View Public Comments for Reconstructive Treatments for Facial Lipodystrophy Syndrome

The treatment of lipodystrophy by various facial fillers should be approved. There is significant documentation in the community and medically that certain drugs in a HAART HIV cocktail cause lipodystrophy as well as lipoatrophy. The result is More opens in new window

Affordable treatment to repair damage from facial lipoatrophy is greatly needed. I urge careful consideration and support reimbursement for reconstructive treatment.

Several individuals I know suffer with feelings of disfigurement, More opens in new window

Adding approval of effective treatment procedures to Medicare & insurance coverage protocol would be extreamly benificial for the physical & emotional well being of people living with HIV. Treatments available now, are too expensive More opens in new window

Revised Comments re: Coverage for Reconstructive
Treatments for Facial Lipodystrophy Syndrome

Dear Dr. Hambrick:

The HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) is pleased that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has More opens in new window

Customer - 02/04/2009 05:22 PM
Treatment for facial wasting/butt wasting in patients with AIDS/advanced HIV disease should be covered by Medicaide/Medicare. It is crucial and certainly NOT "cosmetic". [PHI Redacted] More opens in new window

For once successful, divorced, middle aged women with HIV/AIDS it is hard enough to make friends, let alone meet a person of the opposite sex to date. The odds of ever getting married again are highly unlikely. Add to that the fact that More opens in new window

[PHI Redacted] I am editor of a national HIV publication, Postively Aware, and in my line of work I recieve countless letters and emails from individuals all over the world who suffer from the same condition, many of them More opens in new window

I feel strongly that these treatments should be covered. I have worked with hundreds of HIV positive individuals in support groups over the last three years, many of whom have had to deal with facial lipodystrophy. Although this is a condition More opens in new window

It is vitally important for Medicare to inlude coverage for treatments of HIV-related facial wasting. The long-term effects of this debilitating condition takes it's ugly toll each and every day erroding a facial wasting sufferer's will to More opens in new window

I am a primary care physician that has been active in the care of HIV patients since the mid-80's and have seen many changes in the treatment of HIV disease. Unfortunately, the use of HAART or just the disease process itself casuses Facial More opens in new window

IT SHOULD BE COVERED BY MEDICARE BECAUSE OF THE DEPRESSION,STRESS,THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE,PEOPLE WHO STOP TAKING THERE MEDS AND PEOPLE WHO DONT WANT TO START MEDS BECAUSE OF THOSE SIDE EFFECTS PLUS MANY PEOPLE CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY FOR THE TREATMENTS More opens in new window

These treatments for facial lipodystrophy are not cosmetic but reconstructive in nature. No different than if a cancer patient needed reconstructive surgery after removal of a cancerous tissue. We should not have to continue to have this More opens in new window