To answer that question we first need to review the different types of hearing loss: Conductive, Sensorineural, and Mixed.

A conductive hearing loss is when the sound signal is not properly transmitted through the outer and/or middle ear, to the organ of hearing, the cochlea (inner ear), but the inner ear is still functioning normally. This failure of transmission can occur due to wax build up in the outer ear canal, fluid build up or infection behind the eardrum (tympanic membrane), damage to the middle ear bones (ossicles), or other reasons. A conductive hearing loss is often treatable with medical intervention, although for some diagnoses hearing aid(s) are the best treatment.

A sensorineural hearing loss is when there is damage to the organ of hearing the cochlea (inner ear), often the sensory cells (stereocilia) or more commonly called the "hair cells" of the ear. This damage is permanent and 99% of the time cannot be recovered (to learn about the 1% read: What is a Sudden Hearing Loss). The best treatment for a sensorineural hearing loss is appropriately fit and verified hearing aid(s). However, sometimes the damage is so severe, we have to look beyond the hearing aid(s) and assess Auditory Processing and/or consider a Cochlear Implant.

A mixed hearing loss is combination of both conductive and sensorineural hearing losses. For this type of hearing loss, part of the loss may be treatable medically, but even after medical intervention a hearing aid(s) will still be needed to hear sound.

Not sure what kind of hearing loss you have? Then you need a Diagnostic Hearing Evaluation. Call (352) 483-4327 to schedule your appointment.

While there isn't a "cure" per se, but there are many different treatments for Tinnitus or "Ringing in the Ears". It is important to note that treatment of tinnitus is a process. Not everyone benefits from the same treatment options, and not all options are appropriate and/or realistic. For instance: Dr. Lamb has tinnitus in both ears. One of the recommended management strategies for tinnitus is to reduce stress...but she own the practice. So that's not likely to happen in the foreseeable future...

The first step to treating or managing tinnitus is a hearing evaluation. Tinnitus is often, but not always, a symptom of hearing loss. Many patients benefit from treating the underlying cause of their tinnitus, their hearing loss, with hearing aid(s). However, we have found the most powerful treatment for tinnitus is KNOWLEDGE.

We recommend scheduling an appointment for a Diagnostic Hearing Evaluation and Tinnitus Assessment with Dr. Lamb, so you can learn more about your ears, hearing, tinnitus, and strategies you can use to reduce it's impact on your life. Dr. Lamb is an American Tinnitus Association (ATA) member and trained to help you manage your tinnitus. Call the office to schedule your appointment (352) 483-4327.

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) or Central Auditory Processing Disorder (cAPD) is a complex auditory disorder that affects how the brain processes sound. An in depth look at "hearing" reveals our ears to be the detection system and the brain to be the "processing" center. Breaking it down, your ears only tell the brain: 1) how loud and which pitches or frequencies the sound was comprised of. The brain then has to: 1) Discriminate one sound from another, 2) Identify the sound (it's a bird, it's a plane, it's the letter "S"!), and 3) Assign meaning to the sound aka Comprehension. In reality brain processing is 3/4 of how we understand sound.

Weaknesses in the brain's ability to process auditory information can result in difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments, trouble distinguishing different sounds, and even difficulty understanding speech in quiet environments. If you think you might have an Auditory Processing Disorder, call our office to schedule your APD Evaluation (352) 483-4327.

Looking to know more? Check out our blog "5 things you probably didn’t know about Auditory Processing Disorder".

At Lake Medical Hearing Center we are Patient-Centered. In order to facilitate the best outcome for each and every patient, we work with all seven major name brands: ReSound, Oticon, Phonak, Signia, Unitron, Widex, and Starkey.

We often can assist in hearing aid cleanings, for many of the other brands, but may not be able to program the hearing aids due to them being "locked" by proprietary software. "Locked" devices mean that only that office can help you with your hearing aid programming and limits the available care you can receive, if you move or want to see a different provider. We have many patients who move to the area and/or move away throughout the years, we want our patients to be able to find a provider who provides Best Practices care should they need to move.

Yes! Dr. Lamb has been trained in and cleaned ears with many different ear wax or cerumen management procedures. Please call the office to schedule an appointment (352) 483-4327.

Yes, we offer telehealth appointments. However, due to the nature of audiology many appointments cannot be completed via telehealth. We have found minor hearing aid adjustments can be conducted for most hearing aid manufacturer devices via telehealth. While available, we often discover a request for an adjustment, actually needed another service such as: a hearing aid deep cleaning, or wax removal, or the hearing aid was broken, etc..

