Alliance of Wound Care Stakeholders

The Alliance of Wound Care Stakeholders has submitted formal comments in response to the Novitas draft local coverage determination (LCD) for hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). The Alliance states that HBOT is a valuable treatment option for improving wound healing in patients with diabetes, radiation complications, compromised flaps and grafts, and complex nonhealing wounds and has contributed to a decrease in the national amputation rate. The Alliance supports the need for an LCD to ensure the safe and effective use of HBOT, but also one that minimizes administrative burdens while still easy to implement and enforce. The Alliance focused its comments on the wound care aspects of HBOT, noting that there are areas in the draft policy in which Novitas provides specific dose and frequency parameters, which are contrary to current standards of practice and, in several instances, cites outdated evidence to substantiate provisions.

Specific areas of the policy on which the Alliance has submitted comments include provider qualifications, skin grafts or flaps, diabetic wounds, and failure-to-respond assessment. Read the complete comments submitted by the Alliance at http://bit.ly/1Pm2gt9. See the Novitas draft LCD at http://bit.ly/1TUYsk1. (Note: This directs you to a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services landing page where you must accept a license/disclaimer, and once accepted, it connects you to the LCD.)

[black up pointing small triangle]Information:http://www.woundcarestakeholders.org