ENT and Allergy Associates | Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (2023)

How do I access MY Patient Portal?

Visit entandallergy.com and click “My Patient Portal” on the homepage. You will be directed to our Patient Portal page. Log into Patient Portal with your username and password. If you forgot your password, click “forgot password:” and create a new one.

ENTA’s secure patient portal lets you:

• View your medical record including test results
• Schedule an appointment
• Communicate with your provider
• Set up preferences to view itemized and monthly statements on-line, with no more paper copies
• View and pay your bill securely

If you have questions regarding the patient portal, you can emailentportal@entandallergy.com

I have a question of a clinical matter (e.g. medication, prescription renewal, treatment options, current conditions)?

Unfortunately, this site is not equipped to handle such requests. Please call your physician’s office directly. Go to our “Locations” tab, find your office location and call the office phone number listed.

With which insurance plans do you participate?

All our physicians participate with Medicare. As far as private insurance is concerned, not all our doctors participate in the same plans. Please go to entandallergy.com and click “Our Physicians” on our homepage. You can search for Physicians by Insurance Carrier for more information.

What are the hours of operation?

Generally, the offices are open from 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM during the weekdays. We also offer Saturday hours at select locations. When the office is closed, an answering service for the practice will take your call. Please note office hours vary by office – Exact operating hours of each location can be seen by clicking the “Locations” tab at the top of this page and then selecting the specific office at which you wish to be scheduled.

The doctor I want to see does not participate with my insurance. What can be done?

If you have out of network benefits, we will assist you in billing your insurance. Please contact the Practice Site Administrator at the location of your choice for full details. Go to our “Locations” tab, click your office location, and call the number listed to speak to a Practice Site Administrator. You can also contact your insurance company to see if they can make a “network exception? for your care. With such an authorization from your plan, you could see a non-participating doctor and only have to pay your in-network co-payment. If you do not have out of network benefits or an exception from your insurance plan, please contact the Practice Site Administrator at the physician’s office to obtain details about direct payment.

I already paid my co-payment for the date of service on my statement. Why am I being billed for this again?

There are several possibilities, including:

• You had a previous visit with an open balance and your payment was applied to that older balance
• Another member of your family, for whom you are the guarantor, had an older open balance and your payment was applied there
• Our payments are not usually posted to your account on the same day you pay them. If the date of the statement is close to the date of your payment, it is possible that they crossed in the mail.
• Your insurance company required an additional co-pay. Some insurance companies (e.g. GHI, POMCO, Empire Plan) require an additional co-pay for certain diagnostic procedures. This is a requirement put into place by your insurance carrier, not by ENT and Allergy Associates.

If none of these answers seem to apply, please send your payment receipt or copy of cancelled check to PO Box 5001, White Plains, NY 10602-5001, fax to 914-333-2545, or email Questions@ENTandAllergy.com.

If questions about my ENTA billing statement, who can I contact?

Please send your payment receipt or copy of cancelled check to:>

U.S. MAIL:

P.O. Box 5001>

White Plains, NY 10602-5001>

FAX: 914-418-9300>

BILLING EMAIL ADDRESS: questions@entandallergy.com >

Please remember to include the patient's name and account number in all correspondence.

What Happens During A Typical Appointment with An ENT Specialist?

A visit to an ENT specialist or otolaryngologist is different from atypical visit to your primary physician, as the specialist may use instrumentation to allow better visualization of difficult areas affecting the EAR, NOSE, THROAT, ALLERGIES, and HEARING LOSS.>

Outlined below is what to expect from a general ENT visit, however, depending on the symptoms of the patient, the consultation may vary, tailoring the history and the examination to the patient’s complaint and presenting symptoms.>

It is also important that the past medical history and medication (always bring a current list with you) being used should be documented, as this may have relevance if one requires surgery later. The history will become focused on the presenting complaint and its effect on the individual.>

A thorough examination is usually undertaken, but some aspects of the examination outlined below may not be performed if not relevant to the complaint.>

EAR: An otoscope is an instrument used to examine the ears and illuminate the eardrum, so that the surgeon can identify normal benchmarks and irregularities. This instrument is made with an illuminating handheld light source with a small amount of magnification attached to it. It is not typically a painful experience and can usually be undertaken in all age groups. In addition, the use of tuning forks as a gauge of hearing may sometimes be used as part of the consultation. However, sometimes it is required to undertake formal hearing tests to ascertain a more exact level of hearing. Occasionally, the eardrum and canal need to be viewed under magnification and a microscope can be used to provide this. The microscope allows the physician a more precise view of the ear structures and the use of suction if necessary, to remove wax or debris from an ear canal.>

NOSE: To look at the front of the nose, a simple tool called a nasal speculum together with illumination from a headlight is used to visualize the anatomy and possible abnormalities. In many cases, a flexible instrument called a fiberoptic scope as described below might be used to inspect the nose and throat more thoroughly.>

THROAT: An external examination of the neck is not uncommon to feel for any glands or pathology. This is undertaken manually feeling the different areas of the neck in a methodical fashion. The oral cavity is thoroughly examined often with a tongue depressor and good illumination to visualize the tongue and tonsillar area. It is not uncommon to visualize the back of the nose and the vocal cords with a flexible nasolaryngoscope. This is a fine fiberoptic cable with a small lens on one end and an eyepiece on the other that is inserted into the nose. The nasal passageway will be sprayed with an anesthetic prior to insertion of the scope. During Insertion of the scope, it might feel a bit strange, however, it is essential to allow the surgeon a superb view of areas that are very difficult to examine otherwise. The whole procedure usually takes a few minutes, and it is often required as part of a thorough ENT examination.>

The summary above is provided as a guide to the full ENT examination, which may be completely undertaken or tailored to an individual’s need.>

The ENT specialist may perform a procedure called a laryngoscopy or nasal endoscopy with a thin flexible instrument that has a lighted magnifying tip which is passed through the nose. This additional procedure is essential to discover the cause of voice and breathing problems, ear or throat pain, difficulty swallowing, narrowing, blockages or even tumors or cancer.>

How Do Deductibles, Coinsurance and Copays Work?