This service is available to established patients of the office, as it does require an initial appointment in the office for our audiologist to connect you to the system we use to facilitate telehealth appointments. In addition, as a new patient to our practice, we want to physically check your devices to make sure programming is the right way to address your request. You can call the office (352) 483-4327 to schedule an appointment for us to assess your hearing aids and determine if telehealth is a good fit for you.

So long as your hearing aids are a brand we work with, we are able to and would love to work with you. We have a "Fee for Service" model of care for patients who have moved to the area, are traveling, or just need care while down south for a few months.

Yes, your manufacturer warranty for repair is honored by the manufacturer anywhere in the US. There are a few types of “coverage” or “warranties” to consider when we are talking about hearing aids, so let's specify for a more accurate answer.

All hearing aids purchased from a provider (excludes most online purchases) have a Manufacturer's Warranty for Repair. This warranty covers any parts and manufacturer repairs.

Most hearing aids will also have a Manufacturer's Loss/Damage Replacement warranty. With a replacement fee / deductible you can replace that device (serial number specific) ONCE within the warranty period.

Then there are also Service Warranties or Plans. At Lake Medical Hearing Center we refer to your in-office (and telehealth) care as a Service Plan and not a warranty. Service Plans are often, and easily confused with the manufacturer's warranty; as many offices do not differentiate between the two. Service Plans cover the professional services/care in order to assist you in managing your devices.

Many provider offices Bundle the hearing aid Manufacturer's Warranty with a Service Plan and only communicate what the total cost is; which often appears as if the hearing aids are the cost and services are free. With a bundled plan you actually paid for the devices, warranties AND a service plan with the office you purchased your hearing aids from. You have essentially prepaid that office for your care/services for a length of time.

The only part of the hearing aid warranties that travels with you are your Manufacturer Repair and Loss/Damage Replacement warranties. You paid another office for your professional services/care, therefore, you will have charges for all professional services provided and/or office fees associated with facilitation of sending/receiving repairs.

So yes, the Manufacturer's Repair warranty is honored, and you will have charges for the service fees to be seen in the office.

If you have questions, or would like to know more, please call the office at (352) 483-4327.

Short answer: It depends on your insurance plan.

Lake Medical Hearing Center is In-Network with Traditional Medicare. Traditional Medicare will cover the Diagnostic portion of hearing test (tones and words) if you have medical necessity; a change in hearing, tinnitus, or have a physician’s referral for hearing. However, Medicare does not cover all the services which are essential to evaluating the Impact of your hearing on your day to day living. At Lake Medical Hearing Center this evaluation is quite extensive (60+ minutes) and has a charge of $175 that is out-of-pocket; while the diagnostic portion may be covered by Medicare with appropriate medical necessity and/or physician referral.

If you have Traditional Medicare insurance and a Medicare Supplement Plan, most of these plans only cover what Medicare will cover. Meaning, rarely (if ever) your supplemental plan will not pay for/cover/reimburse you for any out-of-pocket expenses.

Insurances that are “Secondary”, which are not a Medicare supplement or Medicare advantage plan (e.g. work insurance plan), may cover some services that are not covered by Medicare. However, this situation is fairly rare and not to be expected.

We are out-of-network for all Commercial, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid plans. Your insurance may reimburse you for the cost or a portion of the cost of your appointment. However, you will pay the full cost of your appointment at the time of your appointment; $300+ depending on services needed and provided.

Ah, the question everyone wants to know the answer to, and the one that when asked you'll always get a different answer, each and every time.

The most common answer is "no", your health insurance does not cover hearing aids. However infrequently, the answer can also be: A) Yes, but it covers only x dollars; B) Yes, but you have to pay your deductible and a co-insurance (typically a percentage of the cost); C) Yes, but only for X level of technology; D) Yes, but only for In Network providers and one of the the above A-C; E) Yes, but only through a Third Party Administrator of the plan benefit (a company that handles the billing and ordering of devices, and limits the care/services which are covered); F) No, but you can sign up for a discount plan (these also severely limit the professional services/care which are covered), and G) No, you have to pay out of pocket for devices.

