Frequently Asked Questions
About Billing
Q: Will my insurance pay for allergy testing and or allergy shots?
All plans have different benefits. Please check with your company for exact covered benefits.
Q: Do you charge an office visit every time we get an allergy shot?
No, shots are given by a nurse and the only time you are charged for an office visit is when you see a doctor or extender.
Q: If I desagree with what my insurance has paid, will you call them for a better explanation?
No, if you disagree with the payment, you need to call the customer service department at the number on the back of your insurance card.
Q: Do you know if a co-pay applies to my allergy shots?
No, please check with your insurance provider.
Q: Is there a code I can give my insurance provider to check and see if the allergy shots are covered? Yes, please use the following: Single Injection = 95115, Multiple injections = 95117
Q: Is there a code I can give my insurance provider to see what they will pay on allergy testing? Yes, please use these codes: 95004 and 95024
Q: What if I do not have my insurance information at my time of service?
You will be identified as a "self-pay" patient and will need to pay at your time of service or before you appointment you may call our business office and set up a payment plan.
Q: Do you participate with Medicaid?
No.
Q: Does Medicare pay for food-testing?
No
Q: If I need a referral will you call my primary care physician (PCP)?
No, patients are responsible for getting their referrals before their appointment.
Q: My pharmacy/insurance told me I need a Prior Authorization. What is this?
Many insurances require a patient to have tried other less expensive medications in a certain drug class before they will consider paying for a particular drug. If this is the case, the process requires the doctor’s office to call the insurance and answer questions or complete paperwork regarding the patient’s medical and medication history. This process requires several days to accomplish. We will notify you and your pharmacy when we get a determination from the insurance.
New Patients
Q: As a new patient, what happens at the first doctor appointment?
Your physician will take a complete history and then testing will begin.(Some appointments are purposefully set up to only accomplish a consultation and testing will be performed on a separate date). The testing may include skin testing, lung function testing or other various forms of testing needed to evaluate your symptoms. Once testing is complete, your doctor will review the results and recommended plan of treatment.
Q: What to do if I need a medication refill?
Call your pharmacy. They will then contact us if they need more information or refill authorization.
Q: At what age can I bring my child in to get skin tested?
Limited skin testing can be done even on small infants. The best approach is to have a consultation visit with one of our physicians to discuss the child’s history and determine the best course of testing for the child.
Q: Do I need to have a referral from a primary care physician to become a patient and be seen?
You should check with your insurance regarding the need for a referral to come and see KCAA. All insurance plans are different.
Q: Is there a charge for no-show appointments? How far in advance can I cancel Or reschedule with no penalty?
You may be charged a no-show fee if you fail to arrive for your appointment. Please make every effort to be courteous to others and cancel or reschedule your appointments as soon as possible to allow other patients to access those available appointment options.
Q: How fast can I be seen as a new patient?
Most often we can accommodate a new patient appointment within 48 hours. However, you must be off antihistimines for 4 days or more have allergy skin testing.
Q: If I am normally seen at a satellite office, can I go to the main office (OVP) and be seen?
Yes, just mention to the KCAA appointment scheduler what office you wish to have your visit. You may come to our main office to take advantage of our Saturday appointment hours and weekday walk-in appointment hours.
Q: What kind of patient education is available at Kansas City Allergy and Asthma Associates?
At each visit patients are given extensive education and instructions regarding their treatment plan. Patient education is a major focus in accomplishing a successful treatment plan, and written and demonstration instructions are a high priority of our care.
Allergy Injection Clinic
Q: How Do Allergy Shots Work?
Allergy is when your immune system mistakes a harmless substance for a dangerous one and triggers the release of chemicals into your body, thus creating symptoms like runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, itching and in some cases, more serious symptoms like coughing or wheezing, swelling of the throat and tongue, and in the worst case anaphylaxis.
Allergy shots increase your tolerance to the harmful allergen. By injecting gradually increasing doses of the offending allergen extract, the immune system builds up a tolerance to that allergen. Allergy shots slow down and reduce the production of the IgE antibody. You can think of each shot as adding a brick to the "wall of protection" against things that trigger your allergies.
Q: Who are the Best Candidates for Allergy Shots?
If you are able to avoid the trigger of your allergies or if usual doses of medications control your symptoms, then immunotherapy might not be needed. While allergy shots have been proven effective against inhalant allergies and stinging insect allergies, they are not used for food allergies. If any of the following applies to you, then you may be a candidate for allergy shots:
- If the medications to control your symptoms (i.e., antihistamines, decongestants) do not work.
- If the medication used to control your symptoms produces too many side effects.
- If complications (i.e., sinus infections, ear infections) develop.
- If you have asthma triggered by allergies.
- If you are at risk of developing anaphylaxis (a severe reaction that, in some cases, may be fatal) when exposed to an allergen. (As noted above - allergy shots are not used for food allergy.)
- If medications control your symptoms, but your symptoms flare back up every time you try to reduce your medications.
- If you can't effectively avoid things that trigger your allergies.
- If you would rather take a series of allergy shots than daily medications.
- If you would rather treat the actual problem rather than just use medications to control symptoms.
- If cost of the medications is a burden, allergy shots are very cost effective compared to the use of daily prescription medications over several years.
Q: How Often Do I Need Shots?
Allergy shots are typically started on a weekly schedule during the build-up phase. This can be accelerated under certain circumstances and this may be discussed with your allergist. Symptomatic improvement may occur within the first 3-6 months with full benefit usually seen with the first 12-18 months.
After a maintenance dose is reached, your allergist will determine when to decrease the interval between shots (for example, every 2 weeks, every 3 weeks, every 4 weeks). This usually occurs at 6 to 12 month intervals but is also affected by how your allergy symptoms are responding to treatment. Most people will be able to stop their injections after about 4 to 5 years.
