New Medicare policy may harm patients instead of fraudsters

Access to quality health care while supporting free market competition is a bedrock principle of our health care system. That principle is especially important in Arizona’s 6th District, which is home to a large network of hospitals, rural health care providers, and an aging, retired population. I am committed to advancing common-sense, bipartisan solutions that address the most pressing challenges facing our health care system. That’s why I’ve supported and helped introduce dozens of bipartisan bills to make our health care system work better for everyday Arizonans. For example, I introduced legislation to help people with disabilities access Medicaid coverage. I supported a bill to expand research and preventive care for women facing lung cancer. I also backed legislation to give children better access to life-saving treatments. All of these efforts are focused on expanding care options for patients and encouraging new medical treatments — and they have bipartisan support. There is another imminent threat that must be addressed and that’s for treatment of senior citizens’ chronic wounds. On Jan. 1, 2026, Medicare’s 2026 Physician Fee Schedule took effect, greatly limiting access to chronic wound treatments and endangering patients, in the name of tackling fraud. Millions of Americans suffer from these hard-to-heal chronic wounds and require the use of skin substitutes, which physicians use to improve patient outcomes, especially in elderly patients. Many of these products are made from amniotic membranes and are highly effective in treating persistent and chronic wounds, such as diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers, and pressure wounds. These treatments don’t just help patients heal — they also save Medicare money. By preventing serious complications like infections or amputations, they save about $4,000 per patient each year. Without access to these treatments, many patients would face life-threatening infections or even lose limbs. In fact, experts estimate that a shortage could lead to hundreds of thousands of amputations and nearly 200,000 preventable deaths. Access to these treatments is especially vital for my constituents, many of whom are at high-risk of diabetic foot ulcers and related complications. I represent nearly 80,000 veterans, 212,000 seniors and 8,000 Native Americans. Veterans and Native Americans have nearly twice the rate of diabetes as found in the general population, and about one-third of seniors have diabetes. An estimated 15 percent of diabetics develop a foot ulcer, with 6 percent subsequently hospitalized due to infection or other ulcer-related complications, including amputations. Mortality rates within one year of ulcer diagnosis are approximately 10 percent. With thousands of my constituents at high-risk, I believe access to life-saving medical treatments must be preserved. Earlier this year, President Trump posted that he would not allow this access to lapse. He made good on that promise on Dec. 24 by withdrawing official local coverage determinations that threatened access to these treatments. I applaud the president for the decision and am committed to continuing my work on this issue and other bipartisan solutions to preserve access to this critically important treatment, especially now on the related physician fee schedule. Even with the withdrawal of the local coverage determinations that would have harmed my constituents, Medicare still must revise its latest physician fee schedule to ensure patients can still receive life-saving skin substitute treatments. Medicare should work with the Office of Inspector General to tackle fraud and abuse, but let’s not throw the good out with the bad by cutting access to affordable care for my most vulnerable constituents. Arizonans and Americans living with chronic wounds shouldn’t pay the price to address legitimate but narrowly focused problems. My focus is on patients and their families, and I’m committed to working with the administration and Congress to make sure they can continue to access skin substitutes and other critical treatments. For many patients, this care truly makes the difference. Lives and limbs depend on it. Juan Ciscomani represents Arizona’s 6th District in Congress.