Published: April 2, 2015

AAO-HNS and Superior Health agree on credentialing in Texas

Recently, the AAO-HNS was alerted to a credentialing issue in Texas by local Members. The state’s largest Medicaid carrier, Superior Health, had some concerns considering the qualifications of otolaryngologists treating allergic disease and had adopted a policy that required otolaryngologists to be individually credentialed to provide allergy services.

By James C. Denneny III, MD, AAO-HNS/F EVP/CEO

Recently, the AAO-HNS was alerted to a credentialing issue in Texas by local Members. The state’s largest Medicaid carrier, Superior Health, had some concerns considering the qualifications of otolaryngologists treating allergic disease and had adopted a policy that required otolaryngologists to be individually credentialed to provide allergy services. The American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy (AAOA), the American Board of Otolaryngology (ABOto), and the AAO-HNS worked together as an effective team to delineate the issues and educate the carrier as to the allergy training and role of otolaryngologists in the treatment of allergic disease. This was done through multiple phone calls and a face-to-face meeting hosted by the AAO-HNS in Alexandria, VA.

At the conclusion of the presentation, Superior Health agreed that board eligible and board certified otolaryngologists would be auto-credentialed to provide allergy services to their patients if they so desired. I want to thank our health policy team led by Danielle Jarchow, Jenna Kappel, and Jean Brereton for their extensive preparation, John H. Krouse, MD, PhD, who along with me represented the AAO-HNS as well as Jamie Lucas (AAOA) and Robert H. Miller, MD (ABOto), for their participation in this effort to maintain our appropriate scope of practice.

 

More from April 2015 - Vol. 34 No. 03
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