Skyrocketing spending on skin substitutes: Balancing medical care with fiscal oversight

When Medicare beneficiaries need medical treatment, federal investigators want them to get it. They also are tasked with financial oversight of spending. HHS-OIG has issued a call to action for policy makers to find the right balance in paying for skin substitutes used for wound care. David Tawes, MA, regional inspector general in the Baltimore, Maryland, HHS-OIG Office of Evaluation and Inspections, explains.

Medical Economics: What does HHS-OIG recommend in its call to action for further oversight for Medicare spending on skin substitutes?

David Tawes, MA: We want to make sure that when policy makers are...