The American Association of Sleep Technologists (AAST) has submitted formal comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding proposed payment policies under the CY 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Specifically, AAST provided feedback on the valuation of newly established unattended sleep testing CPT codes.
This advocacy effort advances a key priority of the AAST Strategic Plan: advancing advocacy initiatives that reinforce the essential role of sleep technologists in clinical care and support appropriate reimbursement for services provided by sleep technologists.
Supporting the Technical Work Behind Quality Sleep Care
In its comments, AAST emphasized that unattended sleep testing extends far beyond device deployment. Sleep technologists and trained sleep professionals are responsible for:
- Patient education and instruction
- Equipment preparation and troubleshooting
- Technical review of recorded data
- Quality assurance activities
- Study preparation for physician interpretation
AAST noted that these activities are essential to ensuring accurate diagnoses, reducing repeat testing, and maintaining high standards of patient care.
Recognizing Specialized Expertise
The comment letter also highlighted the significant education, credentialing, and continuing education requirements maintained by credentialed sleep technologists, including Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (RPSGTs). AAST urged CMS to consider the specialized expertise and quality-focused responsibilities associated with delivering sleep diagnostic services when establishing final reimbursement values.
Aligning Advocacy with the Strategic Plan
The AAST Strategic Plan identifies advocacy as one of three core strategic domains and calls for initiatives that reinforce the essential role of technologists in clinical care and support reimbursement for services provided by sleep technologists.
The CMS comment letter represents a tangible example of AAST turning this strategic commitment into action.
Source: American Association of Sleep Technologists
