The Economics of the SleepSafe™ Drivers "Testing to Treatment" Program for Sleep Apnea
Four to ten month payback period:
Simply put, the medical and accident avoidance savings resulting from our "Testing to Treatment" program will cover the safety investment of the program within a four to ten month payback period. After that, the ongoing Sure-ComplianceTM Program costs are low, but you will continue to reap greatly reduced costs year in and year out.
You are already paying a sleep apnea cost penalty, but getting no return:
It is well documented that untreated sleep apnea effectively doubles a driver's medical and accident costs, and high compliance treatment cuts those oversized expenses back to normalized levels. An important part of the savings comes from the fact that treatment cuts the risk of heart attack and stroke by half. In effect, you are already paying a heavy financial penalty for untreated apnea, as those drivers typically fall into the most expensive one/quarter of all employees in terms of medical and accident costs. It is a classic case of management by exception, as we screen and treat those drivers with the highest risk for sleep apnea and deliver lower costs through improved health and reduced risk.
Where's the money?
The SleepSafe Drivers' testing and treatment pathways have been implemented at several Fortune 500 companies. While your experience may vary, we will jointly target results in this range:
| Medical cost reductions | 50% | $ 8,400 /year |
| Accident reductions | 50% | $ 2,706 /year |
| Reduced turnover | 270% | $ 2,816 /year |
| Total | $13,922 /year |
Additional savings:
We also expect you to recognize significant savings in reduced Worker's Comp payments and sick-day expenses, as well as reduced liability and insurance costs over time. The estimates above are also supported by the Sassani Study, which estimated that for every 1 dollar invested in testing and treating drivers with sleep apnea, a company would achieve three dollars of net savings.
Further documentation:
SleepSafe Drivers is already engaged in a formal clinical study in partnership with Fusion Sleep and a top ten fleet to help document these additional savings areas and refine the estimates above with improved statistical significance. This study has already received approval from a Certified Physician's Independent Review Board to help ensure the outcomes are objective and statistically significant. Every fleet is different of course, so SSD will work with you to document your own savings.
Economic savings require expertise in behavioral and change management:
SleepSafe Drivers provides a foundation for communication and education to the tested employees as well as the executive management team. This ensures that everyone in the company understands that the process of treating drivers with undiagnosed sleep apnea will do more than improve their health and quality of life, it will also help improve the company's financials and safety record. It is critical for managers to understand that the high prevalence of obesity among drivers is an industry-wide hazard of the job, but that treatment for the resulting sleep apnea can normalize their health and risk. Everyone needs to support the treated drivers' efforts to achieve success with compliance, and reassure them that it is not a corporate imposition, but a win-win for their health, future employment, and their employer as well.