by Caroline Fife, M.D. | May 6, 2020 | COVID-19, COVID-19 & HBOT, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
What is “Off-label” Use of HBOT? Hyperbaric oxygen chambers are medical devices that are cleared for marketing and use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for 13 indications, based on a list originally compiled by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Apr 20, 2020 | COVID-19, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Our “COVID-19 Diaries” guest blogger gave us her thoughts about HBOT for COVID-19 through the lens of a pulmonary/critical care physician. HBOT may have promise in reducing the need for intubation and improving lung recovery. I have gotten a lot of comments and emails...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Apr 4, 2020 | COVID-19, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
UPDATE 4/6/20: A pilot study on HBOT for COVID-19 is starting in New York. Chen and colleagues have reported the results of 5 patients with severe to moderate Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). Patients received a...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Feb 26, 2020 | Healthcare Payment Policy, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Medicare review contractors (Medicare Administrative Contractors, Recovery Audit Contractors and the Supplemental Medical Review Contractor) develop and maintain lists of reasons for denying payment for Medicare covered services like hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT)....
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Feb 14, 2020 | Healthcare Payment Policy, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
I was asked to take a look at a 50-page report on a wound center’s post-payment review of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) services. Nearly all the wounds that were treated were truly limb-threatening, and most of the patients got better. Unfortunately, their...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jan 23, 2020 | Healthcare Payment Policy, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
The PA project accomplished its objective. HBOT utilization is now at a 10-year low, although that’s not entirely due to the completed prior authorization project. It is unfortunate CMS did not report how much the project cost to implement. We know it’s pointless to...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jan 10, 2020 | Healthcare Payment Policy, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Check out this CMS summary regarding the HBOT prior authorization program! mpa-hbo-fnlevalrpt-fg Caroline Fife, M.D.Dr. Fife is a world renowned wound care physician dedicated to improving patient outcomes through quality driven care. Please visit my blog...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Dec 18, 2019 | Health Information Technology and Wound Care, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, US Wound Registry
Nearly every week I get a question about the different registry participation options for wound care and hyperbaric medicine. We need all the data we can get in the fields of wound care and hyperbaric medicine. The thought process should not be that one approach is...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Oct 8, 2019 | Healthcare Payment Policy, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Guest blog post by Dick Clarke of National Baromedical Services On August 1 of this year, a bill entitled the “North Carolina Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Treatment and Recovery Act” (House Bill 50 / SL 2019-175)...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 25, 2019 | Fight the Good Fight, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Have you ever seen an oxygen toxicity seizure? You can see one on this You Tube, produced by the U.S. Navy many years ago. Here are the verbatim comments of hyperbaric technicians (from the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Registry) who observed oxygen seizures during...
