1. Which insurances do you accept?
We are in network with most major insurances, including Medicare, Medicaid (Idaho and Oregon), Blue Cross, Regence / Blue Shield, PacificSource, Selecthealth, United Health Care, AARP, Cigna, Humana, St Alphonsus Health Plan, St Luke's Health Plan, Molina, Tricare, TriWest, and more. We will notify you of your estimated speech therapy benefits and any requirements, e.g., pre-authorization, doctor referral, other. We are out of network with Aetna and will let you know if you have out of network benefits with your Aetna plan.
2. Do you require a referral from a doctor?
Some insurance plans require you to have a referral from a medical provider prior to receiving therapy. Pre-authorization may also be required. We will verify your speech therapy benefits before scheduling. You may also wish to check your benefits to: 1. ensure that Idaho Face & Voice / Heather L Robinson, MA, CCC-SLP is an in-network provider, 2. see if you have a deductible and if your deductible has been met, and 3. see if you will have a copay and / or coinsurance. We recommend having a referral from a doctor for speech therapy so your insurance can process your claim in a timely fashion with the highest benefits. Self pay patients do not require a referral.
3. Do you accept private / self pay?
Yes. Patients can request private / self pay prior to treatment. Benefits of choosing self pay over insurance include avoiding health insurance restrictions on the amount and type of therapy you can receive, affordability, and transparency. Medicare / Medicaid patients are not eligible for self pay. If you do not have insurance or if you prefer to self pay, you will be provided with a Good Faith Estimate of the charges.
4. What is specialized speech therapy?
Specialized speech therapy is provided by a speech-language pathologist (speech therapist) who has advanced training in specific treatment techniques, who has extensive experience in these specific areas, and/or has "specialized" their practice to only a few areas of Speech Language Pathology. Patients who see a specialist may expect a higher level of care, a shorter duration of treatment, and improved therapy outcomes.
5. What will I be doing in therapy?
Each therapy is tailored to your needs
Voice therapy - Understand vocal care and wellness, learn techniques to "balance" the 3 systems of voice (breathing, voicing, and resonance), discover exercises to reduce laryngeal muscle tension, learn exercises and techniques to strengthen and coordinate voice production | Breathing therapy - Learn breathing patterns to improve function, address strategies to manage your symptoms, apply sport-specific breathing modifications for optimal outcomes | Cough suppression therapy - Identify cough triggers, learn to substitute or suppress the cough, habituate longterm management techniques to prevent the cough from returning | Facial retraining therapy - Learn optimal eye protection and care, understand techniques to manage each phase of facial nerve recovery, apply techniques to balance and coordinate facial movements, manage synkinesis for greater harmony of facial movement
6. Do you offer video appointments / telehealth?
We do! If your insurance allows telehealth, you have the option of scheduling a video appointment. This is a convenient and flexible option, with treatment outcomes similar to in-person sessions. You still have the option to schedule in-person visits, too.
7. How do I join a video appointment?
We recommend using the latest version of Chrome on your desktop or laptop computer. See Jane's Guide below to ensure you have a successful video appointment.
8. Can my communication impairment be cured?
Many factors may affect your overall outcome. Typically, more recent and less severe cases have a better outcome. However, in cases of chronic cough and facial paresis with synkinesis, there is no "time limit" on recovery, and patients who have had these problems for decades report satisfactory outcomes. Be assured that we will partner with you to help improve, maintain, manage, or promote recovery to give you or your loved one a better quality of life. Full recovery may be possible in certain situations.
9. How do I access the patient portal / Jane Account?
You will set up a username and password to access your patient portal (My Account) in Jane. Or login in with your Twitter, Facebook or Google account. In your My Account section, you can manage appointments, join a Video Appointment, and access therapy documents. | If you have set up a second account and cannot access your documents, please notify your therapist so your Accounts can be merged and you can access all of your account features.
10. How long will I be in therapy?
The average number of visits for all conditions and treatments at Idaho Face & Voice is 3. Some patients may benefit from 4-5 sessions to ensure lasting recovery of function. National averages for voice therapy are just over 5 sessions before voice outcomes were sufficiently improved for discharge. The average number of sessions range from 4.3 for age-related voice impairments (presbyphonia) to 6.7 for benign vocal fold lesions, e.g., nodules, cysts, polyps and granulomas. Patients seeking therapy for breathing, cough, and facial retraining may benefit from 3-5 sessions. A tailored "home program" is assigned to improve generalization of techniques to the home, school / work, and community for optimal outcomes.
11. What is the process for starting speech therapy?
Please discuss your concerns with your medical provider and request that they fax us a referral. Or you may fill out the Contact Us form. We will verify your insurance benefits and contact you for scheduling. We will send you a Welcome Email with a secure link where you can complete the intake form, sign the consent to treatment, and enter your insurance and payment information. You will have the best experience completing this on a laptop, desktop, or tablet. The forms are not compatible with all phones. Please complete the form in one sitting (it will not save your protected health information if you leave before submitting it). During the initial evaluation we will discuss your needs, concerns, and goals.
12. Is my debit / credit card secure in Jane?
Yes, in fact, no credit card information is stored directly in Jane. Please review Jane's guide below for more information
13. Do you see patients for other conditions?
On a case-by-case basis, patients with other conditons are treated; however, most referrals for other conditions are referred to our trusted community providers so that you or your loved one get the highest level of care for that specific condition.
