Does Medicare Cover Podiatry? A Plain-English Guide to Foot Care Coverage

"Does Medicare cover podiatry?" It's a fair question, and it's usually followed quickly by another one: "And what about my toenails?"

The honest answer is that Medicare covers a lot of podiatry, but not everything — and the line between covered and not covered isn't always where people expect it. Trimming nails, for example, is usually treated as routine care that Medicare won't pay for, unless a health condition makes it risky for anyone but a professional.

Yes — Medicare Part B covers medically necessary podiatry, such as exams and treatment for foot injuries, infections, wounds and conditions like hammertoes, bunion deformities and heel spurs. Routine foot care — trimming nails or cutting corns and calluses — usually isn't covered, unless a qualifying condition like diabetes with nerve or circulation damage makes professional care medically necessary.

I've been practicing podiatry since 2002, and I work with Medicare, Medicaid, Aetna, Cigna, Humana and UnitedHealthcare. In this guide I'll walk through Medicare's actual rules in plain English: what counts as "routine," the exceptions, diabetic exams and shoes, what you'll pay, how Medicare Advantage and Florida Medicaid differ, and what an ABN is. I'll point to the official sources as we go.

One important note before we start: coverage always depends on your specific plan and your individual health. Nothing here is a promise that any service will be covered. Think of it as a map that helps you ask the right questions.

Key takeaways

• Medicare Part B covers medically necessary podiatry: exams and treatment for foot injuries and diseases such as hammertoes, bunion deformities and heel spurs.
• Routine foot care — trimming nails, cutting corns and calluses, cleaning and soaking the feet — usually isn't covered on its own.
• Exceptions include qualifying systemic conditions such as diabetes with nerve or circulation damage, painful fungal nails that meet specific criteria, and care that's part of treating a wound or infection.
• With diabetic nerve damage and loss of protective sensation, Medicare covers a foot exam and treatment every six months; qualifying patients may also get therapeutic shoes and inserts.
• After the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026) you usually pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount; Medicare Advantage plans set their own costs, networks and approval rules.
• Coverage depends on your plan and your health. Dr. Losier's office checks your benefits before the visit, so you'll know what's covered (and any cost) ahead of time.

In this article· 14 sections

1. 1Does Medicare cover podiatry? The short answer
2. 2What Medicare means by "routine foot care"
3. 3When Medicare covers toenail trimming, corns and calluses
4. 4Class findings: how podiatrists document circulation problems
5. 5Fungal (mycotic) toenails: a separate path to coverage
6. 6Other foot care Medicare covers
7. 7What you'll pay with Original Medicare
8. 8How often does Medicare pay for toenail clipping?
9. 9Medicare Advantage and podiatry
10. 10Medicaid podiatry coverage in Florida
11. 11What an ABN is — and what to do if you're handed one
12. 12How my office checks your benefits before a visit
13. 13Common questions
14. 14Sources

Medicare comes in parts. Part B (medical insurance) is the part that pays for doctor visits, including visits with a podiatrist. According to Medicare.gov  (opens in a new tab), Part B covers podiatrist foot exams or treatment when you need medically necessary treatment for foot injuries or diseases, such as hammertoe, bunion deformities and heel spurs.

What Medicare usually doesn't cover is routine foot care: cutting or removing corns and calluses; trimming, cutting or clipping nails; and hygienic or preventive care such as cleaning and soaking the feet. Those exclusions apply under both Part A and Part B.