When both you and your health insurance company pay part of your medical expense, it’s called cost sharing. Deductibles, coinsurance and copays are all examples. Understanding how they work will help you know when and how much you must pay for care.

DO ALL OF THE PHYSICIANS AT ENTA TREAT CHILDREN?

Yes, all the otolaryngologists at ENTA are trained in medicine and surgery of the ears, nose, throat, and related structures of the head and neck for adult and pediatric patients. All physicians are certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology.>

Patient portal questions/issues?

You can email entportal@entandallergy.comor call 1-855-ENTA-DOC to speak to one of our patient service agents.

Rx refills? Call 1-855-ENTA-DOC to speak to one of our patient service agents or contact your office location directly by going to our “Locations” tab, click your office location, and call the number listed.

Medical records – Questions regarding how they are processed?

Regardless of format, any and all data collected at the time of a patient encounter is part of the medical/legal document. Billing records in all states should be retained for seven years according to Internal Revenue Service standards. They may be kept in a separate file. Telephone calls that pertain to medical care should be documented in the medical record and kept according to the above-referenced medical record retention guidelines.

Appointment books may be kept for one year.>

“How are these virtual visits handled?” “Payment for virtual visits?”

Commercial Insurance carriers as well as Medicare have temporarily expanded their telehealth coverage to respond to the current Public Health Emergency. During this time, you will be able to receive evaluation and management services through telehealth visits (common office visits). This will help ensure you are able to visit with your doctor from your home, without having to go to a doctor’s office or hospital, which puts you and others at risk of exposure to COVID-19. Many commercial insurance carriers have agreed to waive co-pays for virtual visits. Therefore, we will not be collecting co-payment at the time of service but will follow your insurance carriers explanation of benefits regarding billing. Medicare may assess your usual coinsurance and deductible for these services.

Do physicians check their messages outside their office?

Yes - all physicians check their portal daily. If you have not heard back from a physician, please call 1-855-ENTA-DOC to speak with one of our patient service agents.

Patient portal is asking me for a token number. How do I receive one?

You should automatically receive a token number – if you haven’t received one please call 1-855-ENTA-DOC or email us atentportal@entandallergy.com

How can I make an appointment when the office is closed?

You can visit our website and book online, anytime www.entandallergy.com/booknowor emailentappointments@entandallergy.com.

Can the doctor refill my prescription?

Yes, your doctor should be the one refilling your prescription. Call your office location or message your doctor on your Patient Portal for more information.

How do I make an online appointment?

Go to entandallergy.com and click “Book an appointment” or go to your specific office location or doctor page and click “Book an appointment”.

Can I still talk to the doctor even though the office is closed?

Yes. You can communicate with your physician via your patient portal.

Cancellations/Rescheduling Appointments?

Please visit entandallergy.com and click “Cancel/Reschedule” at the bottom of our homepage. You can also emailentappointments@entandallergy.com.

Can I pay my bill online?

Yes, you can pay your bill online by going to entadoc.com and clicking “Pay Your Bill” at the top of our homepage. You will be redirected to our payment page where you can then fill out your information to pay your bill.

What do our physicians specialize in?

Adult Otolaryngology: Our ear nose and throat doctors can diagnose and manage diseases of the sinuses, larynx (voice box) oral cavity , and upper pharynx (mouth and throat), as well as structures of the neck and face. Otolaryngologists also diagnose, treat, and manage specialty-specific disorders and many advanced primary care problems in both children and adults.

Allergy, Asthma, Immunology: treatment by medication, immunotherapy (allergy shots) and/or avoidance of pollen, dust, mold, food, and other sensitivities that affect the ear, nose, and throat. Treating: hay fever, seasonal and perennial rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, laryngitis, sore throat, otitis media, dizziness.>

Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: cosmetic, functional, and reconstructive surgical treatment of abnormalities of the face and neck and ear. Treating: deviated septum, rhinoplasty (nose), face lift, cleft palate, drooping eyelids, hair loss and other ear deformities.>

Head and Neck: cancerous and noncancerous tumors in the head and neck (nose/sinuses, mouth, throat, voice box and upper esophagus), including the thyroid and parathyroid. Treating: lump in the neck or thyroid, cancer of the voice box.>

Laryngology: disorders of the throat, including voice and swallowing problems. Treating: sore throat, hoarseness, swallowing disorder, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), infections and tumors.>

Otology / Neurotology: diseases of the ear, including trauma (injury), infection, benign tumors, and nerve pathway disorders, which affect hearing and balance. Treating: ear infection; swimmer’s ear; hearing loss; ear, face, or neck pain; dizziness, ringing in the ears (tinnitus).>

Pediatric Otolaryngology: diseases in children with special ENT problems including birth defects of the head and neck and developmental delays. Treating: ear infection (otitis media), tonsil and adenoid infection, airway problems, asthma and allergy/sinus disease, neck tumors.>

Rhinology: disorders of the nose and sinuses. Treating: sinus disorder, nose bleed, stuffy nose, loss of smell, polyps, tumors.>

Sleep Services>

Advanced Sinus/Skull Base…and more! Visit our “Patient Services” tab to see an advanced list and descriptions of our Patient Services.>