Monthly Archives: June 2021

Presidential Perspective

Proud to be a Partner in the Recovery of Your Hearing Health Clinic

Congratulations! Your hearing healthcare practice survived the lockdown of 2020. Patients are finally showing up to address their hearing losses, but although you’ve reopened, you still aren’t operating at full capacity. Maybe you lost staff or sadly had to let some people go. Yet you still must provide your patients with the level of care and service they have come to expect from your business.

We get it. That’s why we have taken concrete steps to ensure you receive the extra support you need during this challenging transition back from 100 percent remote care to at least some in-person. I’d like to share with you just some of what we offer as extra benefits for partnering with Oticon Medical.

Direct patient services

We offer a direct-to-patient repair and accessory service, so you can help patients who are still unable to visit your clinic and to reduce the number of walk-ins. This is done in close cooperation with you to ensure regulatory compliance, traceability, and that the best hearing solution is provided to your patient.

The Ponto Loaner Program

As some elective surgeries remain on hold, Oticon Medical can offer demo processors and loaner devices for some of your patients. Those who are experiencing surgical delays can wear their Ponto™ on a softband while awaiting their procedure, and still enjoy many benefits of bone conduction hearing. Please contact your sales representative for details on this program.

Customer and Insurance Support Services

Oticon Medical’s Customer Service Team is available to answer patient inquiries during office hours Monday-Friday 8am-7pm ET. Please tell your patients to call (888) 277-8014. Outside of normal business hours or for patients who find phone calls challenging, we also have a dedicated email, info@oticonmedical.com, that is checked regularly throughout each day.

Additionally, we have a dedicated team of Insurance Specialists available to help your patients navigate their insurance benefits to determine and verify coverage of the costs of their surgery and/or sound processor. While the insurance process can be daunting, our team is here to make it is as easy as possible, for patients and your practice. Contact the team at (855) 400-9761 during normal business hours or by email at insuranceservices@oticonmedical.com.

Clinical support

You can request an Oticon Medical Clinical Support representative be present at your patient’s appointment in-person or via an online platform. Our audiology professionals can answer questions, offer advice, and guide your fitting. We can also train you and your staff in the use of our fitting software, Genie Medical.

Step-by-step support online

On our website, you will find the Support page for hearing healthcare professionals. Here you can find extensive resources and tools at your convenience, at any time, to guide you and your patients through the Assessment, Trial, Surgical, Healing, Sound Processor Attachment, and Aftercare phases.

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I hope this information makes you feel even more confident working with Oticon Medical as we work together to recover from the challenging (to put it mildly) 15-plus months. Of course, if you even have any questions, concerns, or just plain want additional help, please don’t hesitate to contact your local representative.

Supporting Early Access to Sound with the Ponto Loaner Program

Sound matters to everyone with a hearing loss but is critical to children who are in their formative years of speech and language development. Children need early stimulation of the inner ear (cochlea) for development of neural connections within the auditory cortex.  Oticon Medical’s Ponto Loaner Program is designed to ensure these children receive premium hearing care as soon as possible, while patiently waiting for third-party insurance approval. This month’s blog focuses on increasing awareness of this program and reviewing the enhancements that have been implemented.

Children ages 0-18 years of age who are candidates for a bone conduction hearing device are eligible for the Ponto Loaner Program at no cost to the families or clinic. Navigating the third-party reimbursement process for families of children with hearing loss can take several months. Our goal is to ensure that children requiring immediate hearing assistance have access to the technology needed for speech and language development while insurance reimbursement is secured.

The Ponto Loaner Program is an easily accessible and simple process for families to complete

We understand that families can feel overwhelmed as they begin the journey to better hearing for their child. We also know that hearing clinics have limited time and resources to spend on third-party insurance negotiations. This is where the services we provide at Oticon Medical can provide much needed support! Our Insurance Support Department has specialists available to guide families through the third-party reimbursement process and alleviate the burden placed on clinics.

So how does this program work?

The Ponto Loaner Program is an easy process to complete by either the parent(s) or clinic. The length of the loan period is three months from the date of shipment. During this three-month loan period we work with the family to secure reimbursement from their insurance provider for the Ponto sound processor and accessories. Making it easier on clinics, we empower families to take the lead with this program and hold ultimate responsibility for final payment of the product.

Components of the Ponto Loaner Program consist of a one-page order form from which the type and color of the sound processor(s) is selected as well as the color of the softband and additional accessories. The completed Ponto Loaner form can be emailed, faxed, or mailed to our Insurance Support Department for processing. Upon receipt and verification, we ship a new Ponto sound processor(s) with accessories to either the clinic or family depending on what was specified on the order form. The processor and accessories are exclusive to that child and cannot be transferred to another child.

Additional Ponto Loaner Program features include access to repair services and one-time loss and damage coverage should the family need it during the loaner period. Pediatric-friendly components to ensure product safety are also provided to the family. Once third-party reimbursement has been secured, the loaner program ends with the option to keep the sound processor and accessories already dispensed or to return them for a different color and/or style of sound processor. All program services are provided for free to our families and clinics.

What are the benefits of this program?

The program’s benefits to the child and their family include immediate access to advanced hearing technology, guidance, and support from our dedicated Insurance Support Department to secure third-party reimbursement and a lifelong service and technology commitment from Oticon Medical!

The advantages of the Ponto Loaner Program for the clinician include instant support for any child up to 18 years of age who is a candidate for a bone conduction hearing device, a simple streamlined process to obtain premium technology for the patient, and ongoing assistance to the clinic with their reimbursement needs.

To learn more about this program and begin benefiting from its features please contact your regional clinical specialist.

 About the Author

Carissa Moeggenberg is an audiologist who has worked in the hearing healthcare field for the past 29 years. She is presently the Training Manager for Oticon Medical.

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