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Florida Newborn Screening Program - Audiologists

Pediatric audiologists can be enrolled in the CMS provider network

Pediatric audiologists can be enrolled in the CMS provider network. Applicants who qualify will be approved to join the CMS network in this non-physician or physician-related provider category.

Why enroll to become a CMS audiologist?

CMS network enrollment allows a list of pediatric audiologists to be provided to hospitals and physicians across Florida for the purpose of directing the thousands of infants referred by newborn hearing screening to pediatric audiologists who have been recognized as being highly skilled at evaluating the hearing of babies that are only weeks old.

Providing a list of CMS-approved pediatric audiologists to hospitals and physicians establishes a referral mechanism similar to that which occurs for newborns referred from metabolic screening.

The goal is to diagnose babies with hearing loss and get them fitted with hearing aids and into early intervention services before 6 months of age.

How do you enroll to become a CMS audiologist?

Under Florida Law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your email address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.

Remember: You must have access to the Internet and have an email address to enroll as a provider and access the required on-line training modules.

The process of provider application involves four basic steps:

Step One: Read the CMS Provider Management Licensed Non-Physician Healthcare Professionals Handbook.  

Step Two: Complete and submit an electronic application by either updating an existing application or creating a new application at https://www.cmskidsproviders.com.   For help with your application contact CMS help at cmsproviderhelp@doh.state.fl.us or at 1-850-245-4215. You will receive acknowledgement of receipt of your application in 5-7 business days.

Step Three: Mail all required documentation to the CMS Provider Management Specialist. Documentation includes certifications, liability insurance, diplomas, experience verification, and reports. All required provider documentation must be received within 30 days of completion of the online application. If all documentation is not received within 30 days, the application will be terminated from the system.

Step Four: Upon review of the application and required documentation, the CMS Provider Management Specialist will contact you if there is any missing documentation. When your application has been approved, you will be notified.

If you have difficulty accessing any material on this site because of a disability (i.e. unreadable file download, visual/multimedia presentation that is not adequately described, media that is not presented in a format that is readable by assistive technology), please contact us in writing or via telephone and we will work with you to make the information available. We will do everything possible to find a solution to any accessibility problem should the need arise.

How will becoming a CMS audiologist help to identify babies with hearing loss?

Approximately one out of ten babies failing hearing newborn screening will be found to have hearing loss. These babies are born mostly to parents with normal hearing with no risk factors present.

Nationally it has been found that approximately 50% of newborns referred from newborn hearing screening will not receive follow up hearing testing unless there is a statewide comprehensive follow up system in place to track babies from hospital referral to audiology services. With early detection of hearing loss, good diagnostics, and quality early intervention, learning delays caused by hearing loss can be prevented!

   
This page was last modified on: 11/6/2012 11:04:29