Your Specialist for Allergy & Asthma Testing
and Finding Relief from Allergies and Asthma
FAQs
"Is Dr. Feigenbaum Board-Certified in Allergy & Immunology?"
Yes, Dr. Feigenbaum is Board-Certified (adult and pediatric) by the American Board of Allergy & Immunology.
Dr. Feigenbaum attended the Boston University 6-year accelerated medical program. After 2 years of undergrad at BU, he started medical school at Boston University School of Medicine. He received his B.A. and M.D. in 1989, then completed 3 years of residency training in Internal Medicine and an additional 2 years of fellowship training in Allergy & Immunology.
"Hablo Espanol"
Esta bien. El Doctor tambien habla Español.
"Is your Allergy Testing covered by my PPO (or EPO/POS) health plan or Medicare?"
Yes. Every test we perform--Allergy testing (food, airborne/environmental, patch, penicillin allergy testing, etc.), Pulmonary testing (spirometry/pulmonary function) is considered "standard-of-care" for an Allergy & Immunology MD to perform, and IS covered by Medicare and all health plans. Our patients have never run into problems with that.
Of course, "covered" by the health plan does not mean that there's no cost to the patient. Most PPO/EPO/POS health plans have some combination of specialist copay and/or deductible, co-insurance, etc. which may result in an out-of-pocket cost for Allergy tests, even though the Allergy tests are "covered."
This can be difficult for a patient to figure out. So, we'll contact your health plan and email you the exact expected out-of-pocket cost before we do any testing, so that you can make an informed decision. If you like, we're glad to provide you with the "CPT" Procedure codes and Diagnosis codes that you'll need if you want to call your health plan and verify for yourself.
"Do you offer alternatives to allergy shots?"
Yes. Allergy shots are one type of Immunotherapy. There are new immunotherapy alternatives which don't involve shots. These FDA-approved Rx pills include:
Dust mite allergen (Odactra)
Timothy grass allergen (Grastek)
Ragweed allergen (Ragwitek)
Immunotherapy can be thought of as getting at the root cause of allergies, as opposed to controlling the allergies with medications.
Fewer than 1% of our patients are started on allergy shots (subcutaneous immunotherapy.) Most of our patients find the relief they're looking for with allergen avoidance and safe, effective medications, and decide that they don't need or want shots.
"I heard that some Allergy practices require a separate "Summary" visit to discuss the allergy testing results. Do you require that?"
No. Right after the testing (food, environmental/airborne, patch, penicillin), Dr. Feigenbaum will provide you with the results and updated assessment and treatment plan.
"Does allergy testing hurt?"
We get that question a lot! After going through the testing, most of our patients say, "That's it?!"
If you previously had allergy testing with one allergy test needle at a time, repeated 30-40 times, that's the old-school way to do it. We use a plastic skin testing device (Multitest) which can test 8 different food or environmental allergens with one simultaneous "prick." Applying a total of 5 to 8 Multitest devices, each loaded with a different set of allergens allows us to test 50-60 food or environmental allergens in around 30 seconds. And we apply them on your arms (not on your back) where you can see what's going on.
Click here to watch an instructional video from the Multitest people. The video is very 1970's! ;) At around 0:30 you'll see the skin testing.
Really, skin testing is probably not what you're thinking.
"Do I "have to" get allergy testing if I come to you?"
No. Most of our patients choose to undergo Allergy Testing and it's routinely covered by health insurance as detailed above. But Allergy Testing is not appropriate for some of the conditions we treat, or for some patients, and is definitely not something we require patients to undergo.
"Doesn't everyone have allergies?"
No....according to the medical literature, most people don't have ANY allergies--not to food, airborne allergens, or medications. Only approximately 25-30% of the US population has an allergy.
"Do I need a referral to be seen in your office?"
PPO/EPO/POS "Open Access" and Medicare do not require a referral and those are the only plans with which we are IN-Network. Right now, we're Out-of-network for all HMO plans.
"What if I don't have health insurance?"
Then, you'll want to know what the visit will cost. Please give us a call. Once we understand your allergy symptoms, we can give you a price (not an estimate, an exact price) for a consultation and any testing which may be recommended at the visit.
"I have a disability and would need special accommodation..."
We're at your service. Please tell us how we can meet your needs.
"My question isn't on here...
Please give us a call, 619 291 5800, or send us a question using the web form on the right side of the page about half way down. We'd love to help!"