Here's the big picture at a glance:

Foot care service	Covered by Original Medicare?
Exam and treatment of a foot injury or disease, such as hammertoe, bunion deformity or heel spur	Usually yes, when medically necessary
Care of foot ulcers, wounds and infections	Usually yes, when medically necessary
Treatment of warts on the foot	Yes, to the same extent as warts elsewhere on the body
Ingrown toenail surgery	Usually yes, when medically necessary
Foot exam and treatment for diabetic nerve damage with loss of protective sensation	Yes, every six months if you qualify
Nail trimming, or corn and callus care	Only with a qualifying condition and documented findings
Thinning (debridement) of thick fungal nails	Only when specific criteria are met
Therapeutic shoes and inserts	Only for qualifying diabetes-related foot disease
Routine trimming, cleaning, soaking or skin creams	Usually no
Treatment of flat feet; most orthopedic shoes and arch supports	Usually no

Notice the pattern. When care treats a specific problem — an infected ingrown nail, a wound, a painful deformity — it's medical care. When it's upkeep that most people could do themselves, it's routine, and Medicare generally doesn't pay unless your health makes that upkeep hazardous.

It helps to know who's who, because several players are involved:

• Your podiatrist examines your feet, decides what care is medically necessary, and documents the findings that support it.
• CMS (the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) writes the national rules, including the foot care rules in its manuals.
• A regional Medicare contractor processes Original Medicare claims and publishes local coverage policies. In Florida, that's First Coast Service Options.
• Your Medicare Advantage plan, if you have one, makes its own coverage decisions within Medicare's rules, and may add extra benefits.

When people get different answers about foot care coverage, it's often because the rules depend on which of these applies to them.

The routine foot care exclusion comes from federal law and Medicare's regulations. CMS spells out the details in the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Chapter 15, Section 290  (opens in a new tab). There, routine foot care includes:

• Cutting or removing corns and calluses
• Trimming, cutting, clipping or debriding (thinning) nails
• Hygienic and preventive maintenance, such as cleaning and soaking the feet, using skin creams to maintain skin tone, and any other service done when there's no localized illness, injury or symptom involving the foot

The same section also generally excludes:

• Treatment of flat feet, including supportive devices prescribed for them
• Orthopedic shoes and other supportive devices for the feet, with two exceptions: a shoe that's an integral part of a leg brace, and therapeutic shoes for people with diabetes
• Treatment of a subluxation of the foot (a partial dislocation of joints, tendons or other structures) when it's treated on its own; treating a condition behind it, such as arthritis, can be covered

For most people, Medicare treats nail trimming as routine upkeep. The exceptions exist because, for some people, a small nick from the clippers can turn into a wound or infection that's slow to heal. When that's true, the care needs a professional — and Medicare can cover it.

CMS's manual lists four main exceptions to the routine foot care exclusion:

1. 1A qualifying systemic condition. A body-wide illness, such as diabetes, or a nerve or blood-vessel disease that causes severe circulation problems or areas of reduced feeling in the legs or feet.
2. 2Painful fungal nails that meet specific criteria. These have their own section below.
3. 3Care that's a necessary part of other covered treatment, such as treating an ulcer, wound or infection.
4. 4Warts on the foot, which are covered the same way as warts anywhere else on the body.

CMS lists the conditions that most commonly justify coverage for routine-type foot care. The list isn't meant to be complete, but it includes:

• Diabetes
• Arteriosclerosis obliterans — hardening and narrowing of the arteries in the legs
• Buerger's disease (thromboangiitis obliterans)
• Chronic thrombophlebitis — long-term inflammation of a vein with clotting
• Peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage) involving the feet, when it's linked to:
  • diabetes
  • malnutrition or vitamin deficiency, including alcoholism, malabsorption (such as celiac disease) and pernicious anemia
  • cancer
  • drugs and toxins
  • multiple sclerosis
  • chronic kidney disease (uremia)
  • a traumatic injury
  • leprosy or neurosyphilis
  • hereditary disorders, such as Fabry disease or amyloid neuropathy

Having one of these diagnoses isn't enough by itself, though. CMS notes that simply stating a diagnosis "does not of itself indicate the severity of the condition." Your records have to show findings — such as the circulation signs described below, or a documented loss of feeling — that make non-professional care hazardous for you.

