Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 130 CMR - DIVISION OF MEDICAL ASSISTANCE › Title 130 CMR 426.000 - Audiologist Manual › Section 426.402 - Definitions

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
The following terms used in
				130 CMR
				426.000 have the meanings given in 130 CMR 426.402
				unless the context clearly requires a different meaning. The reimbursability of
				services defined in 130 CMR 426.402 is not determined by these definitions, but
				by application of regulations elsewhere in
				130 CMR
				426.000 and
				450.000:
Administrative and Billing Regulations
.
Accessories
- those essential items or
				options on a hearing aid, purchased by an audiologist that are not intrinsic
				components of the basic hearing-aid unit. Accessories do not include
				nonessential items such as carrying cases.
Adjusted Acquisition Cost
- the unit
				price paid to a manufacturer by an audiologist for a hearing aid or
				accessories, excluding postal-insurance charges. The adjusted acquisition cost
				does not exceed the manufacturer's current catalog price and is verified by a
				copy of the manufacturer's invoice retained by the audiologist in the member's
				medical record as described under
				130 CMR
				426.419.
Audiological Services
- these services
				include, but are not limited to, testing related to the determination of
				hearing loss, evaluation for hearing aids, prescription for hearing-aid
				devices, and aural rehabilitation.
Auditory Training
- the training of
				the auditory modality to improve understanding of the speech or language of
				other speakers. Auditory training is one of the components of aural
				rehabilitation.
Aural Rehabilitation
- therapy,
				including, but not limited to, speech reading and auditory training, provided
				by a licensed certified audiologist either in a group or individually.
Binaural
- the type of fitting or
				hearing aid necessitated by varying degrees of hearing loss in both ears that
				requires unparalleled amplification via the use of two microphones and two
				receivers.
Binaural Fitting
- the fitting of two
				hearing aids, one to each ear, by the audiologist; the fitting to the second
				ear taking place no later than six months after the fitting to the first
				ear.
Complete Audiological Evaluation
- an
				evaluation that includes a routine audiological examination (air and bone
				conduction, spondee thresholds, and word discrimination testing) as recommended
				by a physician.
Date of Service
- the date on which
				the medical service is furnished to a member or, in the case of custom-made
				goods, the date on which the goods are delivered to a member.
Dispense
- the prescription of a
				hearing aid, its modification, its fitting, orientation to its use, and any
				adjustments required within the manufacturer's trial warranty period.
Dispensing Fee
- a one-time-only fee
				for dispensing monaural or binaural hearing aids. The fee includes initial
				programming, fitting, orientation to its use, and any adjustments required
				during the manufacturer's trial warranty period.
Group Session
- therapeutic services
				directed by the audiologist toward more than one patient in a single encounter,
				using group participation as a treatment technique.
Hearing Aid
- a hearing aid is a small
				electronic device consisting of a microphone, amplifier, and a receiver.
Hearing-aid Evaluation
- a procedure
				conducted by an audiologist that may include an assessment of the member's
				response to appropriate tests (real ear measurements or functional gain
				measurements).
Impedance
- an evaluation that
				includes tympanometry, stapedial acoustic reflex testing, and acoustic reflex
				decay.
Independent Audiologist
- an
				audiologist who is licensed in accordance with
				130 CMR
				426.404 and who is engaged in the practice of
				audiology through a private practice or self-employment, or both.
Major Repair
- a repair to a hearing
				aid that must be made at a repair facility other than the audiologist's place
				of business.
Minor Repair
- a repair to a hearing
				aid performed at the audiologist's place of business, such as, but not limited
				to, the replacement or cleaning of tubing.
Monaural Fitting
- the fitting of one
				hearing aid by an audiologist.
Out-of-office Visit
- treatment
				provided in a nursing facility or at the member's residence rather than at the
				audiologist's usual place of business.
Speech Reading
- the training of the
				visual modality to improve the understanding of the speech or language of other
				speakers. Speech reading is one of the components of aural
				rehabilitation.