We have several new pages on our website! These include a page with information for suppliers, and a page to help patients find suppliers who will be ready to accept Medicare claims on January 1st.
Earlier this week, the Lymphedema Advocacy Group was honored as a finalist for a RareVoice award! Several pictures from the event are below.
This award celebrates advocates and organizations who help amplify the voice of the rare disease community in state and federal policy on Capitol Hill. As part of the nomination process, we were asked to submit short, personal videos explaining our work and why we became advocates. We thought you would enjoy seeing these four video submissions from members of our Board:
- Heather Ferguson, Founder & Executive Director
- Sarah Bramblette, Board Chair
- Bill McCann, Board Member
- Becky Sharp, Board Member
A highlight of the event included being able to personally thank Congressman Guthrie (seen lower left in the photos below) and Congressman Tonko (seen upper left in the photos below) for their strong support of the Lymphedema Treatment Act as the bill worked its way through Congress.
The group photo includes members of our Board and other long-time advocates for the LTA, as well as my son Dylan (pictured far left). Dylan was born with primary lymphedema, and as you can hear me explain in the video above, it was the denial of his compression garments that inspired me to become an advocate and dedicate myself to improving insurance coverage for lymphedema treatment.
Lastly, if you have any insurance plan other than traditional Medicare, and you haven’t reached out to them yet to urge them to offer the same comprehensive coverage that traditional Medicare beneficiaries will be receiving starting January 1st, the instructions for doing so are at the bottom of this newsletter, and on our Take Action page. Thank you so much for your continued advocacy!
Heather Ferguson
Founder & Executive Director
Lymphedema Advocacy Group
LymphedemaTreatmentAct.org
2023 RareVoice Awards Ceremony in Washington, DC
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Below is a summary of the LTA final rule. You can read the full 65 pages here. We have also inserted notes into our group’s public comment document, which can be read here, to indicate which of our comments were incorporated into the final rule.
The final rule is a huge victory for patients, but our work is not done yet. Please visit our Take Action page if you have any insurance plan other than traditional Medicare and haven’t contacted your own insurance provider yet.
Lymphedema Treatment Act Final Rule Coverage Summary
What will be covered:
- Custom and standard fit daytime and nighttime garments.
- Custom and standard fit gradient compression wraps with adjustable straps.
- Bandaging supplies for any phase of treatment.
- Accessories including but not limited to donning and doffing aids, padding, fillers, linings, and zippers.
Frequency allowances:
- Daytime garments – 3 sets (one garment for each affected body part) every six months, standard or custom fit, or a combination of both
- Nighttime garments – 2 sets (one garment for each affected body part) every two years, standard or custom fit, or a combination of both
- Bandaging supplies – no set limit in the rule.
- Accessories – no set limit, will be determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the needs of the patient.
Coverage requirements:
- To be eligible for the above coverage, a patient must have been diagnosed with lymphedema and have a prescription for the compression supplies.
- The coverage will begin January 1, 2024. There will be no retroactive coverage, meaning, you cannot submit claims for any garments or supplies purchased or ordered before 1/1/2024.
Codes and reimbursement rates:
- Starting next year, there will be 81 HCPSC codes specifically for lymphedema compression supplies, most of which are new, and the rule also outlines the process for the creation of additional codes in the future if needed.
- The corresponding reimbursement rates for these codes will be released soon and are not included in the rule.
Deductibles and copay:
- For traditional Medicare — these supplies will be covered under Part B, so the annual Part B deductible and 20% coinsurance apply to all compression supplies.
- For Medicare Advantage and all other types of insurance — out-of-pocket costs will vary depending on the specific terms of your plan. It is likely that your compression supplies will be subject to the same copay and deductibles as supplies covered under the DMEPOS (Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetic and Orthotic Supplies) section of your policy.
PLEASE NOTE: The final rule also outlines the process for making future changes to and/or additions to coverage if/when needed. This is very important, and ensures we will not be in the position of needing to get another law passed if adjustments to the coverage need to be made, or if new treatment supplies become available and need to be added to coverage.
Together, our advocacy made all of this possible!
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