FAQ |The Rontal Clinic | ENT Doctors

About Otolaryngology

What is an Otolaryngologist?

These specialists differ from other physicians because they are trained in both medicine and surgery. Otolaryngologists do not need to refer patients to other physicians when ear, nose, throat or head/neck surgery is needed and can offer the most appropriate care for each individual patient.

How are Otolaryngologists trained?

Otolaryngologists begin practicing after completing almost 15 years of college and post-graduate training. To qualify for certification by the American Board of Otolaryngology, an applicant must first complete college, medical school and at least five years of specialty training. Thereafter, the physician must pass the American Board of Otolaryngology examination. In addition, many otolaryngologists pursue a one or two year fellowship for more extensive training in one of seven subspecialty areas.

These subspecialty areas include pediatric otolaryngology (children), otology/neurotology (ears, balance and tinnitus), allergy, facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, head and neck cancer and related reconstruction, laryngology (throat) and rhinology (nose).

Patient Visit Inquiries

What types of patients are seen at the The Rontal Clinic?

Our patients range in age from infants to elderly and are treated for various ear, nose, throat, head and neck cancer, cleft and craniofacial conditions and surgical services.

Do I need a referral from my health insurance plan to see the doctor?

It depends on your specific health insurance plan. If you are uncertain, please call your health insurance plan directly, and ask them if you are required to have a referral to see a specialist physician. The telephone number to your health insurance plan is generally listed on the back of your card. In addition, our office staff will be helpful determining whether you require a referral, ensuring that your visit is approved by your insurer, and notifying you of expected copays and deductables.

What insurances are accepted at the The Rontal Clinic?

The following insurance plans are accepted by at least one doctor in the office. Please check to be sure that the doctor you are scheduled with accepts your plan. Some plans require written referral forms from your primary care doctor. Please be sure to bring the referral with you when you come in or you will not be able to be seen. If you do not see your health insurance on our list, please call your health insurance plan and/or our office to determine if we are an in-network provider

Aetna – EPO, HMO, POS, PPO
Alliance Health & Life (HAP) EPO, POS, PPO
Beaumont Employee Health Plan
Beech Street
Blue Care Network
Blue Choice
Blue Cross/Blue Shield
Blue Cross/Blue Shield PPO-(Blue Preferred, Community Blue, Trust)
Blue Preferred Plus
Chandler
Cigna-EPA, EPO, POS, PPO
Cigna HAP Preferred
DMC Care
First Health
Great Lakes Health Plan
Great West-PPO, POS
Health Alliance Plan-EPA, EPO, HMO, POS, PPO
M-Care-EPO, HMO, POS, PPO
Medicaid
Medicare
Medicare HMO
Messa
MultiPlan-EPO, PPO, POS
Preferred Choices PPO
PPOM
PHCS-EPO, PPO, POS
Tricare
United Health Care-EPO, PPO, POS
United Physicians Health Insurance Plan (UPHIP)
Worker’s Compensation

What do I bring to my first appointment?

If this is your visit to The Rontal Clinic, please begin by following the instructions detailed in Your First Visit under Visit Experience. Please ensure all necessary registration and paperwork is filled out before your first visit to minimize any delays upon. In addition please bring the following information with you, if applicable:

All test Results
All x-rays, CT scans and MRIs. Please bring the actual scans, either on film or on a CD. This will greatly help our doctor’s ability to evaluate you.
Your doctor’s written referral, if you have one.
Your insurance referral, if you have one.
A list of all of your medications.
Your insurance cards and identification.
Your doctor’s address and phone number.
Your completed intake forms, if you printed it at home.

Where is the office located?

The Rontal Clinic has just moved in March 2020 and is located in Royal Oak on the west side of Woodward Ave just south of 13 Mile Road. The office is located inside the Basha Building thru the South entrance and is on the 2nd Floor.

What are the office hours?

Office hours are generally from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. However, some of the physicians offer extended hours in the early morning, evening or Saturday. For billing concerns, hours are typically 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

How can I contact the Clinic?

To schedule an appointment, please call us at 248-737-4030. If this is your first visit to The Rontal Clinic, please begin by following the instructions detailed in Your First Visit under Visit Experience. It is recommended you contact our office for billing questions either by telephone or email. Please note, we are unable to answer any medical questions via email.

