Your Wound Care Questions Answered

If you’ve just had surgery, you typically cannot see a wound care provider right away unless there’s a new, unrelated issue. Insurance generally won’t cover new visits related to the surgery until after a 90-day global period has passed. During this time, follow-up care such as wound checks, suture removal, and routine post-surgical visits are included in the original surgical cost and are not billed separately. This means you must wait the full 90 days before insurance will cover a new visit related to the surgery, including wound care, unless a separate medical problem arises.

Weekly monitoring of wound care is important for several reasons. Regular assessments help catch signs of infection or complications before they worsen. They also help your provider see if the treatment is working. Since wounds can change quickly, seeing your wound care provider at least once a week may help prevent the wound from becoming chronic.

Absolutely. This is a common question we receive at Wound Wellness. We collaborate closely with home health agencies, maintaining open communication and jointly monitoring patients' wounds. In fact, when Wound Wellness works in conjunction with a home health provider, dressing changes and wound care can often be performed more frequently and efficiently.

It depends. For instance, if a dermatologist or podiatrist is actively treating your skin wound, insurance may not cover a visit to Wound Wellness for the same condition. However, if for instance you are going to your podiatrist for a nail trim, that will not be an insurance issue.

In some cases, a PCP referral is needed. For instance, some HMO insurances will need a referral.

Scheduling patterns vary, based on an individual's specific needs. If a home health is involved, appointments will be scheduled alongside them, typically alternating days, ensuring that dressing changes are adequately met.