What treatment for lymphedema will Medicare pay for?

Answer 1

Shane, it depends on if you have plain medicare or managed medicare. They will cover some therapy called Complete or Complex Decongestive therapy which is a medical massage of sorts performed by a lymphedema therapist. The therapist you chose to treat with MUST be certified and be a physical therapist. The new rulings state that you cannot be treated by a RN, licensed massage therapist or any other professional which the lymphedema patients and advocates are fighting. Medicare may or may not pay for wraps, compression garments as well, it depends of if you have plain or managed medicare. You are allowed a certain number of visits per lifetime, we are fighting this, and just recently it can be where your doctor can establish that you need more care.

If you are interested, my website is http://www.lymphland.com and I run an online support group, feel free to look around and join if you wish. We have a chat coming up on Sunday this week that you could come to and ask live questions to us.