SkinCure Oncology Seeks Federal Court Injunction to Cease Unlawful Effort to Strip Medicare Coverage for Image-Guided Superficial Radiation Therapy

BURR RIDGE, Ill., March 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- SkinCure Oncology, the industry leader in providing a comprehensive cancer center model for the delivery of Image-Guided Superficial Radiation Therapy (Image-Guided SRT or IGSRT) for the treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), presented to dermatology patients and professionals as the GentleCure Experience™, today announced that it has filed suit with co- plaintiffs in United States District Court for the District of Columbia seeking an injunction to suspend a new Medicare policy that would significantly block access to the nonsurgical cancer treatment. The United States Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Secretary; and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Administrator are named defendants in the suit. 

The new policy would limit longstanding Medicare coverage for the imaging component of Image-Guided SRT, despite its having been shown to be clinically necessary before, during, and after each treatment in the outpatient dermatology setting. Nearly 20 studies published in peer-reviewed medical journals have affirmed the effectiveness of Image-Guided SRT, and the medical necessity of Image-Guided SRT has been affirmed by more than 30 Administrative Law Judge and Qualified Independent Contractor decisions.

The suit further addresses a new policy that would require physicians who use Image-Guided SRT in the treatment of NMSC, most of whom are dermatologists, to undergo additional training in the modality through accredited residency and fellowship programs sponsored by select associations. The suit calls out the "arbitrary and capricious" nature of this policy, which was proposed and advanced by a small group of organizations that have collectively attempted to eliminate Medicare coverage for the treatment. The suit asserts that these new policies would "suddenly and unjustifiably" reverse longstanding Medicare coverage.

"This abrupt reversal of precedent is arbitrary and capricious, lacking a reasoned explanation, and will undermine patient access to care," said Kerwin Brandt, Chief Executive Officer of SkinCure Oncology. "The new training requirement is of particular concern, because no such program currently exists for dermatologists. Because these specialists, who provide the vast majority of Image-Guided SRT treatment, cannot comply with this new requirement, it would effectively preclude them from providing the treatment, even though they have been safely and successfully providing it for many years," he continued. "We're pleased and encouraged to see that other healthcare associations and providers across the country share our concerns about these policies, and we have a high degree of confidence that we will prevail."

Brandt further noted that the new physician training requirement conflicts with states' scope-of-practice laws, since individual states dictate what physicians can and cannot do in their practices. Federal contractors cannot determine who practices medicine, override state scope-of-practice authority, or revoke physicians' ability to treat patients.

"More than 140,000 patients have been successfully treated by dermatologists with this less invasive treatment option, with a 99.8% patient satisfaction rate – clear proof that dermatologists are experts in the modality and certainly not in need of additional training or certification," concluded Brandt.

About Image-Guided SRT
Image-Guided SRT is the only treatment for nonmelanoma skin cancer (basal and squamous cell carcinoma) that uses ultrasound imaging to help clinicians direct low-level x-rays to targeted areas of the skin, killing cancer cells. For patients treated with Image-Guided SRT, the cure rate (freedom from recurrence at six years) has been shown to be greater than 99 percent, with researchers reporting that for appropriately selected early-stage nonmelanoma skin cancer, Image-Guided SRT is a clinically equivalent alternative to Mohs surgery and statistically significant in superiority to non-Image-Guided SRT.

About SkinCure Oncology
SkinCure Oncology is the industry leader in providing a comprehensive model for the delivery of Image-Guided Superficial Radiation Therapy (Image-Guided SRT or IGSRT), the most advanced nonsurgical treatment for common skin cancer. The company partners with quality-focused dermatologists, Mohs surgeons and other physicians to bring cancer center-level radiation therapy treatment to private practices. Presented to patients as the GentleCure Experience™, Image-Guided SRT is available from some 500 physicians nationwide, with more than 140,000 patients having been treated. Learn more about the company at SkinCureOncology.com, and visit GentleCure.com for helpful consumer and patient information.

Media Contact:
Matt Russell
Russell Public Communications
520-232-9840
[email protected] 

SOURCE SkinCure Oncology