Insurance

By Janet Wolfson, PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA Reflecting back on "In the Trenches With Lymphedema," WoundSource's June Practice Accelerator webinar, many people sent in questions. I have addressed some regarding compression use here.

By the WoundSource Editors A vast percentage of wounds become chronically stalled because of mixed etiology and other underlying comorbid medical conditions. This means the wound is multifactorial, and using a singular approach won’t be enough. Lower extremity wounds, for example, can have diabetes, venous and arterial issues, and pressure all as factors playing into the same wound.

By Dr. Mark Hinkes, DPM I recently read a synopsis about how Obamacare will affect the type of health care services that will be available in the marketplace and the age groups that will be helped and hurt the most by this new law.1 Not really knowing much about Obamacare, I read the article and ended up feeling deeply disturbed and shocked at what Mr. Obama and the Congress have unleashed upon us. The news is not good for patients with wounds and for those who practice wound care.

By Cathy Wogamon, DNP, MSN, FNP-BC, CWON, CFCN Wound care has evolved into a massive specialty service in the past few decades, with new treatment modalities, advances in care, and thousands of wound care products. On the forefront of advancements in technology and wound care is a new way to provide care to the patient: telehealth.

By Michel H.E. Hermans, MD Your mortgage company will not be able to hike your interest rate by 500% before the maturity date. If they tried, you could sue them for breach of contract and simply go somewhere else. If Mercedes, Hyundai or Ford hiked their prices by 5000%, you would simply visit a different dealership. You have choices and are responsible for these choices.

By Bruce E. Ruben MD Have you noticed that in the fictional future, such as in the Star Trek universe, nobody uses money to pay for medical care? When you get sick, a starship medical officer scans you with a handheld diagnostic device, and then injects you with the perfect cure. No copays or deductibles. No making copies of your driver's license and insurance card. No reimbursements from insurance companies. And no explanation is ever given for how such a free society exists in the future.

By Michel H.E. Hermans, MD The 10 year old son of friends of mine incurred a gash in his right knee. After the injury, he was able to walk without pain in the leg (the gash did hurt, of course) but was taken to the hospital by ambulance. There, an X-ray of the knee was taken which did not show any fractures or other non-skin injuries. The gash was sutured and the patient was referred to an orthopedic surgeon for regular checks of the sutures and for suture removal. Sutures were to be removed 14 days after the accident. On that day, the orthopedic surgeon had no office hours.