C-TAC applauds the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for taking decisive action in the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) to cap payments for high-cost skin substitutes — a long-overdue step to curb fraud, abuse, and patient harm.
For years, predatory practices have targeted some of Medicare’s most vulnerable beneficiaries — including homebound individuals living with dementia, kidney failure, or serious illness. These patients have been subjected to unnecessary, painful wound care procedures using expensive and often unproven products, sometimes costing millions of dollars, with little evidence of benefit.
💔 The human toll has been devastating:
- In one case, a patient received $10 million worth of skin substitutes before passing away the next month.
- Another endured $4 million in wound care over just three months — care that failed to prevent infection and resulted in amputation.
CMS’s new payment cap and oversight reforms represent a major victory for patients and families, helping to restore integrity to Medicare’s most promising care models, including ACO REACH High Needs, which serves individuals with serious illness.
C-TAC and our partners at Accountable for Health strongly support this action and will continue advocating for accountability, transparency, and person-centered care across the healthcare system.
✅ Spread the word: Share this important development with your networks.
✅ Read more: Explore the Health Affairs blog by C-TAC Senior Medical Advisor Dr. Kris Smith for a detailed breakdown.
✅ Join us: Help elevate stories of patients and families affected by these harmful practices — because real change begins with real voices.
Together, we can protect dignity, comfort, and trust in care — and ensure that innovation serves patients, not profits.
