Frequently Asked Questions
What locations do you serve?
We can provide FEES to acute care and rehabilitation hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, outpatient rehabilitation clinics, long-term acute care hospitals, and physician clinics (e.g., ENT, GI, and pulmonology offices). We are based in Denver, but our mobile capabilities allow us to serve your facility in Colorado, Kansas, and Wyoming.
Who is a candidate for FEES?
FEES can be completed on any patient with signs or symptoms of dysphagia without evidence of bilateral nasal obstruction; facial, maxillary, or nasal fractures; or severe epistaxis (nose bleeds). We serve patients with various types of feeding tubes (NG, PEG), isolation precautions, dementia, tracheostomy tube placements, and speaking valves, as well as patients who require supplemental oxygen, are ventilator dependent, or are medically complex or obese.
How does my patient get billed?
FEES procedure is considered a speech-language pathology therapy service (CPT Code 92612). All therapy services fall under the consolidated billing rules as of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997.
If a FEES procedure is completed in the subacute setting, the facility is responsible for payment to NMF directly for the procedure per the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) guidelines. The facility then bills the patient’s fiscal intermediary for reimbursement. For more information, visit the CMS website.
If a FEES procedure is completed in the subacute setting, the facility is responsible for payment to NMF directly for the procedure per the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) guidelines. The facility then bills the patient’s fiscal intermediary for reimbursement. For more information, visit the CMS website.
Do you use topical anesthesia?
This depends on the patient and their comfort level and medical history. We have the option to utilize topic anesthetics, if needed, and ordered by the physician. However, this is not necessary to complete the examination.
Do you provide any other services?
We are always available to provide informational in-services and consultation on a variety of topics, including (but not limited to):
- General Dysphagia
- Frazier Free Water Protocol
- Dysphagia within Specific Disorders (e.g., Parkinson’s, Dementia, ALS, MS, and CVA)
- Oral Care Hygiene Programs
- International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) for Dysphagia Diet Guidelines
- Strategies to Alleviate Xerostomia (Dry Mouth)
- Aspiration and Reflux Precautions
- Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR)
- Voice Disorders
- Respiratory Disorders
- Neurological Diseases
How can my facility gain access to your services?
Contact us via email or phone, and we will schedule a meeting with you and/or your facility’s executive director to obtain a signed contractual agreement for our services.