[Lafayette, LA April 4, 2025] – Tides Medical today announces its formal departure from the Alliance of Wound Care Stakeholders in response to the Alliance’s support of Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs) that stifle competition, encourage waste, fraud, and abuse, and ultimately drive up costs for healthcare providers and patients.
The new LCDs governing Skin Substitute Grafts/Cellular and Tissue-Based Products (CTPs) restrict patient access while benefiting select manufacturers. Instead of fostering innovation and affordability, these policies enable price inflation, increasing financial burdens on Medicare and taxpayers.
“Since inception, Tides Medical has been committed to ensuring that the 10.5 million Medicare beneficiaries who seek treatment of wounds annually receive high-quality, cost-effective wound care solutions,” said Joe Spell, CEO at Tides Medical. “The Alliance’s endorsement of these restrictive LCDs undermines the fundamental principles of patient access and fair competition. By limiting the availability of advanced wound care products and supporting policies that encourage skyrocketing costs, the Alliance is workingagainst the best interests of both healthcare providers and the patients they allege to serve.”
The LCDs in question effectively eliminate 200 treatment options from the market and stifle innovation for upcoming products, forcing providers to rely on a narrow selection of products that remain at unsustainable price points. This anti-competitive policy not only threatens patient outcomes but also facilitates opportunities for waste and abuse– this is not how to Make America Healthy Again.
As a result of the Alliance’s advocacy for these harmful policies, Tides Medical can no longer align itself with an organization that prioritizes certain manufacturers’ interests over fair competition and patient well-being. If enacted, this policy not only restricts access to treatment options, it threatens small and mid-size manufacturers from making an economic impact in their communities.
“Rather than letting unaccountable contractors prohibit coverage of safe and effective products, I believe the best solution is forCMS to rescind this ill conceived policy and work with Congress to implement CTP pricing reform,” Spell added. “We need thoughtful regulation that brings pricing discipline to the market, roots out fraud, promotes competition, and protects patient access for the long term.”
About Tides Medical
Tides Medical is a biotechnology company that manufactures and distributes advanced wound care therapies such as human skin substitutes and advanced tissue products. Tides works closely with providers, hospitals and staff to support with the complex reimbursement landscape, ensuring that patients have access to the full range of treatment options they deserve. For more information, visit www.tidesmedical.com.
Media Contact:
Allison Billeaud, Marketing Communications Manager | abilleaud@tidesmedical.com | 337-224-0493
