Lymphedema

Last week, President Biden signed the Omnibus bill for 2022. With the signing of this, the Lymphedema Treatment Act was approved. This is a huge victory and is another step towards making sure that everyone is treated fairly and has better access to healthcare.   This was no small victory, and so many of our EW members contributed to helping pass this bill. This has been a long road to success, but with teamwork and everyone coming together, messaging legislators, and resilience, we

Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed the Lymphedema Treatment Act. This bill will improve coverage for medical compression supplies necessary for patients suffering from lymphedema. Currently, Medicare does not cover one of the most critical therapeutic treatments for lymphedema, an incurable disease affecting 3 million Americans. Lymphedema produces an accumulation of fluid and swelling in the extremities of the body caused by damage to the lymphatic system, most commonly caused

By: Brittney Gray, Founder and Owner, Revamped Beauty Revamped Beauty is a 501c3 public charitable organization in Birmingham, Alabama. Our mission is to empower men and women to live their most beautiful lives in the face of a breast cancer diagnosis by providing access to specialized medical equipment and services. Revamped Beauty works in our community to spread awareness of the obstacles that patients endure after receiving a breast cancer diagnosis. We focus on providing resources that help

If you’re a mastectomy fitter, you’ve probably been asked by one of your clients about lymphedema and when a patient should see their doctor about a swollen arm or limb. Did you know that lymphedema can be prevented or the severity lessened? ImpediMed has recently introduced a new lymphedema diagnostic test that can help detect lymphedema even before patients feel any signs or symptoms. Healthcare providers can measure a person’s L-Dex score using the SOZO device allowing for

By: Christopher Miles, OTR/L, CLT, CWCA It is interesting to look back in life and try to make sense of the decisions we make. As an occupational therapist working in a hospital for many years, I jumped ship and landed in an oncology center during the dawn of oncology rehabilitation and the newer specialty of lymphedema care. This is a decision that I will never regret. There were many rewards and challenges that fueled the success of my professional career. With medical advancements

By: Mark Rabe, Vice President Business Development, lmpediMed  This article was first featured in the 1st Quarter 2020 issue of Essential Advantage.  Cancer-related lymphedema currently affects about one-third of patients who have undergone surgery, radia­tion, or chemotherapy. It is painful, incurable, and lifelong. However, it can be prevented ... but only if it's caught early and treated.  The forefront of cancer-related lymphedema prevention:  TEST,

On December 12, the Lymphedema Treatment Act was passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 230 to 192. The LTA bill was recently rolled into H.R. 3, the Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019. H.R. 3 provides the authority, mandate and tools for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate to lower the price of drugs and caps annual out-of-pocket costs in Medicare Part D. The language for the Lymphedema Treatment Act is included by expanding

By: Krista Barnett, Marketing Manager, medi USA This article was originally featured in the Third Quarter 2019 Essential Advantage. Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. In 2019, it's estimated that about 30% of newly diagnosed cancers in women will be breast cancers.  The incidence of lymphedema post-breast cancer treatment varies from patient-to-patient depending on the severity of the treatment procedure, with the number

A recent research study recently found that home-based exercise and/or weight loss intervention failed to improve breast cancer-related lymphedema outcomes among breast cancer survivors who are overweight. The study was conducted by Kathryn H. Schmitz, PhD, MPH, professor in the department of public health sciences and in the department of physical medicne and rehabilitation at Penn State Cancer Institute and hypothesized that combining weight loss and exercise would achieve the greatest reduction