Does Long Island Neuropsychological Services participate in any insurance panels?
Currently, LINS neuropsychologists and therapists participate with Workers' Compensation, and No Fault insurance. In addition, if a plan allows for out of network services, LINS may bill your insurance company for the cost of the evaluation. Prior to onset of services, our office manager will determine any patient financial obligation. Many patients choose to pay for the evaluation and to submit on their own to the insurance company for reimbursement. Our billing staff have over ten years of experience providing patients with the necessary paper work so they will be reimbursed.
Insurance Plans Accepted:
- Workers' Compensation (including IMEs)
- No Fault
Will my insurance company pay for the evaluation?
Neuropsychological evaluations are often covered when there is a history of a medical or neurological condition (e.g. brain injury, seizure, loss of consciousness). Further, many insurance companies will cover some or all of an evaluation that is performed to help physicians to better understand cognitive change (e.g. the reason for decline in memory, attention, or problem solving skills). Prior to onset of services, our office manager will contact your insurance company and provide you with information regarding your plan's coverage.
What is a neuropsychological examination?
The Neuropsychological examination is one of the methods of diagnosing neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative and acquired disorders of brain function. It is frequently a part of the overall neurodiagnostic assessment which includes other neurometric techniques such as CT, MRI, EEG, SPECT. The purpose of the neuropsychological examination is to assess the clinical relationship between the brain/central nervous system and behavioral dysfunction. It is a neurodiagnostic, consultative service and NOT a mental health/psychological evaluation or psychiatric treatment service.
The Social Security Administration defines neuropsychological testing as the “administration of standardized tests that are reliable and valid with respect to assessing impairment in brain functioning.” The examination is performed by a qualified neuropsychologist who has undergone specialized education and intensive training in the clinical and neuroanatomy, neurology, and neurophysiology. The neuropsychologist works closely with the primary or consultant physician in assessing patient cerebral status. Neuropsychological services are designated as “medicine, diagnostic” by the federal Health Care and Financing Administration (HCFA), are subsumed under “Central Nervous System Assessments” in the 1996 CPT Code Book, and have corresponding ICD diagnoses.
Neuropsychological examinations are clinically indicated and medically necessary when patients display signs and symptoms in intellectual compromise, cognitive and/or neurobehavioral dysfunction that involve, but are not restricted to, memory deficits, language disorders, impairment of organization and planning, difficulty with cognition, and perceptual abnormalities. Frequent etiologies include: head trauma, stroke, tumor, infectious disease, toxic exposure metabolic abnormalities, autoimmune disease, genetic defects, learning disabilities, and neurodegenerative disease. The examination entails the taking of and extensive history (including review of medical records) and the administration of a comprehensive battery of tests that can take many hours and requires intensive data analysis. Consultation with other medical professionals in common, such as neurologists, neurosurgeons, and radiologists. The sensitivity of neuropsychological tests is such that they often reveal abnormality in the absence of positive findings on CT and MR scan.
*The above information is provided by the New York State Association of Neuropsychology (NYSAN).
What are the benefits of a neuropsychological examination?
A neuropsychological evaluation is a comprehensive assessment of an individual's cognitive and behavioral functioning. It is typically used to identify and diagnose neurological/developmental conditions or disorders that may affect brain function, such as traumatic brain injury, stroke, ADHD, learning disorder, or dementia.
There are several benefits to undergoing a neuropsychological evaluation:
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Accurate diagnosis: A neuropsychological evaluation can provide a more accurate diagnosis of a neurological condition or disorder than other types of tests or assessments.
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Personalized treatment plan: The results of a neuropsychological evaluation can be used to create a personalized treatment plan that addresses the specific needs and challenges of the individual.
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Improved quality of life: By identifying and addressing any cognitive or behavioral issues, a neuropsychological evaluation can help improve an individual's overall quality of life.
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Early intervention: Early identification and treatment of neurological conditions or disorders can help prevent further decline or deterioration of brain function.
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Improved functioning: By addressing any cognitive or behavioral issues identified through a neuropsychological evaluation, an individual may be able to improve their ability to function in their daily life.
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Legal and insurance purposes: In some cases, a neuropsychological evaluation may be required for legal or insurance purposes, such as in cases of head injury or disability.
What is a neuropsychologist?
A clinical neuropsychologist is a professional within the field of psychology with special expertise in the applied science of brain-behavior relationships. Clinical neuropsychologists use this knowledge in the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and/or rehabilitation of patients across the lifespan with neurological, medical, neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions, as well as other cognitive and learning disorders. The clinical neuropsychologist uses psychological, neurological, cognitive, behavioral, and physiological principles, techniques and tests to evaluate patients’ neurocognitive, behavioral, and emotional strengths and weaknesses and their relationship to normal and abnormal central nervous system functioning. The clinical neuropsychologist uses this information and information provided by other medical/healthcare providers to identify and diagnose neurobehavioral disorders, and plan and implement intervention strategies. The specialty of clinical neuropsychology is recognized by the American Psychological Association and the Canadian Psychological Association. Clinical neuropsychologists are independent practitioners (healthcare providers) of clinical neuropsychology and psychology. The clinical neuropsychologist (minimal criteria) has: 1. A doctoral degree in psychology from an accredited university training program. 2. An internship, or its equivalent, in a clinically relevant area of professional psychology. 3. The equivalent of two (fulltime) years of experience and specialized training, at least one of which is at the post-doctoral level, in the study and practice of clinical neuropsychology and related neurosciences. These two years include supervision by a clinical neuropsychologist1 . 4. A license in his or her state or province to practice psychology and/or clinical neuropsychology independently, or is employed as a neuropsychologist by an exempt agency.
*The above definition is provided by the National Academy of Neuropsychology. Additional information can be found on the NAN website.
Why have I been referred?
Neuropsychological evaluations are requested specifically to help your doctors, teachers, school psychologist, or other professionals understand how the different areas and systems of the brain are working. Testing is usually recommended when there are symptoms or complaints involving memory or thinking. This can be signaled by a change in concentration, organization, reasoning, memory, language, perception, coordination, or personality. The changes may be due to any of a number of medical, neurological, psychological, or genetic causes.
Who should have an evaluation?
An evaluation can identify weaknesses in a specific area. When problems are very mild, testing may be the only way to detect them. Test results can be used to determine if your problems are the result of normal brain-related changes or if they are associated with a neurological disorder. Testing might also be used to identify problems related to medical conditions that can affect memory and thinking, such as medication effects, diabetes, metabolic or infectious diseases, or alcoholism. It can also help detect the effects of developmental problems such as epilepsy, attention deficit disorder (ADHD), or genetic disorders. Sometimes testing is used to establish a "baseline," or document a person's skills before there is any problem (e.g., athletes in contact sports, individuals with MS, etc.). In this way, later changes can be measured very objectively.
What is assessed?
- A typical neuropsychological evaluation will involve assessment of the following:
- General intellect
- Achievement skills (e.g., reading, math)
- Higher level executive skills (e.g., organization, planning, reasoning, inhibition, problem solving)
- Attention and concentration
- Learning and memory Language
- Visual-spatial skills (e.g., perception)
- Motor and sensory skills
- Mood and personality
- Behavioral functioning and social skills
- Some areas may be measured in more detail than others, depending on your needs.