ABOUT THE ISSUE
Medicare is drastically limiting coverage and payments for critical wound care products, leaving patients at risk of infection, amputation, and death and providers unable to provide care.
STOP MEDICARE FROM LIMITING ACCESS
Millions of Americans suffer from chronic wounds that are hard to heal and require the use of skin substitutes, which physicians use because they improve patient outcomes. Many of these products are made from amniotic membranes (donated human placental tissue after birth) and are highly effective in treating persistent and chronic wounds, such as diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers, and pressure wounds. Patients rely on skin substitute products to avoid limb amputations, which double the risk of dying within five years for diabetic patients.
Take Action Now
Medicare is proposing greatly reducing physician payments so drastically many providers may be unable to provide patient care, particularly to rural patients. Write to Medicare to tell them we need a physician payment rate that works for everyone – patients, Medicare, providers, and the skin substitute community. Act immediately to stop them.
Take Action by December 31
On January 1, Medicare will drastically limit coverage for critical wound care products, leaving patients at risk of infection, amputation and death.
Due to an abrupt decision by seven Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to eliminate coverage, these proven wound care therapies may no longer be accessible to you and your loved ones. Their proposal would deny coverage for over 200 skin substitute products, leaving only 15 covered products to serve Medicare beneficiaries nationwide and substantially reducing the number of therapies allowed per patient.
Any day, Medicare is set to cut physician payments and coverage for wound care — a change that could nearly eliminate access to life- and limb-saving treatment for millions of Americans.
HHS wants to Make America Healthy Again, but this broken policy will only make diabetics and seniors sicker, while taxpayers foot the hospital bill for millions.
