Dizziness Depot

Fraud and abuse in vestibular function testing   Last week we discussed some of the factors that have led to such dramatic and unsustainable reductions in reimbursement for vestibular function tests. These include professional turf battles, federal deficits and Medicare’s reaction to past fraud and abuse. This week we take a closer look at the fraud and abuse issue. For

Last week we reviewed the structure of CPT codes, developed and valued by the American Medical Association, as a primer to discuss the reasons behind recent reductions in valuation and reimburseent for vestibular procedures. Let’s start with the new “bundled” code.  The CPT code 92540 (Basic Vestibular Exam) was created to combine four of the CPT codes that make up

Last week I proposed that dispensing audiologists should consider adding vestibular services to their practice. I have to say, I thought it was a pretty convincing argument.  And I still think that overall, there is great benefit to all involved, and I have been encouraging audiologists regarding this for years. The problem is, in the second to last paragraph of

 Adding vestibular services to your practice provides benefits to all involved    Most of you are familiar with the frequently quoted statistics regarding hearing loss and hearing aid use.  This quote comes directly from the Better Hearing Institute website:  “The last MarkeTrak survey (2004) estimated that 31.5 million people report a hearing difficulty; that is around 10% of the U.S. population.”

We have another post this week from Dr. Phillip Griffin, Audiologist and Vestibular Specialist in the Greensboro/High Point, NC area. Perhaps you’ve heard of a new type of exercise that is popping up everywhere at local YMCA’s, senior centers, and retirement communities. It comes from a far away land and has an exotic sounding name. Its slow graceful movements make it

Is it your job to be a good patient?  I will make the assumption that when you are ill, you would prefer a good doctor, as opposed to the other kind. But, as a health care practitioner (HCP), let me tell you, “It takes two.” You can find the best doctor in the world, but if you are not a good patient, he/she

We have a guest contributor this week. Dr. Phillip Griffin is an audiologist and vestibular specialist practicing in the High Point/ Greensboro, NC area.  This entry will appeal to us vestibular geeks who sit around thinking about how the inner ear and brain work together. Lay readers will struggle with some of the terminology. A case of PICA…without eating all

Fall Prevention, Part V – Desmond Fall Risk Questionnaire: a fifteen-item self-assessment designed to identify common risk factors for falling, and a physician’s guide with suggestions for management.    Fall Risk Questionnaire and Physician Guide Desmond Fall Risk Questionnaire Please answer all questions Name __________________________Date ________________   1.    ___Yes / No___ Have you had a fall or near fall in

In an effort to quickly identify potential risk factors, I developed a fall risk questionnaire several years ago that I use routinely in my practice.( A copy of the questionnaire and accompanying “Physician’s Guide will be posted next week). The Fall Risk Questionnaire is a 15 item checklist to be filled out by the patient prior to examination. This allows

Why is there so much disagreement regarding the best way to minimize the risk of falling?                                                    A review of several recent studies regarding the cause of falling reveals different assessments, different treatments, and different health care specialists involved. This makes it very difficult to effectively compare or reproduce findings. For example, in one study vestibular function was evaluated through