For many of the conditions on that list — diabetes, chronic thrombophlebitis, and neuropathy linked to malnutrition, cancer, drugs and toxins, multiple sclerosis or kidney disease — Medicare covers routine-type care only if you're under the active care of a medical doctor (MD) or doctor of osteopathy (DO) who documents the condition.

In practice, the podiatrist's claim must include the name of the doctor who diagnosed the condition and roughly when you last saw them. CMS allows the active-care requirement to be treated as met if you saw that doctor for the condition within the six months before the foot care. Florida's Medicare contractor, in its routine foot care billing article  (opens in a new tab), also accepts a nurse practitioner or physician assistant as the diagnosing provider.

Because coverage rests on the record, a careful podiatrist writes down much more than "trimmed nails." Depending on why you qualify, Florida's contractor expects the medical record to show things like:

• The qualifying condition, and the name of the doctor who diagnosed or treats it, with the approximate date you last saw them when active care is required
• The specific class findings, when circulation problems are the reason (more on those below)
• Monofilament test results, when loss of protective sensation is the reason
• For fungal nails: which nails are affected, the signs of infection, your symptoms, how the nails were debrided, and whether antifungal treatment is being used — or why it isn't
• For blood thinners: the documented risk of having someone without medical training do your foot care

That's also why your podiatrist asks so many questions, and why every visit includes an exam, even when you "just need your nails done."

Here's how the rules tend to play out. These are simplified illustrations, not predictions — every person's records and plan are different.

• If you have diabetes with loss of protective sensation — meaning a monofilament test shows you can't feel the filament at two or more of five spots on either foot — Florida's contractor recognizes this kind of nerve damage as a situation where routine foot care may be covered. Medicare also covers a diabetic foot exam and treatment every six months. Nail and callus care may be covered when your records document the findings and the doctor treating your diabetes.
• If you have diabetes but good circulation and normal feeling in your feet, trimming is usually considered routine, even if your nails are thick. It may still be covered if painful fungal nails meet Medicare's separate criteria.
• If you have circulation problems in your legs and your podiatrist can't feel a pulse in either of the two main arteries of the foot, those count as two "Class B" findings — one of the combinations that allows Medicare to presume routine-type care is covered.
• If you take a blood thinner, Florida's contractor lists patients who need anticoagulation therapy as a group who may qualify, when the provider documents the significant risk of non-professional foot care.
• If you have no qualifying condition and simply can't reach your toes anymore, trimming is routine care. Medicare won't pay, and you'd pay the full cost — which we'll tell you about ahead of time.

When a qualifying condition affects circulation, CMS lets podiatrists presume coverage based on specific physical findings, called class findings. You may never hear the term at a visit, but it's what your podiatrist is looking for when checking the pulses, skin and nails of your feet.

Class	Finding	What it means in plain English
A	Nontraumatic amputation of the foot or part of it	An amputation that wasn't caused by an accident
B	Absent posterior tibial pulse	No pulse can be felt behind the inner ankle bone
B	Absent dorsalis pedis pulse	No pulse can be felt on the top of the foot
B	Advanced trophic changes (three are needed)	Less or no hair growth, thickened nails, discoloration, thin and shiny skin, or redness (rubor)
C	Claudication	Calf pain when walking
C	Temperature changes	Cold feet
C	Edema	Swelling
C	Paresthesias	Tingling or other abnormal sensations in the feet
C	Burning	A burning feeling in the feet

CMS says the presumption of coverage can be applied when the podiatrist documents any one of these combinations:

1. 1One Class A finding, or
2. 2Two Class B findings, or
3. 3One Class B finding plus two Class C findings.

On Medicare claims, these combinations are reported with billing modifiers called Q7, Q8 and Q9 — one more reason the details in your chart matter.

Findings that fall short of these combinations don't automatically mean "no." CMS says such cases may still involve covered care and can be reviewed by the contractor's medical staff. But in everyday practice, documented findings are what coverage rests on, which is why a careful exam and clear notes matter so much.

