October 4, 2017 – A new study published online in the International Society For Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research’s (ISPOR) Value in Health journal demonstrates the economic impact of chronic nonhealing wounds in Medicare patients. The findings highlight the need for Federal research funding, quality measures and reimbursement models that are relevant to wound care. Such measures are not currently included under Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) payment policies, including the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA).
The study, “An Economic Evaluation of the Impact, Cost, and Medicare Policy Implications of Chronic Nonhealing Wounds,” analyzed the Medicare 5% Limited Data Set for calendar year 2014 and determined that chronic nonhealing wounds impact nearly 15% (8.2 million) of Medicare beneficiaries, far more than suggested by previous studies. Furthermore, conservative estimates for total Medicare annual spending for all wound types ranged from $28.1 billion to $31.7 billion. Treatment and management of infected or re-opened (dehisced) surgical wounds account for the highest per-wound costs. Hospital outpatient care drove the highest site-of-service costs, demonstrating the shift from hospital inpatient to outpatient services in the wound care space …