by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Dec 20, 2023 | Fight the Good Fight, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Here’s a link to the public comments that have been posted on the final rule. (I’ve posted this link searching specifically for those on hyperbaric oxygen therapy.) This link reflects a search for comments related to the Final Rule. Well done everyone who took the...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Dec 20, 2023 | Cellular / Tissue-Based Products, CTP / Skin Substitutes, Fight the Good Fight
Dear Dr. Fife, I thought people should understand what happens to doctors who play by the rules when it comes to the use of Cellular Tissue-Based Products / Skin Substitutes in their private office. Here’s a spreadsheet explaining what happens to my practice (office...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Dec 19, 2023 | Fight the Good Fight
The response to the proposed 41.5% cut in the hospital facility fees for HBOT in 2024 has been impressive. Many large hospital systems have told CMS that they will close their hyperbaric operations if the proposed cut is implemented. Rapid response by the Undersea and...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Dec 18, 2023 | Fight the Good Fight
Mobile wound care is one of the fastest growing areas of our field. I had the opportunity to spend the day with Dr. Haresh Kane and Dr. Michael Jensen as they made rounds on patients with wounds in a skilled nursing facility. I wanted to understand this kind of...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Dec 15, 2023 | Fight the Good Fight, Healthcare Payment Policy, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Guest Post by John Peters, Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) Executive Director Caroline, Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to provide an update on the 2024 Final Rule and rate for APC 5061 / Code G0277 (hyperbaric oxygen per 30-minute segment)....
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Dec 13, 2023 | Fight the Good Fight, US Wound Registry
We just published an article about the impact of underlying conditions on Quality-of-Life (QOL) measurement among patients with chronic wounds which sheds new light on the use of QOL assessment as well as the underlying medical complexity of these patients. On the...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Dec 11, 2023 | Fight the Good Fight
The day after Thanksgiving, I underwent an emergency laparotomy for an internal herniation of the small bowel. I haven’t made a secret of the fact that I had weight loss surgery about 18 years ago. A “Peterson’s internal hernia” is a rare but known complication of...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Dec 8, 2023 | Fight the Good Fight, Medicare Audits
This is part of my series of articles about Useful Information on Medicare Audits. Here are the “reasons for denial” codes for hyperbaric oxygen therapy posted on the Palmetto website. Although they are posted on the Palmetto website, these come from CMS and thus are...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Dec 5, 2023 | Fight the Good Fight, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Medicare Audits
This is part of my series of articles about Useful Information on Medicare Audits. Noridian is the MAC for Medicare A/B of: Region E: California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands Region F: Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota,...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Dec 1, 2023 | Fight the Good Fight, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) working in collaboration with the Alliance of Wound Care Stakeholders and many other organizations is asking for your help to stop the proposed drastic cut in facility fees for hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Please follow...
