by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 18, 2024 | Cellular / Tissue-Based Products, CTP / Skin Substitute Arrests
Hi Dr. Fife, I’m sure you’re receiving plenty of feedback on this topic, but regarding your question about whether providers can receive discounts on ASP products, I’ve consistently been told the answer is yes… at least, I hope it’s yes—otherwise, we’re all in...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 17, 2024 | Fight the Good Fight, Miscellaneous Musings
Today is National Physician Suicide Awareness Day. Suicide among physicians is a shockingly big problem. Suicide is usually the result of a long sequence of negative and self-defeating thoughts. It’s what happens after you lose “the battle in your mind.” I admit...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 16, 2024 | Cellular / Tissue-Based Products, CTP / Skin Substitutes, Fight the Good Fight
Joe Rolly posted a fantastic article explaining the pathways by which various CTPs/skin subs come to market, and what that means in terms of the claims that sales representatives can make. Because amniotic products are the fastest growing sector of the market, I am...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 13, 2024 | Cellular / Tissue-Based Products, CTP / Skin Substitutes, Fight the Good Fight
I am genuinely trying to understand what is “allowed” and what isn’t when it comes to CTPs/skin subs in the office-based and “mobile”. Everyone has heard about what happened to the owners of a CTP/skin sub company in Arizona. I am trying to understand the scenario...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 12, 2024 | Healthcare Payment Policy
Starting Nov. 18, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) will no longer pay physicians for outpatient or inpatient consultations when they report those services with Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes 99242 – 99245 and 99252 – 99255. According to...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 10, 2024 | Cellular / Tissue-Based Products, CTP / Skin Substitutes, Fight the Good Fight
I am genuinely trying to understand what is “allowed” and what isn’t when it comes to Cellular Tissue Products (CTPs) / skin substitutes in the office-based setting – and that includes the “mobile” practice (which may include skilled nursing and care in the patient’s...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 9, 2024 | Healthcare Payment Policy, Medicare Audits
I have been posting warnings about the increase in Medicare audits, especially for CTPs/skin subs and hyperbaric oxygen therapy for many years. Because everyone was being audited, I KNEW that my hospital-based outpatient department (HOPD) was going to be audited. The...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 5, 2024 | COVID-19, COVID-19 & HBOT, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
(Plus a reminder from me about the possible benefit of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy) To better understand and manage “long COVID”, physicians must first be able to define the condition. It’s been impossible to do that without consensus on the diagnosis. The National...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 4, 2024 | Cellular / Tissue-Based Products, CTP / Skin Substitutes
There’s a “problem” with the proposed LCD on CTPs/skin subs that no one is talking about. It’s a problem we’ve largely ignored for more than 20 years. To explain, I have to go back to 1998 when I was one of several sites for both the Apligraf and the Regranex clinical...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 3, 2024 | Fight the Good Fight, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Dear Dr. Fife, For years you have been asking why it is so hard to do the right thing in wound care. I don’t know the answer, but this case is a great illustration of the problem. Here’s the photo of a patient I recently saw. He has had this diabetic foot ulcer for...
