Welcome to the first edition of Practice Management Monday. Today, we would like to formally introduce the Chair of our Practice Management Committee. The committee focuses on communicating information which will help members navigate their own economic path to best suit their geographic location, patient population, adoption of managed care, compliance with federal and state requirements, and other factors which might be important to their success.

Watch the following video for a quick introduction by Allen Kirkham, BC-HIS, Practice Management Committee Chair.

2026 CPT® Code Updates
(Yes, They Apply to Dispensers!)

Presented by: Samantha Sikorski, ACA, CDP, CPCO

FREE WEBINAR FOR IHS MEMBERS! Historically, Hearing Aid Specialists have not widely adopted CPT® codes for several reasons. A prevalent misconception was that their scope of practice prevented them from utilizing them. While some recognized this to be inaccurate, there was minimal interest since most codes pertained to audiologic evaluations, with limited applicability to hearing aids. However, this is no longer the case.

Twelve new CPT® codes for hearing aids took effect on January 1, 2026. Nearly a third of the codes are time-based codes, another third are add-ons to those codes. Without fully understanding how time is calculated and the rules for applying the codes, Hearing Aid Specialists could find themselves in violation of more than simple coding ‘mistakes.’ As these codes take effect, health plans must consider their applicability in their benefit offering and determine coverage criteria. It is imperative that Hearing Aid Specialists know about these new codes and consider them during contract negotiations.