Meet the team who designed the Cochlear™ Baha® SoundArc, the new non-surgical bone conduction wearing option for pediatric patients. Learn how the engineers and designers drove innovation and filled the gap of a product that has never existed.
Meet the team who designed the Cochlear™ Baha® SoundArc
Jamie Schwartz
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New Codes for AOI Fitting Services: Five Steps to Prepare for 2024
Effective January 1, 2024, audiologists who program auditory osseointegrated implant (AOI) devices will have two newly established Current Procedural Terminology (CPT©, American Medical Association) codes to report their services.
CPT Codes 92622 and 92623 have established service descriptors and assigned Relative Value Units (RVUs), allowing professionals a predictable pathway for reimbursement of services rendered.
CPT 92622: Diagnostic analysis, programming, and verification of an auditory osseointegrated sound processor, any type; first 60 minutes
CPT 92623: Diagnostic analysis, programming, and verification of an auditory osseointegrated sound processor, any type; each additional 15 minutes
Five recommendations to prepare:
- Familiarize yourself with the new codes and descriptors so you know when and how to use them.
- Update the clinic’s superbill to include these new codes. If you are unfamiliar with superbills or would like to review templates, ASHA, AAA, and ADA offer resources and templates which you may find useful.
- Educate and coordinate with billing staff, billing software vendors, or Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) clearinghouse to ensure they are also aware of and ready for claims with the new service codes.
- Establish charges for the new codes and services which align with the clinic’s pricing protocol and policy and procedures.
- While healthcare professionals have discretion to charge appropriate amounts for their services, charges should remain consistent, regardless of type of payment or patient’s insurance status.
- Need more information on establishing fees? Read more about defining what are usual, customary, and reasonable fees, choosing pricing philosophies and working with private health plans, and calculating hourly rate thresholds.
- Review/Update your clinic’s billing procedures.
- Prior to the appointment:
- Confirm patient information, insurance information, and coverage details.
- Verify coverage of services by health plans and potential prior authorization requirements.
- Confirm/inform patients of any financial responsibility and consider collecting copayments at the appointment.
- After the appointment:
- Complete notes and documentation of services rendered to support medical necessity of care.
- Include a clear description reflecting the time associated with the services.
- Capture relevant information on superbill or in billing software to prepare claims for filing.
- Prior to the appointment:
- Complete a claims review to ensure payers process claims appropriately.
- Track the initial claims with these new CPT codes across insurance payers using the new AOI fitting codes.
- Compare allowed amounts for covered services to fee schedules/negotiated contracted rates.
- Review the remittance advice to understand any denial reasons, and file appeals when pathways are available.
- Follow up with any payers if new CPT codes have not been uploaded in their annual update.
- Share a written request for adoption of codes within the audiology code set. Provide a summary of the CPT code(s), descriptor(s), and service(s) included.
- Appeal any denials for non-covered services based on the CPT code reported.
For any questions or additional resources, please reach out to your Cochlear Market Access & Payer Strategy (MAPS) Manager. You can locate your regional manager’s contact information here: MAPS Manager Contact Information
All specific references to CPT codes and descriptions are ©2023 American Medical Association. All rights reserved. CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. CPT and CPT material are copyrights of American Medical Association (AMA): CPT Copyright 2020 American Medical Association, all rights reserved. CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association.
The information provided in this document is provided as guidelines only to address the unique nature of implantable hearing solutions technology. This information does not constitute reimbursement or legal advice. Cochlear Americas makes no representation or warranty regarding this information or its completeness, accuracy, fitness for any purpose, timeliness, or that following these guidelines will result in any form of coverage or reimbursement from any insurance company or federal health care program payer. The information presented herein is subject to change at any time. This information cannot and does not contemplate all situations that a health care professional may encounter. To be sure that you have the most current and applicable information available for your unique circumstances, please consult your own experts and seek your own legal advice regarding your reimbursement and coding needs and the proper implementation of these guidelines. All products should be used according to their labelling. In all cases, services billed must be medically necessary, actually performed, and appropriately documented in the medical record.
7 things you need to know about the Cochlear Osia System
The Osia® System is a first-of-its-kind hearing implant system for people with single-sided deafness (SSD), conductive or mixed hearing loss.
Here are 7 things you need to know about this revolutionary hearing loss solution:
It’s the world’s first and only Active Osseointegrated Steady-State Implant (OSI)
The Osia System is an active osseointegrated steady-state implant (OSI) hearing solution that uses digital piezoelectric stimulation to send sound through the bone to the inner ear. It utilizes unique Piezo Power™ transducer technology and a digital link that transfers power and data between the sound processor and implant.
It utilizes digital piezoelectric stimulation that excels in the high frequencies
Digital piezoelectric stimulation bypasses damaged areas of the natural hearing system and sends sound directly to the cochlea to optimize the transfer of power and deliver on sound quality by using a digital link between the implant and sound processor.
