For the first time since it opened in 1967, the UNCG Speech and Hearing Center is accepting health insurance to cover state employees. In June, the Speech and Hearing Center (SHC) began accepting Aetna for state employees. The clinic is part of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.
“It didn’t feel good that we couldn’t accept insurance for our own people,” said Dr. Lisa Fox-Thomas, professor and assistant director of the SHC. “We wanted to be able to take care of our family, faculty, and staff. UNCG was North Carolina’s first university to be certified as Family Forward NC in 2024, and we believed it was important to align ourselves with that commitment.”
This designation means the University prioritizes work-life balance and has family-friendly policies. When the state of North Carolina switched insurance companies for state employees from Blue Cross-Blue Shield to Aetna, Fox-Thomas said it was an ideal time to pursue accepting insurance.
“We’re a non-profit with a small out-patient clinic,” she said. “We felt that if we were going to take insurance, it would be for faculty and staff.”
In addition to UNCG employees, anyone employed by the state of North Carolina who has the Aetna State Health Plan is covered at the SHC. However, the broader Aetna network is not accepted. The SHC has also been a participating provider with Medicare Part B since 2010 and files claims with many Medicare Advantage plans, including Humana, which covers state retirees.
The SHC began working on getting its providers credentialed for insurance in October 2024, and contracts between UNCG and Aetna were signed in May 2025. The first client appointment covered by insurance occurred in June, with the first claim being approved by Aetna in July. In addition, providers in the SHC are state licensed and nationally certified.
The SHC is a full-service clinic that is open to the public — whether they have state health insurance or not — and offers a range of services that may be hard to find at other clinics. This includes evaluation and treatment of hearing loss, tinnitus, misophonia and other sound sensitivity disorders, cochlear implants, hearing aids, auditory processing disorder, accent modification, fluency disorders, language disorders, phonological disorders, aphasia, traumatic brain injury, and voice care and hygiene.
“We use evidence-based practices and are holistic. We train students and have a responsibility to demonstrate best practices and cutting-edge research and services,” said Lisa McDonald, professor and director of the SHC.
Fox-Thomas said being able to take insurance will enable more clients to find them.
“I think this will help get people in the door and demonstrate how patient-centered and different we are,” Fox-Thomas said. “We have the ability to really get to know our patients and help them.”
That was true for UNCG Social Work Professor Beth Webb. A family member was assessed for tinnitus in summer 2024, but she struggled to find an audiologist in the area who could treat it and accept insurance. Webb said it took several months to even get an appointment with someone. When they did get an appointment, there was a high assessment fee and insurance was not accepted.
After the assessment, Webb said her family member was referred to Fox-Thomas in April 2025 because of her expertise with tinnitus. Webb’s family member has had one appointment at the SHC since Aetna was accepted, with 80% of the visit covered by insurance. Webb said it’s made a huge difference.
“This process has been a long and discouraging one, and the amount of advocacy and work it took to access services for my family member was tremendous,” Webb said. “Being able to use health insurance to get assessment and treatment from Dr. Fox-Thomas has positively impacted my family member’s life.”
Webb also praised the clinicians at the SHC.
“Dr. Fox-Thomas is incredible. She’s an expert in treating tinnitus and the Triad is lucky to have her,” Webb said. “I’m hopeful more individuals and families will be able to access services as a result of (the SHC) now accepting Aetna.”
Appointments can be scheduled over the phone or online. More information can be found here: https://shc.uncg.edu/appointments/.
By Sarah Newell