Home Article AASM asks UnitedHealthcare to address delays in PAP and respiratory fulfillment

AASM asks UnitedHealthcare to address delays in PAP and respiratory fulfillment

By HME News Staff

Updated 9:32 AM CDT, Mon April 13, 2026

DARIEN, Ill. – The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recently sent a letter to UnitedHealthcare, raising concerns about the payer’s use of Synapse Health for durable medical equipment (DME) fulfillment for CPAP therapy.

“AASM members report that operational barriers associated with Synapse Health have delayed initiation of medically necessary therapy and created avoidable administrative burden for patients, clinicians, and DME suppliers, particularly related to treatment of obstructive sleep apnea,” the letter states.

AASM says its members have described a pattern of issues, including:

Delays in CPAP delivery that have reportedly shifted from a few weeks to more than a month and sometimes up to three months, leading to delays in access to care.
A faulty, difficult-to-navigate ordering portal, including repeated requests for documentation, claims that submissions were not received, and a lack of functionality to modify orders without re-entering them.
Unresponsive communication channels, including minimal responses via portal chat and interactions with representatives who reportedly cannot resolve portal-related problems.
Order cancellations without notice when information is missing, leaving patients and clinicians unaware until the delivery is overdue.
Denials without clear appeal pathway guidance.
Restrictions that reportedly prevent DME suppliers from communicating directly with patients, forcing all communication through Synapse Health and contributing to delays and difficulty reaching a representative by phone.

AASM has requested that UnitedHealthcare:

Assess and address delays in PAP and respiratory DME fulfillment associated with the current Synapse Health workflow, including portal functionality, documentation requirement workflows, and communication pathways.
Ensure that beneficiaries and prescribing clinicians receive timely status updates, and that orders are not canceled without transparent notification and clear next steps.
Ensure that any denial or non-approval is accompanied by clear guidance on appeal options and alternative pathways to medically necessary treatment.
Confirm that UnitedHealthcare’s delegated/vendor processes for DME fulfillment support Medicare-aligned best practices for consumer services, delivery/set-up, beneficiary training, and follow-up, consistent with CMS DMEPOS quality expectations.
Review whether restrictions on supplier–patient communication are contributing to access barriers and whether beneficiary support can be strengthened in a manner consistent with responsive service and complaint handling expectations reflected in Medicare supplier standards.

In addition to this payer‑specific outreach, AASM has developed two template letters to support members with broader coverage advocacy:

AASM is encouraging members to customize and use these template letters to support local and regional payer engagement, reinforce evidence‑based sleep medicine care, and advocate for timely patient access to appropriate therapies.