I appreciate the discussion about the challenges facing podiatry, but I would encourage PM Pulse to also give greater attention to the many positive developments occurring within our profession.

Why does the conversation so often focus on the lowest-paid practitioners rather than highlighting podiatrists who have built thriving careers? Why focus primarily on graduates who struggle to find positions instead of also telling the stories of leaders who are expanding podiatry’s presence throughout major healthcare networks, creating opportunities, growing programs, and demonstrating the value our profession brings to patient care?

Every profession has challenges, and those challenges deserve an honest discussion. At the same time, continually emphasizing the most negative examples can create an incomplete picture of podiatry—particularly for students and young practitioners considering their future.

I would like to see more balanced coverage: acknowledge the problems that need to be addressed, but also showcase the successes, opportunities, innovation, and professional leadership that exist throughout podiatry. Those stories are important, too, and they can help inspire the next generation of podiatrists.

—Charles M. Lombardi, DPM, FACFAS

To submit a question or response, email [email protected].

A new diagnosis code set, a fresh round of coding edits and a narrower Medicaid eligibility rule all took effect Oct. 1, which makes the first two weeks of October the time to watch denials closely.

Most of the changes are routine on their own. Landing on the same day, they give billing teams several new ways for a clean claim to bounce. Here is what changed and what to check.

Source: Physicians Practice

After reading the average cost for a podiatry degree today, I was absolutely caught off guard. I began at the Chicago school in 1975. Tuition was $2,500 and my senior year was $5,000. That is only $15,000, total. And to think I thought this was a financial burden.

How and why it is so expensive is a good question. I do not know how students pay their educational debt today. I started a private practice with $50,000 to set up my office and to live on until the Yellow Pages came out. After finishing my residency in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, I traveled to Seattle with everything I owned, not knowing anyone there.

It was a wonderful place to practice podiatry. Now there are more groups of doctors who are employees, not private practitioners. I admit that working for myself was an important option for me, and I feel fortunate to have had a private practice experience. I wish all graduates good luck in your endeavors. 

—Jeffrey Trantalis, DPM

To submit a question or response, email [email protected].

GLP-1 weight loss is bringing a new foot complaint into practices. Diabetes, overuse injuries, and structural deformities have long brought patients into podiatry offices. Now podiatrists are reporting a newer complaint, one linked to the rapid weight loss that has come with the surge in GLP-1 medication use. 

Patients taking Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound are coming in with shoes that suddenly fit differently and pain that feels like walking on pebbles. Online, the problem has a name: "Ozempic feet." It isn't an official diagnosis, and the drugs' prescribing information doesn't list it as a side effect. But it has become common enough that practices should be ready for it. 

—By Sierra Stalnaker

There’s no question that the podiatry profession has achieved parity with other medical specialties in tangible, meaningful ways. DPMs serve as chief medical officers at large organizations. They’re widely respected and valued by patients and other physicians. They’re (mostly) compensated on par with their peers. As the population gets more active while also living longer, the opportunities for DPMs to demonstrate the quality of their care—we’re looking at you, hobbling pickleballers—will increase as well.

Even so, some small but notable gaps persist…

CMS just announced a new HCPCS code that will provide lower extremity specialists to offer an off-the-shelf version of a custom-fitted hinged ankle brace.

The new code L1972, is defined exactly as L1971: “ANKLE FOOT ORTHOSIS, PLASTIC OR OTHER MATERIAL WITH ANKLE JOINT, WITH OR WITHOUT DORSIFLEXION ASSIST, PREFABRICATED”. Notice, however, that L1972 is absent of any reference to bent-molded, assembled, or otherwise—which is the last part of the L1971 code that does specify customization to a specific patient by an individual with expertise. Reimbursement for both L1971 and L1972, by statute, will be the same.

—Paul Kesselman, DPM

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Healthcare is facing a wave of high-stakes litigation that could redefine drug pricing, insurance oversight, health technology competition, AI deployment, labor policy, and public health regulation. The cases span nearly every corner of the industry, with courts increasingly serving as the venue where major policy disputes are decided. Together, these legal fights will influence how healthcare is paid for, regulated and delivered in the years ahead. Read more by clicking the button below.

Source: Fierce Healthcare

A patient who isn’t ready on the morning of surgery becomes a cancellation, a no-show or a case that starts late. By then, there are no easy choices left. The cost shows up in places a cancellation report doesn’t track. Block time is already committed. Staff are already scheduled. The patient waits longer for a procedure. And the same pattern repeats after discharge, when questions that could have been answered in advance arrive as phone calls instead.

Quality care in an ASC starts long before the patient arrives. When patients are prepared, informed, engaged and pre-qualified, ASCs can reduce avoidable cancellations and no-shows, cut delays and field fewer discharge questions. Friday, 10.9.26, 1PM Eastern.

Source: Becker’s Hospital Review

PM Pulse wants to hear from you! Submit your questions, concerns, and opinions to [email protected] to share and receive feedback from your colleagues and peers about all aspects of the podiatry sector. All submissions must meet our standards for professionalism and decorum, and submissions may be edited for length and clarity. Still have questions? Send us an email.

Southern California Podiatrist Opportunity

Podiatry Management Solutions is seeking a motivated podiatrist to provide regional coverage across Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley and Inland Empire. Join a growing multi-site practice treating personal injury, workers' compensation, Medicare, and HMO patients, with opportunities for office-based procedures, surgery, and expansion into partner facilities. Applicants must hold or be eligible for a California license and be board certified or board eligible. Flexible W-2, PSA, 1099, per-diem, and productivity-based arrangements are available. Compensation varies by experience and structure.

Apply: [email protected]

Southern California Nurse Practitioner Opportunity

Podiatry Management Solutions is seeking a nurse practitioner to provide podiatry and wound care across Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, and the Inland Empire. Responsibilities include diabetic foot and wound care, routine podiatric services, follow-up visits, and pre- and postoperative care in clinics and partner facilities. Candidates need active California RN and NP licenses, national certification, a furnishing number, and DEA registration. Relevant clinical experience is preferred. Flexible W-2, PSA, 1099, per-diem,
and productivity arrangements are available. Compensation ranges from $130,000-$175,000 annually or $600-$850 per day, depending on experience and structure.

Apply: [email protected]

Full-Time Chair—Department of Podiatric Medicine & Surgery

The Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine is seeking a full-time chair for the Department of Podiatric Medicine & Surgery. The chair will lead faculty, drive academic excellence, and oversee clinical experiences in a collaborative environment. Generous benefits! ($120K–$140K)

Contact: [email protected] or apply at https://www.rosalindfranklin.edu/employment/

For more information about submitting a classified ad, click the button below, or email [email protected].

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