US Medicare coverage for cataract surgery:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Intra-ocular lens manufacturers could be impacted by the Health Care Financing Administration's soon to be published National Policy on Cataract Surgery proposal. It states that "the mere presence" of cataracts does not ensure Medicare coverage for surgery. The procedure will not be covered if the patient "is able to function normally", or if eyeglasses are a viable alternative. If the proposal becomes a final rule, private insurers and Health Maintenance Organisations could well follow suit. Cataract removal is now Medicare's most common surgery. HCFA paid $1,400 million for 2.8 million such procedures last year.
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