It is important to remember your health insurance plan is a contract between YOU and YOUR Insurance Company. But, each provider and office may also have, or not have, a contract with your insurance plan. This is more commonly referred to as being "In Network" (has a contract) or "Out of Network" (does not have a contract) with insurance plans. When an office is In Network, your benefits are limited by your contract AND the office's contract. Sometimes, purchasing "off plan", while it might sound more expensive to purchase out of network, it will save you money in the long run. Especially when you find a provider that follows Best Practices (aka the Gold Standard in Audiology) like we do at Lake Medical Hearing Center. You can schedule your appointment for Best Practice professional care by calling the office at (352) 483-4327.

The simple answer is, no Medicare does not pay for hearing aids. Though in our experience, everyone seems to believe it is covered due to political “stances” and “promises”. Here's the thing, it doesn't matter what the "News" does or doesn’t say, or what policy is touted as being "a platform" in politics, the real life reality is that Medicare statutorily excludes hearing aids and exams for the purpose of obtaining hearing aids.

In fact, here's a quote from Medicare.gov: "Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids or exams for fitting hearing aids."

However, we all know how confusing insurance can be. So why is there the common belief that Medicare covers hearing aids? Because of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. What most people don't know, is that a Medicare Advantage plan is NOT Medicare; you actually give up traditional Medicare when she sign up for an MA plan. When you sign up for an Medicare Advantage plan, Medicare pays the insurance company that manages your MA plan in bulk and at a discount. Many MA plans cover hearing aids as one of their "additional benefits", BUT only through a Third Party Administrator plan. No matter which way you slice the pie, Medicare still doesn't cover hearing aids.

A third party administrator (TPA) or third party plan, is a program that manages a specific benefit, in this case hearing aids, for insurance plans. The TPA handles the management of the provider network, available device technology, patient database, takes direct payment for the hearing aids, and sometimes directly orders devices. The TPA then pays a minimal fitting fee to the provider, which can be a hearing instrument specialist (HIS) or audiologist (AuD). With these TPA plans, 9 times out of 10 , the cost of devices (hearing aids in this case) is passed to the patient directly, but only after a supposed "discount" on the devices. Some TPA plans the "discounted rate" is actually higher than what you can purchase hearing aids for privately.

These plans advertise low cost hearing aids, as if hearing aids were the "golden ticket" to perfect hearing. Here's the thing, we both know that's not true. How many times have you had a friend or family member get hearing aids and still not hear well with them? How many have spent hundreds on OTC devices only to throw them in the trash? How many more have spent thousands on prescription hearing aids, which then live in a drawer not being used?

If hearing aids truly were the "Golden Ticket" the perfect "fix" for hearing loss and difficulty understanding, then why don't they work for everyone? Why is there such a range? It's because our ears don't "hear" in the way we think they do. Our ears only detect sound. The ears do not interpret sound, our brains do. We need to detect sound (ears) in order to process and understand sound (brain). Hearing aids only help us detect more sound. We both know people who don't like their hearing aids, but we also know many people who DO wear their hearing aids, they DO hear well, and many people who wouldn't leave the house without them. The difference between these groups is having a knowledgeable hearing healthcare provider, that uses Best Practices (aka The Gold Standard) in audiology for assessment, fitting, and follow-up care for patients.

What these plans want you to forget about, is that you still need professional services/care from your provider in order to have the hearing aids (a tool) programmed properly and work the best for you. Typically, these plans pay a minimal fitting fee to you provider, and that minimal fee covers, well minimal services. Patients who purchase through a TPA or discount plan, will pay MORE over time for the proper, professional services/care that are needed for their devices to work the best for them. The alternative is not hearing well, or having devices that don't work for you, even though you have the tool (hearing aids). Think of it this way, have you ever tried to drive a screw in with a hammer?

Professional services/care are the KEY to hearing your best with your hearing aids. At Lake Medical Hearing Center we follow Best Practices, the "Gold Standard" in audiology, so our patients hear the best they can with their devices. Ready to hear better? Call our office (352) 483-4327 to schedule your appointment.

Our office is In Network with Traditional Medicare.

While we are Out of Network with most plans, many plans allow for Out of Network billing. Your plan may cover your visit depending on your specific insurance plan. If you have an Out of Network benefit, we will courtesy file for you to receive direct reimbursement from your insurance company.

We can help check if your insurance has any Out of Network benefits please call the office at (352) 483-4327.

Important Note: Medicare Advantage plans are NOT the same plan as a Traditional, "Red, White, and Blue" Medicare benefit. Per your insurance: Quoted insurance benefits are an estimation of benefits and NOT a guarantee of coverage.