Typically, board-certified allergists are trained to safely utilize potent allergy extracts which are more complicated to use but which provide significantly greater benefit than the low-dose allergy extracts used by physicians not specifically trained in the subspecialty of Allergy/Immunology.
You should always consult with a Board Certified Allergist before beginning a program of allergy shots.
Q: Are Allergy Shots Expensive?
Studies have shown that allergy shots are a very cost-effective way to treat allergies. They have been shown to reduce medication requirements and improve the quality of life in those patients who take them. They are the only long-term way to bring symptoms under control in those patients who have significant allergic disease.
Q: What are allergy injections?
After skin testing has been done, your physician will write specific orders regarding what should be included in your allergy injections. Allergy injections are used to reduce your sensitivity to specific allergens by producing certain immunological changes. By injecting increasing amounts of allergens to which you are sensitive, the degree of sensitivity is progressively decreased to those specific allergens. This occurs because one of the protective antibodies, IgG, is increased during allergy injections. This serves to protect the individual by blocking the IgE response which causes the release of the mediators leading to the allergic symptoms. In order to insure that these changes take place and maintain protection, it is important to receive allergy injections on a regular basis. The interval is directed by the physician. Treatment with allergy injections takes place over a four to six year period of time to maximize the effectiveness of the therapy.
Q: I have heard of other types of allergy treatments different from allergy injections. Do you offer them and why not?
Allergy injections are the standard of care from The American Academy of Allergy and Immunology. Other treatment modalities, such as sublingual immunotherapy are being researched but are not FDA approved. The sublingual drops used by ENT doctors are not approved by the FDA and are too weak to be effective.
Q: Can I be tested for food allergies?
Yes, food allergy testing is available at KCAA. This is done by skin testing and/or blood tests. We may arrange for an oral challenge to be done in our office.
Q: I chronically get sinus infections. Is there any help?
Allergies and sinus issues often co-exist and managing the allergy component may in fact prove helpful in deceasing the frequency and severity of sinus infections.
Q: Why do I have a large bump on my arm where my allergy injection was given?
A large local reaction does not mean a patient is having a systemic reaction. It can be comforted with ice, ibuprofen, acetominophen or benadryl and should be reported to the injection clinic the next time you are in for an injection. It does not require further treatment and it is not necessary to call the on call Doctor after hours to be reported.
Q: What side effects can I expect from a vaccine?
Vaccines may require symptomatic comfort measures and ibuprofen/Tylenol may be used for this purposes.
Q: Can I get tested for insect stings?
Yes, stinging venom insect testing is available and is warranted if the reaction to the sting was severe enough. Please call our office to discuss.
Asthma Questions
Q: Can asthma be controlled ?
Yes, asthma is a very treatable disease. With appropriate treatment plans and consistent physician monitoring and evaluation, you can control your asthma and not have your asthma control you.
Q: What are the signs and symptoms that I may have asthma?
Coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, tightness in chest, frequent or lingering bronchitis, exercise intolerance are just a few of the potential signs and symptoms that may indicate a reason to investigate a possible asthma problem..
Q: Can acid reflux make my asthma worse?
Yes, acid reflux can contribute to cough, SOB and tightness in chest. It has been reported that 45-70% of adults with asthma also have Gastroesophageal Reflux Desease (GERD),
Allergy Questions
Q: Why do I have bumps after skin testing when I didn’t have my reactions while in the office?
The delayed reaction is simply an irritation and can be comforted with ice and benadryl. It does not change any diagnostic outcome of the skin testing.
Q: What is the youngest age of a patient seen by KCAA?
KCAA manages the care for patients ranging from small infants to elderly patients. KCAA works in conjunction with your pediatrician to provide a continuity of care. Many times your pediatrician will recommend our involvement in your child's care.
Q: What can I expect during my skin test visit?
The patient will lie on their stomach and rows of antigen drops are placed on the back. Then each drop is lightly pricked to allow the antigen to enter the skin. The patient then has a 15 minute wait. The testing is then measured and read on the back. If the testing on the back warrants testing to proceed, the next phase of testing is done on the upper arm and antigen is placed just under the skin (similar to a TB test) and the patient has another 15 minute wait. The upper arm area is then read and all results are given to the doctor to review. The doctor then will review all results with the patient/parent. The most difficult part for a child is usually the need to lie still and the waiting time in between the testing steps. We can have children get up after tests are applied. It is helpful to bring books, handheld games etc., to help with the waiting time.
Q: What is the difference between blood testing and skin testing for allergies?
Skin testing is a more sensitive, more specific, quicker and better standardized means of evaluating allergies. Your doctor will help determine when blood testing is needed for evaluation.
Q: What kind of testing can you do for allergies?
Many items can be tested for. Please call our office to discuss any particular questions you have regarding available testing options.
Q: I have heard of other types of allergy treatments different from allergy injections. Do you offer them and why not?
Allergy injections are the standard of care from The American Academy of Allergy and Immunology. Other treatment modalities, such as sublingual immunotherapy are being researched but are not FDA approved. The sublingual drops used by ENT doctors are not approved by the FDA and are too weak to be effective.
Walk-In Patient Care
Q: Can I walk-in instead of making an appt?
Walk in services are available for our current patients (those patients who have seen their doctor with-in the year). Walk in is available at the main office College and Antioch and the Lee's Summit location. The hours for walk- in at our main office are Monday – Friday 8:00 – 11:00a.m. and 1:30 – 5:30p.m. (walk in hours are not available on Saturdays). The hours for walk-in at our Lee's Summit location are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday AM’s. 8:00 a.m. – 11:00a.m.
