Question
In one of ASHA Leader's copy, it is said that no physician referral is needed when the audiologist is in the same office as the physician,or when leasing an office space from the physician. Is that true?
Answer
Before answering this, I made a consultation with another individual who is very knowledgeable in this area. Both of us are assuming that Medicare is the payer. We both agree on the following answer. If the physician has seen the patient and is going to execute the billing, (that is, take full responsibility for the billing), then the audiologist does not need the referral. But if the audiologist receives the patient as a referral from an outside source, or the patient comes directly to the audiologist bypassing the physician, then the same rules would apply as if the audiologist were in a freestanding location and a physician referral would be necessary in order to have Medicare pay for the services rendered.
Robert C. Fifer, Ph.D. Director of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology University of Miami Mailman Center for Child Development
Robert C. Fifer, PhD
Director of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology at the Mailman Center for Child Development at the University of Miami
Robert C. Fifer, Ph.D. is Director of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology at the Mailman Center for Child Development at the University of Miami. Dr. Fifer represents ASHA on the AQC.
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