Procedures at The Rontal Clinic

Do you perform x-rays or any other radiology in your office?

Oakland Imaging is located within The Rontal Clinic office. If your doctor believes it is necessary for you to have CAT scan performed, we will obtain authorization from your health insurance plan and help you schedule an appointment at a time convenient for you. Oftentimes, the CAT scan can be done immediately following your new patient or follow up visit.

What types of surgeries and procedures do your physicians perform?

All of the Rontal physicians are board certified and fellowship trained in performing many different types of surgeries and procedures specific to the ear, nose and throat, as well as the head and neck. Doctors Rontal perform the breadth of surgical procedures in the ear, nose and throat, neck, larynx, paranasal sinuses, face, craniofacial skeleton and anterior skull base. In addition, cosmetic facial plastic surgery, as well as in-office cosmetic injections, are offered.

How does the surgery and testing scheduling process work?

Our surgical and testing coordinator will obtain the required authorization from your health insurance plan. This authorization process can vary and may take several days to two weeks to accomplish. The authorization process and time required depend on your specific health plan and the type of procedure scheduled.

Where do you perform your surgeries?

Most of our surgeries performed at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak and at the Berry Surgery Center located next door to our Farmington Hills location.

For an ear problem, will I have audiological testing at the time of my appointment?

Yes. Our Audiologists provide audiological evaluations to our patients in the convenience of our office at the time of your appointment. There are rare instances when an audiologist may not be available. Specialized balance testing may require a separate appointment.

Following A Visit

What is the prescription refill policy at The Rontal Clinic?

Generally, the prescription you receive should be filled by the physician who initially prescribed it or by your primary care provider. If there are specific prescriptions The Rontal Clinic provided, you can call our office number at 248-737-4030 during our regular office hours to request a refill. You can contact the pharmacy, and they can send a request for a prescription refill directly to our office. Please allow 24 hours for refills to be completed. To best serve you, please be prepared with the strength of the medication, the dose, the quantity requested and the number of refills, as well as the pharmacy name, location and telephone number.

Does your office sell and dispense hearing aids?

Yes. You can call to schedule a hearing aid evaluation at Oakland Hearing Aids. During the evaluation, our licensed Audiologists will assess your hearing loss and your lifestyle to help you determine which, if any, hearing aids are right for you.

For questions about clinical or medical problems such as a surgical concern or a medication matter, what should I do?

Please call our clinical coordinators, available between 9:15 a.m. and 4 p.m. at 248 737-4030. A front desk coordinator will answer your call and ensure your questions are answered. If you need assistance, and it is not during our regular office hours, the office number will refer you to our answering service. If it is not an urgent matter, we suggest waiting until the next office day.

How do I obtain a copy of my medical records?

Our office will provide you with a HIPAA compliant release of information form. You are required to complete, sign and date this form and return it to our office. Following receipt of this form, and generally within seven business days, our office will prepare your records and either mail them to the requesting physician or provide them to you or another approved person indicated on the form. There may be a nominal fee for copying and preparing and mailing your records. If we are referring you to another physician, we will generally forward our records to them without the release of information form.

The doctor performed an ear, nose, and throat exam in the office. The explanation of benefits I received from my health insurance plan states that I had a surgery. Why is that?

Specialists, such as Otolaryngologists, perform office procedures, which are coded as surgeries. Procedures which are commonly performed in our office that are coded as surgery may include, but are not limited to:

Nasal or Sinus Endoscopy – Placing a scope in the nose to evaluate the tissues of the nasal passageway.
Laryngeal Endoscopy. – Performing a scope of the throat to evaluate the throat and the vocal chords.
Cerumen Removal – Cleaning of earwax with or without a microscope.
Biopsy of Tissue – Removal of tissue for evaluation by a pathologist.
Myringotomy and possibly Tube Placement – Making a small cut in the eardrum and placing a tube in the ear.

These advanced procedures include the use of fiber optic, microscopic and specialty surgical skills, which assist our physicians in better diagnosing and treating disorders of the head and neck area. When procedure codes were created, codes were assigned for patient visits (evaluation and management of patient problems), as well as codes for procedures (surgery). Please note: these procedure codes are often billed separately from patient visit codes and are assigned a separate fee from patient visit codes.

FAQs

About Otolaryngology

Patient Visit Inquiries

Procedures at The Rontal Clinic

Following A Visit