Wound Care for Patients with Lymphedema - Nortonschool

1. Wound Care For Patients With Lymphedema Patients with lymphedema are prone to developing wounds and infections. This is why certified lymphedema therapists (CLTs) and healthcare workers need to know the best practices for lymphedema wound care to manage the condition. It’s also important to be aware of the Medicare guidelines for lymphedema treatment so you can provide solutions that will be covered and ensure relief to your patients. What is covered by Medicare? Lymphedema is an out-of-network or out-of-capitation service, but Medicare covers POT or OT visits for medically necessary services. Patients who only have Medicare A and B will be responsible for 20 percent of the cost of their treatment. However, those with a Medicare supplement can have 20 percent of their treatment covered. Considerations Medically necessary hands-on MLD is one of the covered Medicare services for lymphedema treatment. There is no coverage for lymphedema compression bandage application since it’s considered an unskilled service. This extends to applying high-compression, multi-layered, and sustained bandage systems. Therapists must educate the patient or caregiver about compression bandaging and lymphedema causes and treatment so it can be considered a skilled therapy service. Medicare will cover a brief period of three or fewer sessions if there are no other specific issues identified. High compression bandage application for treating wounds may be coded with CPT 29584 or 29581, but these codes must not be billed for unskilled lymphedema compression bandage application. About lymphedema compression and its benefits Lymphedema causes and treatment will vary per individual. Compression therapy is among the best treatments for most patients because it reduces the amount of edema in the wounded area and stimulates oxygen-rich blood to work and heal the wounds naturally. As therapists initiate treatment, the tissue becomes receptive to more oxygen. It may take time to see results, but the overall healing time for wounds can be reduced by months. Recommendations for patient care Any CLT can provide basic wound care and compression bandages to help treat lymphedema. They should also provide patients with simple dressing changes, a contact layer with direct wound contact, and a secondary absorbent layer without direct wound contact. Therapists must apply a multidisciplinary approach to wound care, including same-day dressing and bandaging. The earlier and more consistent gradient compression therapy is

2. administered, the better it is for the limb. Any additional or prolonged time without compression therapy may result in more congestion, wound colonization, cellulitis infection, and further damage to the lymphatic system. Become more proficient in lymphedema wound care Learn more about Medicare guidelines for lymphedema treatment at Norton School of Lymphatic Therapy. We offer online courses discussing crucial points, such as lymphedema causes and treatment for CLTs and healthcare professionals looking to expand or update their knowledge and qualifications. Norton School online courses are developed to the highest educational standards and offer much of the same specialized content that our physical classroom courses are known for. They provide more variety, flexibility, and lower costs, and can be taken anytime and anywhere. Students have access to the course content for one month after registration, so they can keep reviewing what they learned as much as they want. Additional sources: https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/view/article.aspx?articleId=52959 https://www.oncolink.org/support/side-effects/lymphedema/lymphedema-what-you-need-to -know/insurance-and-lymphedema-treatment#:~:text=Lymphedema%20may%20be%20co nsidered%20an,that%2020%25%20should%20be%20covered.