by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Apr 15, 2024 | Fight the Good Fight, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced plans to test prior authorization (PA) for 40 services related to blepharoplasty, botulinum toxin injections, rhinoplasty, panniculectomy, and vein ablation performed in Ambulatory Surgical...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Apr 12, 2024 | Fight the Good Fight, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
As anyone knows who has treated a patient with late effects of radiation to the bladder, the impact of HBO2 can be dramatic in terms of improving life-altering symptoms like radiation cystitis which causes bleeding and pain with urination. Some patients can bleed so...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jan 12, 2024 | Dr. Helen Gelly, Fight the Good Fight, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Guest Post by Dr. Helen Gelly A new paper has been published open source in Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine (UHM) about physician supervision of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). You can access the paper ahead of print here: Trends in Physician Supervision of...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Dec 22, 2023 | Fight the Good Fight, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Here’s some welcome news hot off the press from John Peters, the Executive Director of the UHMS! –Caroline Dear Caroline, Thank you for inviting me again to contribute an update on the 2024 HOPD G0277 final error. Yesterday afternoon, we received notification...
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 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 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...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Nov 29, 2023 | Dr. Helen Gelly, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Tis the season for surprises, but not all of them are joyous, and some are downright disasters. Unfortunately, the surprise CMS dropped in November cannot be passed on at your next white elephant holiday party. There have been a lot of questions and angst surrounding...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Nov 20, 2023 | Fight the Good Fight, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Medicare Audits
I am posting a series of articles with information directly from the websites of the various MACs. Anyone can access this and I feel a little silly posting it, but several clinicians have told me about audits they are undergoing and they had not paid attention either...