Complete decongestive therapy is the gold-standard for lymphedema. Phase I (intensive) is 5 days a week for 3 to 4 weeks and includes manual lymphatic drainage, multilayer compression bandaging that stays on between sessions, decongestive exercise, and skin care. Phase II is at-home maintenance with custom garments, self-MLD, and monthly therapist check-ins for the first year.

Yes. The Lymphedema Treatment Act took effect January 1 2024 and added compression garments to Medicare Part B coverage. Patients get 2 daytime garments and 1 nighttime garment every 6 months with a lymphedema diagnosis. The clinic does fittings and submits the DME claim. Most commercial plans followed Medicare's lead in 2024.

Yes. All certified lymphedema therapists on staff hold the CLT credential from one of the recognized training schools (LANA, Vodder School, Klose Training, Norton School). Tag each therapist with their certification in the provider taxonomy. The bot confirms credentials when patients ask and routes to the right specialist for upper or lower extremity work.

Yes. Map pneumatic pump options (Flexitouch, Lympha Press, BioComp) as services with rental vs purchase pricing, insurance coverage under HCPCS E0652 or E0676, and patient eligibility. The bot quotes typical Medicare prior authorization requirements and the typical home use protocol of 60 minutes once or twice daily.

Yes. Fittings are scheduled on Wednesdays and Fridays. The bot quotes the typical 45-minute fitting visit, the vendor options (Juzo, Mediven, Sigvaris, Solaris), and the flat-knit vs circular-knit choice (flat-knit for stage 2 and 3, circular-knit for stage 1 or maintenance). It confirms LTA coverage submission at the visit.

Yes. Tag each CLT with experience taxonomy (post-mastectomy upper extremity, gynecologic cancer lower extremity, head and neck, primary or congenital, lipedema). The bot reads patient history during intake and routes to the therapist who handles that case type, which improves first-visit outcomes and patient confidence.

Yes. Lipedema and lymphedema overlap but require different treatment emphasis. The bot recognizes when a patient describes symmetric leg fat distribution and routes them to a lipedema-experienced therapist. It also explains that lipedema responds to MLD and compression but not to weight loss alone, and that surgical referrals are coordinated when conservative management plateaus.

Conversations log model name, token usage, and origin URL. For HIPAA-aware deployments, route through a model endpoint covered by a BAA such as Azure OpenAI or Google Vertex with HIPAA. Enable PHI stripping on logged transcripts and set retention to 30 days. The plugin documents the configuration steps for compliant lymphedema clinic operation.