Burnett Insurance partners with PPD for sleep apnea program
Officials say that sleep apnea affects approximately 1.8 million commercial drivers today.
The Trucker News Services
5/27/2009
LITTLE ROCK — Burnett Insurance Corp. of Little Rock has announced it will partner with Precision Pulmonary Diagnostics (PPD) to further Burnett Insurance’s goal of reducing sleep apnea in the trucking industry.
PPD, which is headquartered in Houston, provides integrated and comprehensive sleep apnea management programs within the transportation industry in an effort to reduce the risk of sleep deprivation-related accidents by providing commercial driver screening, diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea.
Officials say that sleep apnea affects approximately 1.8 million commercial drivers today.
PPD has created the first and only network of accredited sleep labs specifically trained to accommodate commercial drivers and their unique requirements, according to Terry Burnett, president of Burnett Insurance.
“PPD’s recognized program is generating large returns on investment by reducing health and safety costs for participating carriers,” Burnett said, noting that PPD currently provides a turnkey sleep apnea program for Schneider National and Swift Inc.
“This program was designed from within a trucking company for a trucking company and provides screening, testing, treatment and compliance monitoring and has yielded proven return on investment outcomes in health, safety and retention and as such, is an industry leader,” Burnett said.
In addition, Burnett Insurance has chosen Homeland Healthcare, a third-party administrator headquartered in Richardson, Texas, as its insured wellness and health plan administration provider.
Burnett said Homeland Healthcare had created innovative, flexible products that offer insurance limits and broad coverage at an affordable cost.
“Their leading-edge products are designed to address the special risks of the 21st century workplace and the unique demands of today’s driver lifestyles, including advanced features and options that provide greater insurance protection for drivers and their families,” he said.
Burnett said the three companies all recognize the unique challenges facing truckers today.
“We are excited to partner with PPD and Homeland Healthcare to offer national motor carriers a single payer, integrated insured wellness and diagnostic services, supporting our efforts in providing sleep apnea testing, equipment, and education for the carriers and their drivers,” Burnett said.
Burnett Insurance Corporation recently developed HealthPass, which Burnett said was “ahead of the curve” for motor carrier fleet medical compliance solutions.
“HealthPass is a real value strategy designed for 100 percent fleet efficiency and medical compliance that will impact total cost of risk across multiple lines,” he said.
Because untreated sleep apnea can cause hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease — conditions that represent three of the most costly health expenditures among commercial drivers — overall healthcare costs and hospital admissions may also be reduced, Burnett noted, adding that with proper diagnosis and treatment, driver’s medical costs will be reduced.
For more information, contact Burnett Insurance at www.burnettins.com.
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