✅ Medically reviewed by Dr. Thomas Biernacki, DPM — Board-Certified Podiatrist · Last updated April 6, 2026

Does Insurance Cover Wound Care for Diabetic Foot Ulcers? For specialized treatment, see our diabetic wound care at Balance Foot & Ankle.

If you have a diabetic foot wound and are wondering about coverage, stop wondering and call us. This is universally covered — and delaying treatment can cost you a limb.

What Insurance Covers

• Office visits for wound evaluation and treatment — fully covered
• Wound debridement — removal of dead tissue to promote healing
• Advanced wound dressings
• Infection treatment (oral and IV antibiotics)
• Vascular evaluation and referral
• MLS laser therapy for wound healing — coverage varies by plan; we verify
• Hospitalization for severe infections
• Custom offloading devices (total contact casting, orthopedic boots)

The Real Cost of Waiting

An early-stage diabetic ulcer costs $8,000-$25,000 to treat. Osteomyelitis (bone infection): $60,000-$120,000. Amputation: $500,000+ in lifetime costs. Every dollar in wound care is a fraction of the cost of delayed treatment.

📞 Have a diabetic wound? Call (810) 206-1402 for an urgent appointment — same-day wound care available.

Does Insurance Cover Diabetic Wound Care at a Podiatrist in Michigan? Coverage and Documentation

Diabetic foot wound care is among the most thoroughly covered services in podiatric medicine under both Medicare and commercial insurance in Michigan. Medicare Part B covers wound debridement (CPT 97597–97598 for selective debridement; 11042–11047 for surgical debridement), wound measurement and assessment, application of wound dressings, and application of advanced wound products — when performed by a qualified podiatrist for diabetic wounds. The documentation requirements are specific: each encounter note must document the wound dimensions (length, width, depth), wound bed characteristics, periwound skin condition, and the treatment provided. Balance Foot & Ankle maintains detailed wound photography and digital wound measurement records that support clean insurance claims and track healing progress objectively.

Michigan patients with diabetic foot wounds receive the highest-quality wound care outcome when they have access to both podiatric and vascular surgical expertise — and our Howell and Bloomfield Hills offices coordinate with vascular surgeons when patient assessment suggests peripheral arterial disease is impairing healing. The principle of “wound care without vascular assessment is incomplete wound care” guides our approach: if an ankle-brachial index or arterial duplex suggests limb-threatening ischemia, we facilitate urgent vascular surgery referral before wound care alone becomes futile. Commercial insurance coverage for advanced wound products (biologic grafts, NPWT devices, amniotic membrane products) requires prior authorization and specific documentation of wound chronicity and treatment failure — our wound care coordinators handle the authorization process to remove administrative barriers from the patient’s care. Call Balance Foot & Ankle at (810) 206-1402 if you have a diabetic foot wound requiring evaluation.

Patients with diabetic foot wounds who want to understand their insurance coverage for advanced wound treatment — including bioengineered skin substitutes, amniotic membrane products, and negative pressure wound therapy — should bring their insurance card to the initial wound care appointment at Balance Foot & Ankle. Our wound care coordinator verifies benefits, obtains prior authorization for advanced products when indicated, and explains the patient’s cost-sharing before any service is initiated. Michigan Medicare patients benefit from our specific expertise in Medicare’s coverage requirements for advanced wound products — requirements that are detailed and specific, and where documentation gaps can create unexpected patient liability. Call (810) 206-1402 for a diabetic wound care consultation at our Howell or Bloomfield Hills office.

Michigan patients can access expert diabetic foot care in Michigan at Balance Foot & Ankle. Our board-certified podiatrists serve Howell (4330 E Grand River) and Bloomfield Hills (43494 Woodward Ave #208). Schedule an appointment online or call (810) 206-1402 for same-week availability.

Medical References & Sources

• American Diabetes Association — Foot Complications
• PubMed Research — Diabetic Foot Care
• American Podiatric Medical Association — Diabetic Foot

Clinical References

1. Armstrong DG, et al. Diabetic foot ulcers and their recurrence. N Engl J Med. 2017;376(24):2367-2375.
2. Frykberg RG, Banks J. Challenges in the treatment of chronic wounds. Adv Wound Care. 2015;4(9):560-582.
3. Snyder RJ, et al. Components and quality measures of DIME. Adv Skin Wound Care. 2016;29(5):205-215.

Your Board-Certified Podiatrists

Dr. Tom Biernacki, DPM

Board-Certified · FACFAS

Dr. Carl Jay, DPM

Board-Certified Podiatrist

Dr. Daria Gutkin, DPM

Podiatrist

Dr. Tom Biernacki, DPM

Dr. Tom Biernacki, DPM is a double board-certified podiatrist and foot & ankle surgeon at Balance Foot & Ankle Specialists in Southeast Michigan. With over a decade of clinical experience, he specializes in heel pain, bunions, diabetic foot care, sports injuries, and minimally invasive surgery. Dr. Biernacki is a member of the APMA and ACFAS, and his patient education content on MichiganFootDoctors.com and YouTube has reached over one million views.