Thick, discolored toenails are often caused by a fungal infection, which doctors call onychomycosis or mycotic nails. Medicare treats the thinning (debridement) of these nails differently from routine trimming — and you don't need diabetes or another systemic condition to qualify. Florida's contractor says so directly in its nail debridement policy  (opens in a new tab).

Under CMS rules, treatment of mycotic nails can be covered when your podiatrist documents:

• Clinical evidence of a fungal infection. Florida's contractor lists findings such as discoloration, nail separation (onycholysis), debris under the nail, thickening or a secondary skin infection; and
• If you walk on your own: marked limitation of walking, pain, or a secondary infection caused by the thickened, deformed nail; or
• If you don't walk (non-ambulatory): pain or a secondary infection caused by the thickened nail.

First Coast, Florida's Medicare contractor, adds one more requirement: appropriate antifungal treatment is needed for nail debridement to count as medically necessary, unless there's a reason it isn't appropriate for you. If antifungal treatment isn't used, that reason has to be documented.

In other words, "my nails are thick and discolored" usually isn't enough. "My thick fungal nails hurt when I walk," documented by your podiatrist, may be. For more on why nails thicken with age and what helps, see my article on thick toenails in older adults.

If you have diabetic peripheral neuropathy with loss of protective sensation (often shortened to LOPS), Part B covers  (opens in a new tab) a foot exam and treatment every six months, as long as you haven't seen a foot care professional for another reason in between. After the Part B deductible, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount.

Medicare's national coverage policy  (opens in a new tab) spells out what that visit includes:

• A health history
• A look at the whole foot, including the toe web spaces
• A check of protective sensation
• An evaluation of foot structure and biomechanics (how your foot moves and bears weight)
• A check of circulation and skin health
• An assessment of whether you need special footwear
• Education on caring for your feet

Treatment during the visit can include care of superficial wounds, debridement of corns and calluses, and trimming and debridement of nails.

Loss of protective sensation is diagnosed with a 5.07 Semmes-Weinstein monofilament, a thin nylon strand pressed gently against the sole. Five sites are tested on each foot; if you can't feel it at two or more sites on either foot, that's loss of protective sensation. For the daily habits that protect feet with diabetes, see my diabetic foot care guide.

Medicare Part B covers  (opens in a new tab) therapeutic shoes or inserts if you have diabetes and severe diabetes-related foot disease. CMS's guidance for providers  (opens in a new tab) lists the conditions that qualify. You need at least one of these:

• A previous amputation of the other foot, or of part of either foot
• A history of foot ulcers
• A history of pre-ulcerative calluses (calluses that can break down into ulcers)
• Peripheral neuropathy with evidence of callus formation
• A foot deformity
• Poor circulation in either foot

The doctor who treats your diabetes must certify that you need the shoes. A podiatrist or other qualified doctor must order them, and you must get them from a Medicare-enrolled supplier, such as a podiatrist, orthotist, prosthetist or pedorthist.

Each calendar year, Medicare covers either one pair of custom-molded shoes (with inserts) plus two more pairs of inserts, or one pair of extra-depth shoes plus three pairs of inserts. After the Part B deductible, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount if your supplier accepts assignment. Ask suppliers whether they participate in Medicare before you order. A supplier that doesn't participate and doesn't accept assignment has no limit on what it can charge you.

Treating a specific problem — an infected ingrown toenail, a wound or ulcer, a foot injury, painful heel spurs — is medically necessary care, not routine care. In fact, a billing example in CMS's own manual treats surgery for an ingrown toenail as the covered service and an unrelated callus removal as the non-covered one. And when trimming a nail or paring a callus is a necessary part of treating an ulcer, wound or infection, it can be covered as part of that treatment.

If you're dealing with one of these right now, these guides may help: ingrown toenail treatment and corns and calluses in seniors.

