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What are your office hours and when can I schedule an appointment?
Will health insurance cover my bill?
What is covered under a Workers Compensation settlement for hearing loss?
Are my medical records confidential?
Is your office handicap accessible?
Will I be informed of the hearing test results at the time of my evaluation?
How do I get batteries for my hearing aid?
Our office is open daily Monday through Friday, with extended evening hours on Tuesday and some Saturday morning hours by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, please call us on a week day at (401) 349-0456 or you may schedule an appointment online.
Most health insurance plans do cover the cost of the initial hearing test. Some insurance plans, such as Blue Chip and United Health Plans of New England with a physician referral, may provide partial payment for hearing instruments, however others do not.
Our staff does all of the required paperwork and will help you determine what your insurance policy covers.
Once your case has been resolved by your attorney all diagnostic testing costs are covered. If recommended, all costs involving purchase and maintenance of hearing instruments, batteries, repairs and warranties are covered.
Twin Rivers Hearing Health, Inc. is committed to our client's "right to privacy." All information regarding your condition, diagnosis or treatment is strictly confidential and will only be released with your written consent to your primary care physician, family, friends, employers, attorneys or insurance companies.
NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
During your treatment at Twin Rivers Hearing Health, Inc. Members of its staff may gather
information about your medical history and your current health. This notice explains how that
information may be used and shared with others. It also explains your privacy rights regarding
this kind of information. The terms of this notice apply to health information created or received
by Twin Rivers Hearing Health, Inc. We are required by law to: make sure that medical
information that identifies you is kept private; give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy
practices with respect to medical information about you; and follow the terms of the notice that is
currently in effect.
Your medical information may be used and disclosed for the following purposes:
Treatment:
We may use your information to provide, coordinate, and manage your care and
treatment. For example, a Twin Rivers Hearing Health, me. staff member may share your medical
information with another health care provider for a consultation or a referral.
Payment:
We may use and disclose medical information about you so that the treatment and
services you receive may be billed to, and payment may be collected from, you, an insurance
company, or another third party. For example, we may need to give your health plan information
about treatment you received at Twin Rivers Hearing Health, me. so your health plan will pay us
or reimburse you for the treatment.
Health Care Operations:
We may use and disclose medical information about you for Twin
Rivers Hearing Health, Inc. health care operations. Health care operations are the uses and
disclosures of information that are necessary to run Twin Rivers Hearing Health, Inc. and to make
sure that all of our customers receive quality care. For example, we may use medical information
to evaluate the performance of our staff in caring for you.
Appointment Reminders and Other Health Information:
We may use your medical
information to send you reminders about future appointments. We may also contact you with
information about new or alternative treatments or other health care services.
To People Assisting in Your Care:
Twin Rivers Hearing Health, me. will only disclose medical
information to those taking care of you, helping you to pay your bills, or other close family
members of friends if these people need to know this information to help you, and then only to
the extent permitted by law. We may, for example, provide limited medical information to allow
a family member to pick up a hearing device for you. If you are able to make your own health
care decisions. Twin Rivers Hearing Health, me. will ask your permission before using your
medical information for these purposes. If you are unable to make health care decisions, Twin
Rivers Hearing Health, me. will disclose relevant medical information to family members or
other responsible people if we feel it is in your best interest to do so, including in an emergency
situation.
Research:
Federal law permits Twin Rivers Hearing Health, Inc. to use and disclose medical
information about you for research purposes, either with your specific, written authorization or,
where allowed by state law, when the study has been reviewed for privacy protection by an
Institutional Review Board or Privacy Board before the research begins. In some cases,
researchers may be permitted to use information in a limited way to determine whether the study
or the potential participants are appropriate. If required to do so by applicable law, we will obtain
your consent before we disclose your health information to an outside researcher.
To Business Associates: Some services are provided by or to Twin Rivers Hearing Health, Inc.
through contracts with business associates. Examples include Twin Rivers Hearing Health, me.,
attorneys, consultants, collection agencies, and accreditation organizations. We may disclose
information about you to our business associate so that they can perform the job we have
contracted with them to do.
In all of the situations described above, where required to do so by law, Twin Rivers Hearing
Health, Inc. will obtain your written permission prior to disclosing your health
Information.
