An Open Letter to Every Health Care Provider Who Treats the Uninsured Poor in America

[McCamy Taylor]

4. Ask for a sleep study. In my experience high functioning people who become disabled often

have a sleep disorder that they are unaware of since the symptoms happen when they are asleep (duh). And sleep disorders are treatable---and 80% of them will be missed by the average doctor, so do not wait for your pcp to think about it. That goes double if you have depression, high blood pressure, chronic pain, memory issues, chronic fatigue, family history of sleep disorders or seasonal symptoms (since you live in Texas). Do not let normal or low weight deter you---sleep disorders can happen in people of low or normal weight just as easily as fat people. That is where the 80% of missed patients come in. Doctors catch the morbidly obese. And sleep apnea is covered by SSI because it interferes with almost all types of work, so if it does not get better, documenting it will get you disability whereas low back pain, high blood pressure and stuff like that will not.