Allergy Services

Suffering with allergies

We offer allergy testing and immunotherapy services so you can reduce or eliminate your symptoms without medication.

Allergies

If you are suffering with allergies, we can help by reducing or eliminating your symptoms without medication.

Avance Care offers allergy testing and immunotherapy services. Our goal is to find the treatment that best suits your allergies and your lifestyle, so your allergies don’t lead to other medical conditions, such as asthma, migraine headaches, sleep disorders, sinusitis (chronic nasal congestion) and nasal polyps (non-cancerous, teardrop-shaped growths that form in the nose or sinuses).

Ask your primary care provider about allergy testing, allergy shots, or drops, so you can start feeling better sooner.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is the best way to manage your allergies with the least amount of medication. You can break free of antihistamines or steroid treatments and gain a long-term solution to minimize your allergy symptoms.

During Immunotherapy, your doctor will inject small amounts of the substances that are causing your allergies under your skin, or it can be placed directly under your tongue. This helps your body to adjust to the allergen causing you trouble. The result is less allergy symptoms when you encounter the allergen in your daily life.

At first, you receive the treatment once a week as you work your way to what’s known as a maintenance dose. Once you reach the maintenance dose, your treatment will eventually move to once a month. After 1–3 years of therapy, you will have greatly reduced or eliminated your allergy symptoms and the need to take expensive medications to control them. It’s that simple.

Allergies and Asthma

Most people with asthma also have allergies. Starting treatment with allergy shots can greatly improve your quality of life if you suffer from asthma. Studies show that 20% of asthma sufferers who have the treatment go completely off of their inhalers and the other 80% use significantly less medication to control their symptoms. This connection between Asthma and Allergies is so important that the National Institutes of Health recommends that all people with asthma should be allergy tested and be treated with allergy shots if they have positive results and allergy symptoms.

Allergy testing & Immunotherapy

Frequently Asked Questions

Allergy skin testing is a simple, painless way to learn if you are suffering from allergies. About 8 out of 10 people who have allergic rhinitis (nasal itching, stuffiness, or congestion) go undiagnosed and untreated. An allergy test can identify the cause(s) of your allergies and put you on a path to treatment and relief.
An allergy skin test can be performed quickly in the comfort of your doctor’s office. This test does not hurt and does not use a needle. It involves placing a small drop of several different allergens on or just under the surface of your skin, and measuring your body’s responses.
If you have an allergic response, the test sites may feel itchy and form bumps similar to a mosquito bite. It is important not to scratch or touch your arms during the waiting period as this could affect the results of your skin test. The test sites disappear in as little as a few minutes or as long as 12 hours after the test is complete. You can take an allergy medication (like Benadryl® or Zyrtec® ) to help with any discomfort.
For severe allergic responses it may take 2 to 3 days for the bumps to disappear, but they should not hurt. You should call your doctor if you notice any new bumps after your allergy test or any bumps that get worse or do not fully go away after 2 to 3 days. There is a very remote chance that allergy testing can cause a severe reaction, including breathing problems. Although very unlikely, make sure to tell the allergy nurse or call the office if you have any difficulty breathing.
Yes. You should not have this test if:
- You’ve had a bad allergic reaction before, like swelling of the face, throat, or tongue; a drop in blood pressure; or loss of consciousness
- You have any skin problems that may prevent your doctor from identifying an allergic reaction on your skin
- You take any medication containing beta-blockers (medications to treat high blood pressure and some heart problems) that have not or cannot be stopped for five days prior to testing
- You take tricyclic medications for depression, migraines, or other problems (Pamelor, nortriptyline, Elavil, amitriptyline) that have not or cannot be stopped for five days prior to testing
Once your allergy skin test is complete, your allergy clinician will talk with you about the allergies you have and what is the best treatment to manage them. You will be given information to take home and read about each of your allergies. We will schedule a visit to talk to your primary care provider about the skin test results and the best way to manage your allergies.
- According to Consumer Reports, only 1 in 4 allergy sufferers are highly satisfied with prescription medications, with the satisfaction rate for over-the-counter medication even lower.
- Research shows that Immunotherapy + medication delivers a significant reduction in symptoms versus medication alone.
- A recent study showed that parents of children with allergic rhinitis saved over $5,000.00 in treatment costs over 18 months when opting for Immunotherapy versus non-Immunotherapy treatments.
A recent study demonstrated the following cost reductions from receiving Immunotherapy versus other treatment options without Immunotherapy:
Year 1: Symptoms Improve
Year 2: Cost savings of 15%
Year 3: Cost savings of 48%
Immunotherapy can also be taken by drops under the tongue, rather than injections. This method of treatment has been used in Europe for years and is extremely safe and effective. However, allergy drops are not yet approved by the FDA and are not covered by insurance. Some people find that taking drops is an affordable option since it is so convenient and saves trips to the doctor. Ask your provider today if allergy drops are right for you.
Most insurers will cover allergy testing and treatment, but it can be quite expensive if they do not. Knowing your benefits can help you address your allergies at an affordable cost. Medical billing is done using a coding system. Every billable item is assigned a 5 digit code. Use the allergy codes below to ask your insurance company how much coverage they offer for allergy testing and treatment, and if your deductible applies to your allergy benefits.
Self pay costs:
- Allergy testing for self pay patients costs approximately $450
- Immunotherapy for self pay patients costs approximately $900 for 1st year and $700 for subsequent years
- Injection services are $18 per injection, typically $18 per week in the first year, and gradually becoming less frequent.
1. Does my deductible apply for codes 95004 (skin prick testing), 95024 (intradermal testing), and 95165 (allergy immunotherapy)? If so, how much remaining deductible should I expect?
2. Is there a limit on the number of units allowed for each of these codes?
3. Do I have a co-pay when I go in for testing and the only codes being billed are 95004 (skin prick testing) and 95024 (intradermal testing)?
4. Is there a limit to the number of units allowed for 95165 (allergy immunotherapy), and if so, what is the limit?
5. Is there a co-pay required for 95115 or 95117 (weekly allergy shots)? If so, is it my regular co-pay or is it reduced?

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