The Lymphedema Treatment Act

By Helana Shumway, Community Engagement Liaison

In December 2022, the Lymphedema Treatment Act (H.R.3630) was passed in the 117th Congress and, as of January 1, 2024, the legislation has gone into effect. The Lymphedema Treatment Act requires Medicare to cover the cost of compression supplies for individuals living with lymphedema. While this is an important first step in ensuring access to these critical supplies, there is still much work that needs to be done to improve access for everyone who needs compression garments.

Lymphedema is a chronic health condition that causes swelling in different areas of the body, often in the arms, hands, legs, and feet. If the lymphatic system has been damaged or is improperly working, fluid and protein can build up underneath the skin’s surface. For example, if a breast or gynecologic cancer survivor has had lymph nodes removed during surgery, or lymph nodes were damaged during radiation, they may be at risk of developing lymphedema. The risk of breast cancer-related lymphedema varies by demographic characteristics and clinical features of the diagnosis.¹

Melissa Clark is a Licensed Occupational Therapist and Certified Lymphedema Therapist in the Greater Rochester Area and owns Clark Cancer & Lymphedema Therapy. She works closely with cancer patients and survivors during and beyond treatment who have developed lymphedema and other complications from cancer treatments.

As Melissa shares, compression garments and supplies are one of the most critical ways of managing lymphedema day to day. “Because lymphedema is a chronic condition, wearing properly fitted compression garments is necessary to keep fluid and proteins from building up in the limb. Due to wear and tear, many compression garments need to be replaced every six months,” reports Melissa. High-quality garments can cost $100 or more – a financial burden for many.

Passing the Lymphedema Treatment Act was a long-awaited first step for guaranteeing coverage of compression supplies. Presently, it is limited to Medicare coverage only, but the hope is that other health insurance providers will follow suit. Greater insurance coverage will increase equity and access to these crucial compression supplies for millions of Americans each year.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9879608/