Treatment of warts on the foot, including plantar warts, is covered to the same extent as wart treatment anywhere else on the body.

Medicare's billing rules for a doctor's home visit don't require you to be homebound; that requirement belongs to home health agency care (CMS Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 12  (opens in a new tab)). Coverage still depends on the medical need for the care you receive. If you'd like to know how home visits work day to day, see what to expect from a house call podiatrist.

For covered podiatry under Original Medicare, the basics are straightforward:

• The Part B deductible. In 2026 it's $283 for the year, according to Medicare.gov  (opens in a new tab). You pay this before Original Medicare starts to pay.
• Then 20% coinsurance. After the deductible, you usually pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, as long as your doctor accepts the Medicare-approved amount as full payment (called accepting assignment).
• Hospital outpatient settings add a separate facility copayment.
• Non-covered services, like truly routine foot care, are generally yours to pay in full. In the limited situations where Medicare covers routine-type care, you pay 20% after the deductible.

Your situation with Original Medicare	What you typically pay
Covered podiatry care, deductible already met	20% of the Medicare-approved amount
Covered care before the yearly deductible is met	Costs count toward your deductible first, then 20%
Covered care in a hospital outpatient department	20%, plus a hospital copayment
Routine care that doesn't meet an exception	The full cost
You're in the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program	No Medicare deductible or coinsurance for covered care; a small Medicaid copayment may apply

A Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy helps pay your share of costs in Original Medicare, like the 20% coinsurance and the deductible. If Medicare doesn't cover a service, such as routine nail trimming without a qualifying condition, check with your Medigap insurer before assuming it will pay.

This is where many online answers oversimplify, so let's be precise.

Nationally, CMS's main routine foot care rules (Benefit Policy Manual, Section 290) don't set a fixed number of days between covered nail or callus visits. What they require is medical necessity and documentation.

Regionally, each Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) — the company that processes Medicare claims for a group of states — publishes its own local coverage policies, and some set a frequency limit. For example, Novitas Solutions  (opens in a new tab), which handles claims in states including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Texas, covers routine foot care no more often than every 60 days unless documentation supports more. That's where the often-repeated "every 60 days" comes from.

In Florida, the contractor is First Coast Service Options. Its routine foot care and nail debridement policies don't list a fixed number of days. Its nail debridement billing guidance says use should be consistent with locally acceptable standards of practice, and every visit still has to be medically necessary and documented.

For diabetic nerve-damage exams, the national rule is clear: Medicare covers the exam and treatment every six months if you qualify.

What does that mean for you? Your podiatrist schedules visits around what your feet need and what your coverage allows. If a visit would likely fall outside Medicare's rules — for example, coming in sooner than your records support — you should be told ahead of time, often with an ABN (more on that below).

Myth: Medicare pays for nail trimming once you turn 65. Age alone doesn't qualify anyone. Routine trimming is excluded unless one of Medicare's exceptions applies.

Myth: If my nails are very thick, trimming is covered. Difficulty doesn't change whether a service is routine. Thick nails that are fungal and painful, though, may qualify under the separate rules for mycotic nails.

Myth: Having diabetes automatically means covered nail care. CMS says a diagnosis alone doesn't show how severe a condition is. Coverage depends on documented findings, such as loss of protective sensation or circulation changes, and for diabetes, on being under the active care of your medical doctor.

Myth: Medigap will pay for whatever Medicare doesn't. Medigap mainly helps with your share of costs for services Original Medicare covers. Check your policy before assuming it covers routine foot care.

Myth: You have to be homebound for a podiatrist to see you at home. Not under Medicare's rules for a doctor's home visit. The homebound requirement applies to home health agency care.

Myth: Being handed an ABN means Medicare said no. An ABN is a provider's advance notice that Medicare may not pay. Only Medicare makes the actual payment decision, and you keep your appeal rights if a claim is filed.

Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans are offered by private companies approved by Medicare. They must cover all the medically necessary services Original Medicare covers, and many add extra benefits. CMS's Medicare Managed Care Manual  (opens in a new tab) lists routine podiatry among the extra (supplemental) benefits a plan is allowed to offer. So some plans cover routine foot care that Original Medicare wouldn't, and many don't. It's plan by plan.

Medicare Advantage plans also differ in how you get care:

• Networks. You may need to use providers in the plan's network and service area for non-emergency care.
• Referrals. You may need a referral to see a specialist.
• Prior authorization. You may need approval from the plan before it covers certain services or items.
• Costs. Copayments and coinsurance vary by plan, and each plan has a yearly limit on what you pay for covered services.

How to find out what your plan covers. Read your plan's Evidence of Coverage, call the member services number on your card, or ask for an organization determination — a decision from your plan, before you get a service, about whether it will be covered. According to Medicare's booklet Understanding Medicare Advantage Plans  (opens in a new tab), you, your representative or your doctor can request one.

Open Enrollment matters. Each fall, plans send an Annual Notice of Change describing next year's coverage, costs and networks. Medicare's Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7, when you can switch plans for the coming year. If routine foot care matters to you, compare it then.

I work with Aetna, Cigna, Humana and UnitedHealthcare. Each company offers many different plans with their own networks and rules, though, so we always confirm your specific plan before your visit.

If you'd like to check for yourself, call the member services number on your plan card and ask:

• Is my podiatrist in the plan's network?
• Do I need a referral from my primary care doctor to see a podiatrist?
• Does my plan cover routine foot care as an extra benefit? If so, how often, and what will I pay?
• Do any podiatry services need prior authorization?
• What's my copayment or coinsurance for a specialist visit, including a home visit?
• How do I ask for an organization determination before a service?

Write down the date, the name of the person you spoke with and what they told you. If a question comes up later, those notes are worth having.

If you spend winters in Naples and summers up north, the type of coverage you have matters. Original Medicare works with any provider who takes Medicare, anywhere in the U.S. A Medicare Advantage plan may limit non-emergency care to its network and service area, and some plans cover out-of-network care only at a higher cost. Check before you book — or let us check for you.

Florida Medicaid covers medically necessary podiatry services for eligible recipients. According to Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA)  (opens in a new tab), covered podiatry services include:

• Up to 24 evaluation and management visits per recipient, per calendar year
• Foot and nail care
• X-rays and other radiology of the foot, ankle and leg
• Surgical procedures for disorders of the foot, ankle and leg

AHCA notes that podiatry is one of the minimum covered services for all of Florida's Medicaid managed care plans, known as Managed Medical Assistance (MMA) plans. Under Florida's podiatry coverage policy, a small copayment may apply unless you're exempt or your plan waives it, and some services need prior authorization.

People with Medicare and full Medicaid coverage are called "dually eligible." According to Medicare.gov  (opens in a new tab), Medicare pays first when you get Medicare-covered services, and Medicaid pays last. Depending on your level of Medicaid, the state may pay your Part B premium and your share of Medicare costs, such as deductibles and coinsurance.

If you're in the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program  (opens in a new tab), Medicare providers aren't allowed to bill you for deductibles, coinsurance or copayments on Medicare-covered services. Bring both your Medicare card and your Medicaid (or QMB) card to every visit.

Medicaid eligibility rules are set by each state. If you're unsure of your Florida Medicaid status, tell us when you book, and we'll confirm your coverage before the visit.

An Advance Beneficiary Notice of Non-coverage (ABN) is a written notice a provider may give you, if you have Original Medicare, when they think Medicare won't pay for a particular item or service. According to Medicare.gov  (opens in a new tab), it lists the service, the reason Medicare may not pay, and an estimate of the cost.

