Audiologists in clinics and private practices who bill Medicare have needed an order from a physician to provide hearing assessment services since the inception of the program. However, for 2023, Medicare removed the physician’s order requirement in a way that has the potential to improve access to care for Medicare beneficiaries but also includes some limitations. This webinar will walk through the logistics of successfully taking advantage of the Medicare changes and provide practical tips for avoiding mistakes that could be costly for you and your patients. The speaker discusses the attention to detail required to ensure claims are submitted properly, avoid denials, ensure adequate reimbursement, track utilization of services provided without a physician’s order, and help patients understand when an order might still be required and calculate their financial responsibility.

Learning Outcomes
You will be able to:

• Identify when Medicare will pay for a hearing assessment service without a physician’s order 
• Correctly submit claims for services provided without a physician’s order 
• Determine how to discuss the need for a physician’s order and beneficiary cost-sharing changes with Medicare patients 
• Explain the financial implications for both your practice and patients when providing a service without a physician’s order

Presenter Information

Sarah Warren, MA, is the Director of Health Care Policy for Medicare at ASHA. In this role, she supports ASHA's membership by responding to member inquiries, anticipating Medicare payment policy trends, advocating with Congressional leaders, and commenting on Medicare's proposed policies. She has worked on health care payment policy for more than 15 years. Prior to joining ASHA, Warren represented inpatient rehabilitation facilities at the American Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association (AMRPA) and physical therapists at the American Physical Therapy Association.

Financial Disclosures:

• ASHA employee

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• None

Assessment Type

Self-assessment—Think about what you learned and report on the Completion Form how you will use your new knowledge.

To earn continuing education credit, you must complete and submit the learning assessment by December 15, 2027.

Program History and CE Information

Live webinar date: December 13, 2022
End date: December 15, 2027

This course is offered for 0.1 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate level, Related area).