Policy Tracker

Below is a listing of recently issued draft and final regulations, guidance documents and local coverage determinations, as well as legislation and other policies relevant to wound care. Visit the Coalition's comments page to review the comments we have submitted related to many of these policy publications.

Local Coverage Decisions (LCDs)

Sept. 2017: Novitas policy on Wound Care (L35125) - Final
June 2017: DMEMAC Surgical Dressing LCD (L33831) and policy article – Final
May 2017: DMEMACs LCD on Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Pumps (L33821) – Final
March 2017: DMEMACs coverage updates with a revised NPWT policy that included the new NPUAP staging terminology. See LCD and policy article
March 2017: Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation (WPS) draft LCD on wound care (DL37228)
Feb. 2017: Novitas Solutions draft LCD on treatment of varicose veins of the lower extremities (DL34924)
Jan. 2017: First Coast Service Option draft LCD on wound care (DL37166)
Jan. 2017: Novitas Solutions draft LCD on wound care (DL35125)

National Coverage Decisions (NCDs)

May 2017: CMS Decision Memo Supervised Exercise Therapy (SET) for Symptomatic Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)
April 2017: CMS Decision Memo for Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO) Therapy

CMS Regulations

Prospective Payment System (PPS) Regulations - proposed and final

May 2018: Proposed FY2019 PPS for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF)
May 2018: Proposed FY2019 Revisions to Inpatient Hospital Prospective Payment System
Nov. 2017: Final Hospital Outpatient PPS
Nov. 2017: Final Physician Fee Schedule
Nov. 2017: Final Home Health Agency PPS
Nov. 2017: Final Skilled Nursing Facility PPS
Oct. 2017: FY2018 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long Term Care Hospital (LTCH) PPS Changes
April 2017: CMS' Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System and Fiscal Year 2018 Rates for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospitals
Jan. 2017: CMS’s OPPS update transmittal includes changes to the high cost/low cost CTP assignments in light of updated data.

Quality Payment Program and MACRA implementation regulations - proposed and final

Nov. 2017: Quality Physician Payment Program
June 2017: CMS CY 2018 Updates to MACRA’s Quality Payment Program and fact sheet
Oct. 2016: Quality Payment Program; Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Alternative Payment Model (APM) Incentive Under the Physician Fee Schedule, and Criteria for Physician-Focused Payment Models
December 2016 – CMS updates to Patient Relationship Categories and Codes
May 2016: CMS proposed Patient Relationship Categories and Codes
May 2016: Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Alternative Payment Models (APMs) in Medicare Fee-for-Service (CMS-5517-P)
Nov. 2016: Medicare Program; Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Alternative Payment Model (APM) Incentive Under the Physician Fee Schedule, and Criteria for Physician-Focused Payment Models

Miscellaneous - CMS

Sept. 2017: CMS Request for Information regarding the direction of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation Center (CMMI)
July 2017: CMS Withdrawal of Part B Drug Payment Model Proposal