Managed Care Plans: Because Managed Care insurance has continued to require more and more of our staff’s time with referrals and authorizations, we have found that we must now require our patients to be responsible for bringing their referrals at the time of the visit. If you do not have your referral at the time of your visit, you will be expected to pay for the charges at the "out of network" level. If you do not wish to pay for the visit, we can reschedule your appointment to allow time for you to obtain your referral from your primary care physician.

Hearing loss and Medicare: We would like to remind you of Medicare’s limited coverage available for patients being seen specifically for hearing loss. As you know, Medicare has no coverage for hearing aids or hearing testing for the fitting of hearing aids. When you see a physician for the purpose of determining if you need a hearing aid, Medicare considers this a "screening" exam and does not cover the audiological testing performed or the physician’s office visit. You will be asked to sign a waiver and will be responsible for the charges at the time of your visit. The charges are as follows -- audiogram: $145 and doctor’s visit: $65-$140. Unfortunately, most supplemental insurance polices or managed care Medicare plans will not pay for this service either. Please let us know if you have any questions or require assistance regarding this matter.