcoholic beverages.

How should I prepare for my sleep study?
The sensing devices that are used during sleep testing must be applied to clean, dry skin, including your scalp. Therefore, please shower and dry your hair before arrival if possible. Do not use hair products or apply skin creams or lotions after bathing. Men without beards ideally should be clean-shaven and women should refrain from wearing make-up or nail polish.

May I have visitors during my sleep study?
Due to the nature of sleep studies and the manner in which data is collected, as well as practical considerations of available furniture and space in our rooms, we do not allow overnight guests while you are a patient at OSDC. Special exceptions are made for minors or patients with special needs and must be made with our staff in advance of your test to assure we have adequate space, furniture, and bedding available for your visitor on the night of your study. To assure our ability to collect valid and accurate data, guests may not share your bed during your study. Each testing room has a phone for patients to use, yet we ask that there not be any direct phone calls to the patient rooms after 9:00 p.m. If there is an emergent need to contact a patient, we ask that you call the sleep technologists’ back line at (425) 732 - 3413.

What about meals?
Please eat dinner before you arrive. We ask that no caffeine, alcohol, or other recreational substances be consumed within eight (8) hours of your arrival to the sleep center. Feel free to bring snacks if they are part of your bed time ritual. Breakfast is not provided; however, there is a coffee shop on the first floor of the east building which opens at 7:00 a.m. For patients who stay for any extended testing such as the MSLT, decaffeinated tea or coffee, cereal or toast are available for breakfast and a meal voucher for lunch will be provided. NOTE: Please let us know in advance if you have any specific dietary restrictions.

What happens at bedtime?
Prior to turning out the lights to go to sleep, the technologist will apply small electrodes to your scalp, temples, chin, chest, and lower legs. These sensors monitor brain waves (sleep stages), eye and muscle movements, breathing, heart rhythm, and oxygen level. Flexible elastic belts are placed around your chest and abdomen which also monitor your respiratory effort. None of these devices are painful and are minimally uncomfortable. If your physician supplied you with a prescription for a sleeping medication, please have the prescription filled prior to the date of your test and bring the medication with you, as medication will not be supplied at the testing site. The technical staff will have you go to bed as close to your normal time as possible. After “lights out,” your sleep technologist will be in the monitoring room observing your sleep throughout the test. If you need anything during the test, all you need to do is speak out and the technologist will hear you through the intercom.

What if I need to use the bathroom?
Every sleep room has a private bathroom and shower. If you need to use the bathroom after “lights out”, notify the sleep technologist who will assist you with disconnecting equipment. Please do NOT attempt to do this on your own.

What happens when testing is completed?
If your sleep test is completed and you do not have additional testing, you will be awakened around 6:00 a.m. Your sleep technologist will disconnect you from our equipment, ask you to complete a brief “post sleep” questionnaire, and you may shower if you wish. Planned departure from OSDC will be by 7:00 a.m. If you need to be up at a certain time for work or personal reasons, please inform your technologist in advance and we will plan your morning routine accordingly. However, the testing must last a minimum of 8 hours so if you cannot be at the testing center for that length of time, please call at least 1 to 2 days in advance of your study to reschedule.

How and when will I get the results of my sleep study?
As a significant amount of data is collected, please allow at least 7-10 working days for the results to be processed. Your physician’s nurse or medical assistant will contact you with the results of your study within approximately 10 days of the date of your study and inform you of the next steps advised by your physician during that call. This step of the process will move most efficiently if results are reviewed by phone. However, if you prefer to see your doctor in person to review the results, we welcome you to schedule an appointment to do so. If you were referred to our sleep lab by your primary care or other physician and did not establish care with one of our sleep specialists, please contact your referring physician for results and further instructions. A detailed report is also sent to your referring physician. If you do not already have a follow-up appointment with our physician or you have questions about next steps, please call our office at (425) 289-3000 to make an appointment or to speak with our nursing staff.

What is your cancellation policy?
We ask that you provide a minimum notice of at least 24 hours to cancel or reschedule a sleep study. If less than 24 hours’ notice is given, a late cancellation or no-show fee of $250 will be incurred. As we have many patients awaiting sleep studies in a timely manner, this advanced notice will give our staff time to schedule another patient into that slot as well as allow us to most effectively manage our staffing to provide you with the best care possible during your study. Receipt of this fee will be required before your sleep study will be rescheduled.

We look forward to assisting you in attaining the good night’s sleep you deserve. Please do not hesitate to contact us at (425) 289-3000 with any questions or concerns along the way.