by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jul 9, 2026 | Nutrition & Wound Healing, Obesity & Wound Care
Since most patients with chronic non-healing wounds are obese, I have been watching the “GLP-1 revolution” with interest. I have described the hopeless feeling of seeing one obese patient after another with chronic wounds (some of whom fall asleep while you are...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jul 7, 2026 | Cellular / Tissue-Based Products, CTP / Skin Substitutes
–The legal fight over how Medicare pays for skin substitutes is back in court! Here’s a guest blog by Dr. Ryan Mathis to explain it. Caroline On June 22, 2026, the CAMPs Initiative refiled its lawsuit challenging the skin substitute reimbursement provisions of...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jul 6, 2026 | Cellular / Tissue-Based Products, CTP / Skin Substitutes
Just in time for the 4th of July holiday! CMS just released the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment proposed rule! There was no change to the skin subsitute payment rate in OPPS. The Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule will be out shortly, but CMS already seems...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jun 24, 2026 | Data-Driven Wound Care
“Wounds” has just released The Wound Care Collaborative Community’s (WCCC) proposed addendum to the now 20 year old Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Guidance document on chronic wounds. The 2006 FDA guidance predates two decades of scientific progress, so the WCCC...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jun 23, 2026 | Healthcare Payment Policy, Medicare Audits, US Wound Registry
Medicare payment rates have fallen about 33% since 2001 as inflation continues to rise. Physician payment is the only aspect of US healthcare payment policy that is not tied to inflation. Physicians are closing their doors because they can’t afford to stay in...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jun 15, 2026 | Cellular / Tissue-Based Products, CTP / Skin Substitutes
Dr. Fife – It has recently come to my attention that several hospitals, physicians, and qualified healthcare professionals continue to report modifiers JZ and JW for the application of non‑BLA (Biologics License Application) skin substitute grafts, also referred to as...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jun 12, 2026 | Cellular / Tissue-Based Products, CTP / Skin Substitutes
Hi Dr. Fife – I just finished reading your blog on whether audit activity will decline now that overall expenses have come down. It’s an interesting question and, on the surface, a reasonable assumption. In practice, though, the financial return is simply too strong,...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jun 10, 2026 | Fight the Good Fight
Percent Area Reduction (PAR) is a concept that wound care practitioners have been talking about for decades as a predictor of wound healing/surrogate endpoint. Well, set aside what you think you know about PAR. Check out this excellent blog by Zweli Tunyiswa which...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jun 8, 2026 | Cellular / Tissue-Based Products, CTP / Skin Substitutes
Check out attorney Knicole Emanuel’s recent blog post, written to wound care practitioners, “Medicare Auditors Are Not Wound Care Specialists: Why Providers Win Appeals When the Full Story Finally Gets Read”! Her post reinforces the reports I am hearing,...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jun 3, 2026 | Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Every day, wound care practitioners see patients with life- and limb-threatening wounds. It’s a highly diverse group of patients because there’s almost no limit to the awful things that can happen to a person such as crush injuries, severe open fractures, amputations...