You'll usually be asked to choose one of three options and sign the notice:

• Option 1. You want the service, and you want the claim sent to Medicare. You may be asked to pay now. If Medicare denies payment, you're responsible, but because a claim was filed, you can appeal. If Medicare does pay, you'll get back what you paid, apart from copayments or deductibles.
• Option 2. You want the service, but you don't want Medicare billed. You may be asked to pay now, and you can't appeal, because no claim is submitted.
• Option 3. You don't want the service. You aren't responsible for payment, no claim is submitted, and there's nothing to appeal.

Two things are worth knowing:

1. 1An ABN isn't a denial. It's a heads-up. If a claim is filed and Medicare denies it, you keep your right to appeal.
2. 2Routine foot care is a special case. Because truly routine foot care is excluded from Medicare by law, providers aren't required to give an ABN for it. CMS allows them to use the ABN form voluntarily, as a courtesy notice (Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 30  (opens in a new tab)). When it's used that way, you won't be asked to choose an option or sign.

ABNs are an Original Medicare form. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, the way to know in advance is to ask your plan for an organization determination, as described above.

With Original Medicare, your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) — the statement that lists the services billed to Medicare — shows what was paid and what wasn't. If a foot care service was denied and you believe it should have been covered, here's how Medicare's appeal process  (opens in a new tab) begins:

1. 1Read the reason on your MSN. Routine foot care that doesn't meet an exception is usually denied as a non-covered service.
2. 2Call your podiatrist's office. Medicare suggests asking your provider for information that could make your appeal stronger, such as visit notes that document class findings or loss of sensation.
3. 3File by the deadline printed on your MSN. The first level of appeal is called a redetermination. You can use Medicare's Redetermination Request Form, or follow the instructions on the MSN itself.
4. 4Watch for the decision. The contractor generally decides within 60 days of receiving your appeal. If you still disagree, there are further levels of appeal, and each decision letter explains the next step.

With a Medicare Advantage plan, the plan must tell you in writing if it denies coverage, and you have the right to appeal. Your plan materials explain how.

Nobody likes a surprise bill. That's why we check your benefits before your visit, so you'll know what's covered (and any cost) ahead of time. Here's how it works:

1. 1When you call or send a request, tell us which plan you have: Medicare, Medicaid, Aetna, Cigna, Humana, UnitedHealthcare or another plan. Don't see yours? Just ask; more plans are being added.
2. 2We verify your coverage before the visit, including whether you have Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan, and whether a referral or approval is needed.
3. 3We ask about your health and your doctors. For some foot care, Medicare needs the name of your medical doctor and the approximate date you last saw them, so we'll ask for both.
4. 4We tell you what to expect. If something you'd like probably isn't covered, you'll know before the visit, along with the cost.
5. 5At the visit, I examine your feet, document what I find and treat what's appropriate. If a service may not be covered, you'll hear that before it's done, not after.

Have these ready when you book:

• Your red, white and blue Medicare card, and your Medicare Advantage card if you have one
• Any Medigap, Medicaid, QMB or other insurance cards
• Your primary care doctor's name and phone number, and the date of your last visit
• A list of your health conditions, such as diabetes, neuropathy, circulation problems or kidney disease
• Your medication list, including any blood thinners

You can see the plans I work with in the insurance section of the home page, learn how house calls work, or read more about me. When you're ready, call the office or send a short request on the contact page.

Medicare's foot care rules can feel like a maze, but they follow a simple idea. Medicare pays for foot care that treats a problem. It pays for routine care, like nail trimming, only when your health makes doing it without a professional unsafe — and when your records show it.

If you have diabetes, circulation problems, nerve damage or painful fungal nails, ask about coverage instead of assuming the answer is no. And if your care isn't covered, you deserve to know that before the visit, not after.

Coverage depends on your specific plan and your individual circumstances, and the rules can change. This article is general information, not medical, legal or insurance advice, and it isn't a promise of coverage. For an official coverage decision, contact Medicare, your plan or Florida Medicaid.