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The article discusses the coverage on audiologic rehabilitation (AR) for private health insurers in the U.S. It mentions that Aetna Inc. has considered AR in their insurance policy as a type of speech-language treatment. It says that United HealthCare Insurance Co. has included AR as part of their policy for speech-language pathology (SLP) services. It adds that Cigna Corp. has considered AR as a form of speech therapy which is subject to the general policy on short-term rehabilitation.

The article reports that the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is helping state organizations reply to an error in a letter by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, who advised all 50 U.S. state governors that under Medicaid, "speech therapy" is "optional."

The article provides an answer to a question related to cochlear implants (CIs).

The article offers insights concerning the appropriate use of the codes presented in the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM). The audiologist may select the Mental Disorders chapter of ICD-9-CM when diagnosing a 5-year-old boy who has delayed speech and language development. It is described that the V code of ICD-9-CM are supplemental codes which can only be used when there is no active diagnosis.

The article focuses on the 2012 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 1, 2011. It says that CMS aims to continue the current audiology and speech-language pathology Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) measures and add a new audiology measure. Furthermore, MPFS contains the resource-based relative value scale which is divided into three components such as physician work, practice expense and malpractice component.

The article focuses on various details that must be considered by audiologists in health planning contract agreements. Among the details to be considered before signing a contract include the fee schedule per current procedural terminology (CPT), documents of the patient's financial responsibility, and signing the contract if it is completely understood. It also emphasizes that the coverage of hearing aids must be cleared out by audiologists if it is not indicated in fee schedule.

The article offers information on the Current Procedural Terminology© (CPT) Category III codes which are associated with automated audiometry in the U.S. The American Medical Association (AMA) asserts that the codes' application to a service implies a new service, which is recorded for data collection. AMA adds that constant observation by an audiologist is required in computer-assisted devices for procedures to ensure the suitability of the data, which is opposite with automated.

The article reports on the update to Medicare audiology coverage policies in the U.S. which was announced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The update includes significant clarifying language to the brief coverage description of 1973. The methods on audiological diagnostic testing are expanded from hearing and balance to include auditory processing, tinnitus and diagnostic programming of certain prosthetic devices.