Yes and No.

No, our office does not require a referral for you to be seen. But, your insurance may require a referral, in order for you to use you benefit(s) for your appointment.

Whether or not you need a referral is determined solely by your insurance company. As of January 2024 Medicare does not require a referral for some diagnostic audiology services provided by an audiologist (AuD), once every 12 months (per date of service), with medical necessity. However, subsequent testing will require a referral from your primary care provider, in order for Medicare to continue assisting you with coverage.

Commercial or Medicare Advantage plan referral requirements are plan specific. While most diagnostic testing is covered without the need for a referral, additional testing or treatment or devices may likely need a referral.

Not sure if you need a referral? You can call the office for us to help you find the answer (352) 483-4327.

On average hearing aids typically last between 3-5 years. Hearing Aids are miniature computers, worn daily, exposed to moisture from our environment, sweat, dust and debris, and have tiny moving parts which can be jostled when dropped or handled roughly.

The short and long of it? Hearing aids breakdown over time just like any other electronic. Regular servicing/hearing aid cleanings can help maintain the function of your devices, however, they will need to be replaced every handful of years.

In addition, technology evolves at lightening speeds, 3 years of technology evolution can mean a significant difference in how you hear and the success of communication in your day to day living. If you’re interested in considering new technology, call the office at (352) 483-4327 . We can test your hearing and demonstrate the latest technology in the office for you.

Hearing aids can have disposable batteries or rechargeable batteries. How long each type of battery lasts depends on a number of factors including but not limited to: severity of hearing loss, usage, charging habits, and environmental conditions.

Rechargeable hearing aid batteries are designed to last between 1 and 3 years. Over time, all rechargeable batteries naturally lose capacity and may not hold a charge as effectively as they did when new. Replacement of the rechargeable battery is typically covered by the manufacturer’s repair warranty as they have to be sent to the manufacturer for replacement. However, after the end of the warranty the batteries are not covered and will incur charges for replacement.

Hearing aids which use disposable batteries, or button batteries, have varying battery life impacted by the factors listed above, as well as, the size of the battery. From smallest to largest, disposable batteries have the following sizes: 10/yellow, 312/brown, 13/orange, and 675/blue. With disposable battery operated hearing aids, it is recommended to disconnect or open the battery door of your hearing aids when you are not wearing them. Pro Tip: don’t take the stickers off the back of your disposable batteries until you are ready to use them and keep the batteries separated. If two batteries are touching each other they will lose their charge, so be sure to keep them apart after removing them from their packaging.

Audiology Best Practices refer to a set of evidence-based procedures and guidelines aimed at providing the highest quality of hearing care. These practices are designed to ensure accuracy in diagnosis, precision in treatment, and optimal outcomes for individuals with hearing loss.

1. Comprehensive Diagnostic Hearing Evaluation: A thorough diagnostic hearing evaluation is essential for identifying the type and degree of hearing loss. This includes not only pure-tone audiometry, but also speech-in-noise testing, which assesses how well a person can understand speech in challenging listening environments. Since many patients struggle with hearing in noise, this test is critical for creating a tailored hearing solution.

2. Real Ear Measurements (REM): REM is the gold standard in verifying hearing aid performance. It involves placing a small probe microphone in the ear canal to measure the sound output of the hearing aid directly in the ear. This ensures that the hearing aids are delivering the appropriate amplification for the patient's specific hearing loss and ear canal acoustics, leading to more accurate and effective hearing aid fittings.

3. Electroacoustic Analysis (EAA): This analysis evaluates the technical performance of hearing aids by measuring their output and functionality in a controlled environment. It verifies that the devices meet manufacturer specifications and are working as expected. Electroacoustic analysis ensures that the hearing aids are providing the correct amplification and frequency response, supporting long-term reliability and performance.

4. Custom Hearing Aid Fittings: Best practices emphasize the importance of customizing hearing aid fittings to each individual's unique hearing needs, preferences, and ear anatomy. This involves selecting the right device, programming it precisely based on the patient’s audiogram, and verifying its effectiveness through REM. The goal is to provide a comfortable, well-fitted solution that enhances the patient’s hearing and quality of life.

By following these Best Practices, we ensure that hearing aids are personalized, effective, and meet the highest standards of care, resulting in better overall hearing outcomes for YOU.