This connection provides smart two-way communication that transfers 100% of the signal regardless of the coil-to-coil distance* and without risk for interference.2
At the heart of the implant lies the Piezo Power transducer that uses piezoelectric material to generate vibrations that are transferred through a single point of transmission into the bone. The piezoelectric effect is the ability of certain materials to generate an electrical charge from mechanical stress, or in reverse, to generate vibrations from an electrical charge. The advantages of the Piezo Power transducer include its sensitivity at high frequencies that are most important to speech understanding and its suitability for implantation where there is a high demand on power, size and reliability.1
It is designed to work in and with the body
The Osia System utilizes innovative technologies specifically chosen and designed to work in and with the body, an approach called the Human Design™ concept. With no movement between parts, the technology is well-suited to deliver long-term performance and durability.3,4 The goal of the Osia System is to help people live their lives without getting in the way, while providing the performance needed to hear in noisy situations where they may struggle most.5
It has a slim, smart and robust sound processor
The slim, only 10.4 mm, off-the-ear sound processor is light and comfortable to wear. As an all-in-one magnet retained unit, your patients can simply place it, adjust their hair and be ready to go. There are no small pieces to deal with for patients with limited dexterity, and the ear/ear canal are left open and free to reduce the risk for recurring infections and irritation.6 Further, advanced signal processing allows users to hear what they want to hear.
It is Made for iPhone (MFi) compatible
With Made for iPhone technology, the Osia System becomes a simple extension of mobile devices, streaming sound directly to the sound processor from any compatible Apple® device. For Android™ and other smartphones, patients can stream using the Cochlear Wireless Phone Clip.
The Osia Smart App lets your patients control and adjust their sound processor easily and discreetly. From a smartphone or Apple Watch, they’ll be able to tune the sound the way they want to hear it and monitor their status and settings, creating an easy streaming experience.
It utilizes the BI300 implant for osseointegration
The BI300 implant has a stable osseointegrated foundation for effective sound transmission, which has demonstrated in peer-reviewed clinical literature a 99% implant survival rate at 5 years.7,8
It has an Aqua+ accessory that makes it waterproof down to 3 meters
The easy-to-use Osia Aqua+ accessory covers the sound processor to let your patients enjoy water activities with friends and family. With an Aqua+ accessory, the Osia Sound Processor is waterproof down to almost 10 feet.6 No need to stand back, just jump in.
For more information about the Osia 2 System, subscribe to the ProNews Blog or visit our website.
References:
- Goh J. OSI200 Implant Accelerated Life Test Report. D1439967. Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions AB, Sweden 2019.
- Sunnerud H. D1575584, Design Verification Report Osia System. Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions AB, Sweden 2019.
- No movement: Preumont A, Morkani B. Electromagnetic and Piezoelectric Transducers. Springer, Vienna; 2014:213-248
- Long term performance: Goh J. OSI200 Implant Accelerated Life Test Report. D1439967. Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions AB, Sweden 2019
- Data on file Windchill Document D1478473
- Edward Bennett, OSIA 2 Aqua+ IP68 Tests Design Verification Report. D1638233. Cochlear Ltd, Australia 2019.
- Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions AB, Mölnlycke, Sweden. Long term stability, survival and tolerability of a (novel) Baha® implant system. In: ClinicalTrials.gov [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). [Cited 2016 Jan 6]. Available from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02092610. NLM Identifier: NCT02092610.
- Flynn, M, Cochlear Baha Attract System, Summary of clinical results and benefits, 2014 (E83112).
© Cochlear Limited 2020. All rights reserved. Hear now. And always and other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of Cochlear Limited or Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions AB. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
This content is meant for professional use. If you are a consumer, please seek advice from your health professional about treatments for hearing loss. Outcomes may vary, and your health professional will advise you about the factors which could affect your outcome. Always read the instructions for use. Not all products are available in all countries. Please contact your local Cochlear representative for product information. Views expressed are those of the individual. Consult your health professional to determine if you are a candidate for Cochlear technology.
In the United States, the Osia 2 System is contraindicated in children below the age of 12.
Apple, the Apple logo, FaceTime, Made for iPad logo, Made for iPhone logo, Made for iPod logo, iPhone, iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad mini, iPad and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
Android and Google Play are registered trademarks of Google Inc.
The Android robot is reproduced or modified from work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License.
For complete smartphone compatibility information, please visit www.cochlear.com/compatibility.
The Osia 2 Sound Processor is IP57 rated with battery compartment excluded. The Osia 2 Sound Processor with Aqua+ is water resistant to level IP68 of the International Standard IEC60529 when used with LR44 alkaline or nickel metal hydride disposable batteries. Refer to the relevant User Guide for more information. The Osia 2 Aqua+ may not be available in all markets and is subject to regulatory approval and product availability.
* Up to the maximum coil-to-coil distance allowed by the system (10 mm).