Information for Doctors

Dear Physician,

Please check this section of our site periodically for the latest on how to best help your patients through recognizing, treating, and helping them solve their hearing problems.

Doctors can receive Reimbursement for Easy Medicare Exam

The following simple test helps screen patients with hearing problems. As of January 1, 2005, a new preventative benefit became available to new Medicare Part B beneficiaries. The “Welcome to Medicare Exam” is a one-time preventative physical exam to occur within six months of a Medicare Part B beneficiary’s enrollment in the program. Review of functional ability and level of safety (to include screening for hearing impairment and falls risk) is one of the seven components of this exam.

For your convenience we included the seven points of the screening process and questionnaire below. Asking these simple questions will help in the early detection of patients with these difficulties. Once diagnosed, we have the experience in solving these problems to help your patients live more normal lives.

The “Welcome to Medicare Exam” must include these seven service elements.

  • Review of medical and social history
  • Review of potential for depression
  • Review of functional ability and level of safety, including screening for hearing impairment and falls risk
  • Height, weight, blood pressure, visual acuity
  • Electrocardiogram
  • Education, counseling, and referral based on preceding results
  • Education, counseling, and referral, including a brief written plan, regarding screening and preventative services separately covered by Medicare

Welcome to Medicare Exam Questionnaire

(click here for .pdf version)

Check YES, NO, or SOMETIMES for each question.

1. Do you find it difficult to follow a conversation in a noisy restaurant or crowded room?
( ) YES ( ) NO ( ) SOMETIMES
2. Do you sometimes feel that people are mumbling or not speaking clearly?
( ) YES ( ) NO ( ) SOMETIMES
3. Do you experience difficulty following dialog in the theater?
( ) YES ( ) NO ( ) SOMETIMES
4. Do you sometimes find it difficult to understand a speaker at a public meeting or religious service?
( ) YES ( ) NO ( ) SOMETIMES
5. Do you find yourself asking people to speak up or repeat themselves?
( ) YES ( ) NO ( ) SOMETIMES
6. Do you find men’s voices easier to understand than women’s?
( ) YES ( ) NO ( ) SOMETIMES
7. Do you experience difficulty understanding soft or whispered speech?
( ) YES ( ) NO ( ) SOMETIMES
8. Do you sometimes have difficulty understanding speech on the telephone?
( ) YES ( ) NO ( ) SOMETIMES
9. Does a hearing problem cause you to feel embarrassed when meeting new people?
( ) YES ( ) NO ( ) SOMETIMES
10. Do you feel handicapped by a hearing problem?
( ) YES ( ) NO ( ) SOMETIMES
11. Does a hearing problem cause you to visit friends, relatives, or neighbors less often than you would like?
( ) YES ( ) NO ( ) SOMETIMES
12. Do you experience ringing or noises in your ears?
( ) YES ( ) NO ( ) SOMETIMES
13. Do you hear better with one ear than the other?
( ) YES ( ) NO ( ) SOMETIMES
14. Have you had any significant noise exposure during work, recreation, or military service?
( ) YES ( ) NO ( ) SOMETIMES
15. Have any of your relatives (by birth) had a hearing loss?
( ) YES ( ) NO ( ) SOMETIMES