News from the 2012 American Academy of Ophthalmology Meeting

At a media briefing today, Michael X. Repka, MD, MBA, Academy medical director for Governmental Affairs, announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has implemented a physician fee schedule cut effective Jan. 1 of approximately 13.5 percent for cataract surgery. This estimate could change if Congress allows the SGR reduction to take effect.

That this surgery has become better and faster over the years plays a part in the new valuation. “For CMS, the value [of a procedure or service in the physician fee schedule] is driven in large part by time,” Dr. Repka said. Average time to perform a cataract surgery has dropped by about 30 percent in the eight years since the last CMS-mandated survey, said Dr. Repka. At the behest of CMS, the Academy and ASCRS surveyed a random sample of their members to collect these data for valuation of cataract surgery.

For further detail about this payment cut, visit AAO Eye on Advocacy in the Academy Community.