Comfort Shoe Specialists
11693 Manchester Rd
St. Louis, MO 63131
314-822-3300
MEDICARE
COVERAGE FOR THERAPEUTIC SHOES AND ORTHOTIC DEVICES FOR PERSONS WITH DIABETES
You
are covered for a pair of extra depth shoes and orthotic devices per calendar
year if you are diabetic with one of the following conditions:
1.
Peripheral Neuropathy with
callusing
2.
History of Pre-ulcerative calluses
3.
Foot deformity
4.
Previous amputation of any part of the foot
5.
History of previous ulceration
6.
Poor circulation
Medicare
will reimburse you the following after receiving your prescribed shoes and
orthoses from a Medicare provider.
80%
of $123.82 on Shoes
80%
of $75.38 on Orthotic Devices
80%
of $371.40 on Custom Made Shoes
You must have a prescription from a doctor before receiving your shoes and orthotic devices. The prescription must have a diagnosis regarding your diabetes and one of the 6 conditions above and the Rx for extra depth orthopedic shoes and accommodative orthotic devices.
Latest News from the Medical Journal Diabetes Care
80% of all diabetic related amputations can be prevented with proper shoes and inserts! Diabetes is an epidemic that is a world wide threat.
Results of new study show that patients with custom insoles can prevent amputations. Insoles are available to seniors and paid for by Medicare.
Compared with regular shoes, therapeutic footwear insoles of various types prevent foot ulcers in patients with diabetes, according to the results of a new study. As a result, the need for amputation could be reduced.
As described in the medical journal Diabetes Care, Dr. Vijay Viswanathan, of the Hospital for Diabetes and Diabetes Research Centre in Royapuram, and colleagues compared the effectiveness of different types of footwear insoles in 241 diabetic patients with previous foot ulcers and those considered at high risk for foot ulcers.
On average, the patients were 58 years old and had been living with diabetes for 12 years. One hundred of them were given sandals with insoles made with microcellular rubber, 59 were given sandals with polyurethane foam, 32 were provided with molded insoles, while the remaining 50 used their own footwear containing leather board insoles.
After 9 months of follow-up, the investigators found that patients using therapeutic footwear had significantly lower foot pressures than the regular-footwear group.
The rate of new ulcers in the regular-footwear group was 33 percent, much higher than the 3 to 4 percent rates seen in the groups wearing special insoles, the authors report.
They conclude: "Use of this footwear is recommended to reduce ulceration and, consequently, the amputation rate in the diabetic population." Diabetes Care, February 2004.