Weaving reimbursement of surgical dressings into the plan of treatment.

Caring for chronic wounds in today's rapidly changing healthcare environment can present a variety of challenges to the nurse. The risk of these challenges being transformed into obstacles is exacerbated by a lack of knowledge of the reimbursement mechanisms for the dressings needed for wound management. A clear and current understanding of reimbursement should be integrated into the plan of treatment. This article attempts to clarify present Medicare policy for coverage and reimbursement of dressings utilized for chronic wound care.