by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Mar 12, 2026 | Fight the Good Fight
The New World screwworm (NWS) is endemic in the American tropics and subtropics which includes the countries of South America, Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. However, Central America and Mexico are experiencing an outbreak of NWS with cases in both animals...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Mar 9, 2026 | Fight the Good Fight, Pressure Cooker: Rethinking Pressure Ulcers
In 2006, the National Qualify Forum (NQF) issued a list of 28 Serious Reportable Events (SREs). Fifteen years earlier, I had initiated a major academic wound center and had spent those years trying (and failing) to prevent pressure ulcers in 6 intensive care units...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Mar 2, 2026 | Dr. Helen Gelly, Fight the Good Fight
Medicare’s National Coverage Determination (NCD) 20.29 lists the clinical conditions for which Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is covered by Medicare. The list of conditions for which HBOT is covered includes “diabetic wounds of the lower extremities” (also referred...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Feb 27, 2026 | Fight the Good Fight
The latest CMS reimbursement change affecting wound care is that, as of Jan. 1, 2028, each outpatient off-campus hospital department must use a National Provider Identifier (NPI) separate from the main hospital’s. This might not seem like such a big deal;...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Feb 23, 2026 | Fight the Good Fight
The Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) model has been launched by Medicare in certain states. The model involves the voluntary prior authorization (PA) of certain traditional Medicare Fee for Service (FFS) services including the use of CTPs/skin...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Feb 20, 2026 | Healthcare Payment Policy, Medicare Audits
By Caroline Fife and Lindsay Horst We’ve been asking you to download your Field Test report for the “non-pressure ulcer” Cost Measure. This issue is important because in the future, CMS can claw back Medicare dollars from a wound care practitioner based on their...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Feb 19, 2026 | Fight the Good Fight
Plastic surgeon and wound care practitioner Janet MacKenzie, MD has released a wound care guide for patients and families, “Wound Care at Home: A Guide for Families and Caregivers,” now available from Amazon. We take so much about the basics of wound care...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Feb 10, 2026 | Cellular / Tissue-Based Products, CTP / Skin Substitutes
Medicare audits on CTPs/skin substitutes are ubiquitous and the audits all seem to follow the pattern that Michael Crouch described in his articles The Incredible Journey: Lessons Learned from a “Skin Substitute Graft” Audit – Part One and Here Comes the...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Feb 9, 2026 | Cellular / Tissue-Based Products, CTP / Skin Substitutes
On Jan. 8, 2026, HMP posted the first part of my interview on the Viewpoints section of “Wounds” (HMP Global Learning Network). This segment is about “The Impact of CTP Changes on Provider Types.” You can access content here: The Impact of CTP Changes on Provider...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Feb 6, 2026 | Fight the Good Fight
I had the pleasure of working with an amazing group of podiatrists, biostatisticians and public health experts on a paper that was just published in Clinics in Podiatric Medicine and Surgery, entitled “Walking the Line: How Social Forces Shape Diabetic Foot...
