Free Shoes for Diabetic Patients?
Did you know that if you have Medicare as your primary insurance and you have diabetes, you may qualify for free shoes?
At Advanced Foot & Ankle Center, we carry Dr. Comfort shoes. Dr. Comfort shoes are shoes that are geared primarily towards diabetic patients for protection and preventative medicine or to accommodate a foot deformity.
Medicare has very stringent criteria in order to qualify for these special shoes. The criteria falls under a document entitled, “The Diabetic Shoe Bill.” I will explain and briefly outline the criteria it takes in order to qualify for a free pair of shoes. If you meet the following criteria (which is determined by Dr. Williams or Dr. Silvers), you may qualify for a free pair of shoes every 12 months and receive 3 pairs of inserts each year.
The criteria is as follows:
Medicare breaks down foot problems into 3 categories called -
“Class A findings”, “Class B findings”, and “Class C findings”.
A patient must have either:
(1) Class A Finding
(2) Class B Findings
(2) Class C Findings plus (1) Class B Finding
The Class A Findings are:
1. Non-traumatic amputation (amputation not due to an accident, like amputation due to poor blood flow, infection or ulceration)
The Class B Findings are:
1. Absent foot pulses – (You have 2 major pulses in your foot. Dr. Williams and Dr. Silvers will attempt to feel the pulses during your evaluation).
2. Advanced trophic (degenerative) changes (3 required):
A. Hair on feet is decreased or gone
B. Nails are thick
C. Skin discoloration
D. Thin or shiny skin
E. Red-colored skin
The Class C Findings are as follows:
1. Claudication – this is leg cramping that patients get when walking for for a certain distance. For instance, claudication is usually measured in “blocks”. A person may walk 1 block before they get cramping in their legs, therefore, they would be a “1 block claudicator”.
2. Temperature changes in the feet – usually cool or cold feet due to poor blood flow
3. Foot or leg swelling
4. Nerve pains – numbness, tingling, shooting pains
5. Burning pains
For more information pertaining to “The Diabetic Shoe Bill” you may visit,
http://www.medicare.com/equipment-and-supplies/diabetic-shoes.html
For more information pertaining to Dr. Comfort Shoes, you may visit their website at:
http://www.drcomfortdpm.com
If you have diabetes and you are currently not seeing a podiatrist or have a podiatrist in your team of doctors, please come see Dr. Kory Williams or Dr. Eric Silvers at Advanced Foot & Ankle Center in McKinney and Prosper, Texas.
Remember, not all diabetics qualify for shoes, therefore, even though you have diabetes, you may be in such good health you may not be a candidate.
