Medicaid Coverage for Routine Foot Care

Despite national and international guidelines supporting podiatric services as a means of prevention for lower-extremity complications, especially in at-risk individuals, current coverage for these services under the US Medicaid program is not universal. The vast differences between state Medicaid programs regarding reimbursable foot care services is confusing and potentially serves as a barrier for the most vulnerable populations to receive preventative services. This article provides a brief discussion of "routine" podiatric services from a clinical perspective and provides a review of state Medicaid programs including optional services (eg, podiatric coverage).

Using data from a national survey of state Medicaid programs, we present and discuss common Medicaid coverage schemes for routine foot care provided by podiatric physicians.

Analysis demonstrated that states vary dramatically in basic descriptions of preventive foot care, levels of coverage, eligibility, and methods of documenting coverage details.

The authors recommend bringing Medicaid in line with other federal health programs and including podiatric physicians in the definition of "physician" for coverage purposes. States should move away from describing preventative services as "routine" and choose language that more accurately reflects the true nature and purpose of the care.