History & Accomplishment

AAWCM was created when the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Association (HOTA) determined the need to include all of wound care services as part of its initiatives and joined forces with a coalition of wound care management organizations. The goal was for all of wound care: wound centers managers, providers, HBO chamber manufacturers, wound equipment and product supply companies, and practitioners - to speak with one voice on wound care payment and healthcare related policy.

Over the last several years the organization has realized significant achievements including the following;

• Successfully corrected the initial payment rate for hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) through a three year process of working in conjunction with Congress and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), formerly, the Health Care Finance Administration, (HCFA).
• Gained CMS approval for a new HBOT coverage indication for Diabetic Lower Extremity Ulcer (Wagner Stage III or greater) through a three year process of literature review, research and education.
• Stabilized payment rates over the past several years for HBOT by working collaboratively with CMS and the Lewin Group, a noted Washington based consulting firm.
• Achieved recognition of and support for AAWCM from the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee by proactively lobbying the Chairs, Subcommittee Chairs and key members of the House and Senate.
• Annually submitted comments to CMS in a timely manner in response to all proposed regulatory issues pertaining to both wound care and HBOT.
• Participated in meetings with CMS to challenge the proposal that wound size be used as a determinant for Evaluation and Management (E/M) level assignment. The meeting succeeded in establishing that wound size was unrelated to service level.
• Convened a panel of wound care practitioners and other wound experts to develop a Level of Care Scoring Tool for hospital outpatient wound clinics.
• Organized and submitted comments on numerous wound related Local Coverage Decisions to Fiscal Intermediaries and Medicare Administrative Contractors.