The Boston Children's Hospital Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Enhancement is one of the largest pediatric otolaryngology programs in the U.S. Whether this is your first visit to Boston Children's — or one of many — we know the experience can be stressful for your child and family.
Planning ahead and being prepared helps ease the way and decrease your wait. Included in this section are some helpful tips on making an appointment, what to bring with you, where we see patients, and the types and locations of tests that your child might need.
Insurance and financial information
There are three separate fees associated with ORL surgery.
Facility fee: billed by the hospital
Anesthesia fee: billed by the Anesthesia Foundation
Surgeon's fee: billed by the Otolaryngologic Foundation
When contacting the ORL Foundation, please have your bill handy as you will be asked your account number and your child's date of birth.
Billing inquiry contact information:
Phone: 508-947-8131
Toll-free: 1-800-488-3858
Fax: 508-947-7956
Mailing Address:
CHMC Otolaryngologic Foundation
P.O. Box 4162
Woburn, MA 01888-4162
All other programs are billed through the hospital.
Outpatient appointments
To make an appointment, call 617-355-6462 or go to our programs and services page to select the program or service that your child needs — or have your child's pediatrician call us for a second opinion or a referral.
What to bring to an appointment
Doctor's or specialist's name
Name and telephone number of your referring physician
Insurance card(s)
Co-payment and referral for your insurance, if applicable
Medical or personal records, such as X-rays or lab tests. If you are unsure what to bring, call us.
A list of your child's medications
A list of questions you may have
Your child's and your Social Security numbers (for insurance purposes)
Any forms mailed to you by the ORL department
Books, games, snacks, formula, diapers, change of baby clothes, or other necessities; please do not bring food if your child must fast for testing
Return patients: What to bring
Insurance and demographic information is verified at every visit. Please bring your insurance card with you to every visit.
If your insurance, address, or phone number should change, please notify us so that we can update this information. This will help us in the event we need to contact you.
Pre-operative informational series
Download these booklets to learn more about common conditions requiring surgery and what you can expect before, during and after the operation: