Reading the glaucoma reimbursement tea leaves – Ophthalmology Management

This month we will review trends in glaucoma reimbursement — past and future — in the larger context of eye care.

In the United States, the most common eye diseases are age-related macular degeneration, cataract, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. As baby boomers age, their demands for healthcare and eye care will grow. Some ocular conditions consume more Medicare dollars than others: Retina procedure volume is growing most rapidly; cataract surgery grows at the same rate as the Medicare population; glaucoma procedure volume is almost unchanged.

This article addresses the following questions:

• Put this into context: How big is the Medicare payment pie for eye care?
• What were the most frequent surgical procedures paid to ophthalmology?
• What has happened to utilization of glaucoma surgical procedures within the Medicare program?

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/articleviewer.aspx?articleID=113851