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...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Feb 4, 2026 | Cellular / Tissue-Based Products, CTP / Skin Substitutes
Dear Manufacturer of Cellular Tissue Product (CTP) Skin Substitutes, In the past few weeks, the CTP/skin sub market has completely changed and the roadmap for the clinical use of your products is completely different. I thought I’d say the quiet part out loud about...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Feb 2, 2026 | Fight the Good Fight, Quality Payment Program
The problem with boring documents is that they might be vital to your survival – like drug package inserts or the fine print of legal contracts. The situation is made more frustrating because special knowledge is required to understand the fine print and avoid...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jan 29, 2026 | Field Test Report
CMS has posted the Cost Measure Field Test reports on the QPP website! It’s time for you to download yours! Here’s a step by step guide: Here’s a reminder of how to determine whether you might have a Field Test: Below is a step by step guide showing you how to obtain...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jan 27, 2026 | Field Test Report, Quality Payment Program
Official CMS press release: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and its contractor, Acumen, LLC, will conduct field testing from January 29 to February 27, 2026, for three episode-based cost measures. The measures will undergo field testing before...
