Diabetic Shoes & Inserts

Proper diabetic foot care can help you stay active and engaged in your daily activities. Your mobility and quality of life depend upon close monitoring of your feet, proper shoes, lifestyle choices, and a commitment to your treatment plan. Together with your physician, your orthotist or pedorthist will design a treatment program to meet your needs, which may include extra-depth or custom shoes, custom insoles, healing shoes, shoe modifications, and in a few cases, ankle-foot orthoses.

Custom Diabetic Footwear

If you are experiencing complications with your feet due to diabetes, you are not alone. Over 30 million people in the United States are impacted by diabetes and a large percentage of them experience medical issues with their feet.1 Complications can include nerve damage, loss of feeling and poor circulation, skin changes, calluses, and foot ulcers, and they can present significant challenges to proper care.

Custom inserts and special shoes can be prescribed to take pressure off specific areas of your foot where you struggle to heal and help prevent painful pressure points, blisters, and sores from developing. They are made to fit your feet and are fabricated from breathable materials designed to cushion while providing extra support to the ankle, arch, and heel.

Importance of Proper Care

Proper care can help you avoid problems that may lead to amputation. Practice good hygiene habits by cleansing and thoroughly inspecting your feet and wearing clean socks each day. If you are having trouble healing a wound on your foot, schedule an appointment with your primary care physician or podiatrist to ensure you achieve the best possible outcome.

Medicare Documentation

Medicare has strict requirements regarding the fulfillment of diabetic foot orthotics, and those requirements impact the timeline for getting your devices. The steps are as follows:

  1. To help ensure proper processing, please bring the following to your initial evaluation appointment: 
    • A prescription for all required diabetic foot items, such as inserts, shoes, or shoe modifications, signed at an in-person appointment within the last 6 months, including your diagnosis and diabetic treatment history.
    • A Statement of Certifying Physician completed by the MD/DO treating your diabetic condition, signed within the last 3 months.
  2. At your evaluation, we will take your measurements and then order your prescribed devices. It may take approximately 3 to 6 weeks to process your paperwork before your devices arrive. 
  3. We will then schedule your fitting and delivery appointment. You must be seen in-person at Hanger Clinic on the day you take the devices home with you. 

In general, Medicare pays up to 80% for these services. Any balance will be sent to your secondary insurance if applicable.

https://www.diabetes.org/resources/statistics/statistics-about-diabetes

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Taking care of your feet is an important part of your diabetic foot care program.

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