Your medical information may be released in the following special situations:
We may also use or disclose your information, without your permission, for the following
purposes to the extent permitted or required by law:
- Under emergency conditions, to government or other groups assisting in emergencies or
disasters;
- When required by law;
- For public health activities, including, without limitation, to report disease and vital
statistics, child abuse, and adult abuse or neglect or domestic violence;
- For health oversight activities, such as activities of state licensing and peer review
authorities, and fraud prevention enforcement agencies;
- For judicial and administrative proceedings;
- To avert a serious threat to health or safety;
- To law enforcement officials with regard to crime victims, crimes on our premises, crime
reporting in emergencies, and identifying and locating suspects or other persons.
- For certain specialized government functions, such as military discharge;
- To the military, to federal officials for lawful intelligence, counterintelligence, national
security activities, and to correctional institutions and law enforcement regarding persons
in lawful custody;
- As authorized by the state's worker's compensation laws.
In all of the situations described above, where required to do so by law, Twin Rivers Hearing
Health, Inc. will obtain your specific written permission prior to disclosing HIV-related
information, mental health records, drug or alcohol abuse records, or any other type of record
given explicit additional protections under applicable state law.
You have the following rights regarding medical information we maintain about you:
- Right to Inspect and Copy: You have the right to inspect and receive a copy of your
medical information that is used to make decisions about your care. Usually, this includes
medical and billing records maintained by Twin Rivers Hearing Health, hie.
If you wish to inspect and copy medical information, you must complete and return a Request to
Inspect and Copy Form (a copy of which is available upon request). If you request a copy of the
information, we may charge a fee for the costs of copying, mailing, or other supplies associated
with your request, to the extent permitted by state and federal law. We may deny your request to
inspect and copy your information in certain very limited circumstances. For example, we may
deny access if your physician believes it will be harmful to your health, or could cause a threat to
others. If you are denied access to medical information, you may request that the denial be
reviewed. Another health care provider chosen by Twin Rivers Hearing Health, me. will review
your request and the denial. The person conducting the review will not be the person who denied
your request. We will comply with the outcome of the review.
- Right to Request Amendment: If you believe that medical information we have about you
is incorrect or incomplete, you have the right to ask us to change the information. You
have the right to request an amendment for as long as the information is kept by or for
Twin Rivers Hearing Health, me. To request a change to your information, you must
complete and return a Request for Amendment Form (a copy of which is available upon
request). In addition, you must provide a reason that supports your request. Twin Rivers
Hearing Health, me. may deny your request for an amendment if it is not in writing or
does not include a reason to support the request. In addition, we may deny your request if
you ask us to amend information that:
Was not created by Twin Rivers Hearing Health, Inc., unless the person or entity that created the
information is no longer available to make the amendment;
- Is not part of the medical information kept by or for Twin Rivers Hearing Health, me.;
- Is not part of the information which you would be permitted to inspect and copy; or
- Is accurate and complete.
- Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You have the right to request an "accounting of
disclosures." This is a list of the disclosures we made of medical information about you.
This list will not include disclosures for treatment, payment, and health care operations;
disclosures that you have authorized or that have been made to you; disclosures for
facility directories; disclosures for national security or intelligence purposes; disclosures
to correctional institutions or law enforcement with custody of you; disclosures that took
place before April 14, 2003; and certain other disclosures.
To request this list of disclosures, you must complete and return a Request for Accounting of
Disclosures Form (a copy of which is available upon request). Your request must state a time
period for which you would like the accounting. The accounting period may not go back further
than six years from the date of the request, and it may not include dates before April 14, 2003.
You may receive one free accounting in any 12-month period. We will charge you for additional
requests.
Is your office handicap accessible?
Our office located in a shopping plaza is handicap accessible.
Will I be informed of the hearing test results at the time of my evaluation?
Yes, our audiologists are professionals who will share the results of the test on the day of your evaluation. If a medical referral to an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist is necessary our office will assist you with your appointment.
How do I get batteries for my hearing aid? Order Batteries
When you purchase a hearing instrument from our office you are provided a month supply of batteries as part of your "starter set." Frequently, under your new hearing aid sales agreement you are covered for a supply of batteries ranging from one to three years or you may purchase a battery club membership at a modest price. In order to obtain batteries all you have to do is call our office at (401) 349-0456 and we will gladly mail them at no cost to you, on the same day.
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