Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) About the Clinic

  • Yes. One of the most common sleep disorders, obstructive sleep apnea is treatable. At PSC, we prescribe the therapy based on each patient’s preference and feedback, as we believe that OSA patients who have a say in their treatment are more likely to use it long-term. We work with various treatment options that are available through our office as well as through our treatment partners.

    A significant difference between PSC and other sleep clinics is that even after you begin your sleep treatment, we will stay in touch to answer any questions and ensure that you are sleeping and feeling better.

  • Yes. There are numerous ways to treat snoring including neuromuscular stimulation of the tongue, positional aids to keep the sleeper off of their back, elevating the head of the bed, nasal dilators, decongestants, etc. We may refer you for procedures like the “Pillar procedure”.

  • Yes, we have specialists who offer an effective program called CBT-I, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia. This is program is designed for each insomniac to improve their ability to fall asleep as well as stay asleep, without the use of medication. Medications, such as Ambien, Lunesta, Quviviq, and Dayvigo are effective in treating insomnia, each with their own side effects. CBT-I is effective for the majority of individuals who undergo this program.

  • You should not drink caffeinated coffee or tea after 12 noon on the day of your sleep study. Do not exercise within 4 hours of your bedtime and do not take naps after 2 pm.

  • You should not drink caffeinated coffee or tea after 12 noon on the day of your sleep study. Do not exercise within 4 hours of your bedtime and do not take naps after 1 pm. Do not drink alcohol on the day of your sleep study if you are not a habitual drinker.

    Please have your dinner at home and brush your teeth at home. Bring pajamas and slippers.

Our Services

  • Consultations with our sleep doctors can be arranged either by in-person visits or through a secure telemedicine platform. Many patients find the telemedicine visits to be as effective when dealing with sleep issues, and the patient receives the same undivided attention from the clinician. Telemedicine visits are also covered by insurance. When you book an appointment with us, please let our staff know which visit type you would prefer.

  • When you schedule a video consultation, we meet with you on a Zoom-like, HIPAA compliant video conferencing platform. We will meet with you at a specified time and will go over the same things we would discuss if you were to come to our center for an appointment. We encourage your questions, as we believe that partnering in your sleep health is the best way to optimize and improve your health.

  • There are several types of diagnostic sleep testing that PSC performs:

    1. Home Sleep Study- we send the device to you with instructions one how to use it at home.

    2. In-Lab Sleep Study- the patient comes to our clinic to spend the night in one of our comfortable hotel-like rooms. Our technician will assist the patient and apply various electrodes to monitor breathing, heart rate, body movement, oxygen levels, during the night.

    3. In-lab Titration Study- this study is used to determine the appropriate pressure settings if you are using CPAP. This study may also be used to determine efficacy of other therapies that you may be using such as an oral appliance, iNAP, Excite OSA, or other therapies for sleep apnea.

    4. Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT)- this test checks for excessive daytime sleepiness by measuring how quickly you fall asleep during the day in a quiet and relatively dark environment. This test is used to diagnose narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia.

  • To renew your prescription, please use the myhealthonline app on your cell phone, or on the web portal to request refills.

  • Controlled substances are medications that are regulated by the government at the state or federal level. Examples of controlled substances are Ambien, Adderall, Provigil, and opioids.

    According to California state laws, prescribing controlled substances requires frequent appointments with the doctor.

Pediatric Visits

  • Whether you schedule an in-person or video appointment for your child, it is important that our clinician has the opportunity to see and speak with your child, and if they are old enough, our clinicians may ask them some questions as well.

  • Prior to our appointment, we encourage parents to explain to their child that meeting with our sleep specialists is similar to meeting with their pediatrician. Our clinicians are very good at making the child feel comfortable and at ease during the meeting.

  • Snoring in addition to poor sleep quality or daytime tiredness, attention problems or declined school performance may be a symptom of pediatrics sleep apnea.

    Click here to read a summary of the official guideline from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  • Depending on age of the child, several other problems could manifest as insomnia. Including limit setting sleep disorder, sleep onset association disorder, circadian rhythm disorder, sleep apnea with hyperactivity are among the differential diagnoses.

    Your physician can help identifying and treating the cause of the problem.

Clinical Research & Trials

  • Peninsula Sleep Center and its principal investigators typically carry out no more than 2 clinical trials at any given time.

  • Please email Mehran Farid, MD at
    research@peninsulasleep.com
    or call him at 650 779 4055 ext. 3.

  • We use central IRBs. Most frequently, we have used Western IRB. Among others that we have used are Solutions IRB and Quorum Review IRB (now Advarra).

  • IRBs typically take around two weeks to issue the approval if the protocol and consent forms are complete and no edits are needed.

    We will start recruiting subjects within a few days after the IRB approves the study.

  • Typically, the sponsors prefer to start at a slower speed to adjust the processes or equipment and to correct errors.

    We can enroll subjects for PSG at a rate of up to 20 subjects per month. This rate will be much faster if no PSG is needed.

  • Around 10% of the protocols are written by Peninsula Sleep Center’s principal investigator and around 90% are written by the sponsor.

Insurance

  • We are in-network with most insurances, which means lower out of pocket expenses for patients since we have negotiated discounted fees with your insurance company.

    Please check our insurance page for the list of insurances with whom we are contracted.

  • Yes, if we are listed as an in-network provider.

  • If you are not satisfied with the care that you received from PSC, we want to hear from you! Please let us know right away if something is not right and we will address it as quickly as possible. You can securely send a message to us through the MY HEALTH portal.

  • Yes, all of our services are medical services and are eligible for Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts spending.

Billing

  • A copay is a fixed fee that you pay your provider for services rendered. It’s important to remember that there are different copays for different services. For example, to see your primary care doctor, you may have to pay $25 per visit. If you see a specialist, your copay may be higher, such as $40.

    Once we file the claim with the patient’s insurance company, the insurance will pay a percentage of the allowed amount. The balance, known as the coinsurance, is owed by the patient. Often, we see insurances pay 80% of the contracted amount, and the patient would pay the remaining 20% of the charge. If you have not yet met your deductible for the year, you will be responsible for the full contracted rate up to the point that you meet your deductible. At that point, insurance would pay a percentage. Once you have met your out-of-pocket expenses for the calendar year, insurance should cover 100% of the remaining charges for that year.

  • A deductible is a fixed amount a patient must pay each year before their health insurance benefits begin to cover the costs. After your deductible has been met, patients typically pay coinsurance — a percentage of the total costs — for any services that are covered by the plan. Patients continue to pay the coinsurance for services until they meet their out-of-pocket maximum for the year.

  • Insurance plans vary, so this question is best answered by your insurance’s member services. Please reach out to your carrier or check their website to verify coverage before booking an appointment online.

  • Most insurance carriers have updated their benefits to include video visits, which may also be referred to as “telehealth”. These visits are billed the same as in-office visits, without needing to come in-office.

  • Prior to your sleep study, we will inform you of your estimated out-of-pocket expense for services.

  • You can pay for a wide range of IRS-qualified medical expenses with your HSA or FSA, such as office visits, prescriptions, and travel vaccines. These employer-sponsored plans also include other health expenses aren’t typically fully covered by health insurance plans such as FDA-cleared therapies that are not yet covered by insurance.