Correction of Corneal Astigmatism – Ophthalmology Management

Ophthalmologists have a variety of options available to them for the management of astigmatism, including eyeglasses, hard or soft contact lenses and a variety of surgical procedures. This column addresses the issues associated with surgical correction of corneal astigmatism (SCOCA).

This article answers the following questions:

• What options are available for the surgical correction of astigmatism?
• Does Medicare cover surgery to correct corneal astigmatism?
• Why doesn’t Medicare cover procedures to correct pre-existing astigmatism?
• What tests are required prior to surgery and are they covered by Medicare?

This article was published in Ophthalmology Management’s Coding & Reimbursement column, which is written by Corcoran’s Executive Vice-President, Suzanne Corcoran, COE. To view the entire article in Ophthalmology Management, click on the link below:

http://www.ophthalmologymanagement.com/article.aspx?article=101984