# Better Wound Care at Home Act

This bill makes changes to how Medicare pays for a specific type of wound care equipment that people can use at home. The equipment in question is called a disposable negative pressure wound therapy device—basically, it's a portable machine that uses suction to help serious wounds heal faster. These devices are commonly used for diabetic ulcers, surgical wounds, and other injuries that aren't healing well on their own.

Right now, Medicare's payment system for these devices is complicated and confusing. The bill simplifies things by creating a single, straightforward national payment rate for the device itself, separate from the cost of the nurse's visit to set it up. Starting in 2022, instead of having different payment amounts based on where someone lives or other complicated factors, Medicare will pay one set price for the device no matter what. This payment gets added on top of what Medicare already pays home health agencies for regular care visits.

The practical effect is that home health agencies will have an easier time billing Medicare for these devices and won't have to jump through as many administrative hoops. They won't need to track exactly how much time nurses spend applying the device separately from other care, and they can use their standard billing forms instead of special ones. For patients, this could mean faster access to these wound care devices at home, since the payment process is clearer and less burdensome for the agencies providing the care. The bill essentially removes red tape so that people who need this technology can get it without unnecessary delays.

Better Wound Care at Home Act

Butterfield, G. K.

Better Wound Care at Home Act This bill modifies the Medicare payment methodology for disposable negative pressure wound therapy devices. In particular, the bill specifies that payment must be a national payment rate for the device itself and not for related professional services or visits, and must be made as an add-on payment for the device under the prospective payment system for home health services.