‘Dropless’ cataract surgery could save Medicare billions

Editor's Note

Wider adoption of “dropless” cataract surgery could save Medicare more than $7.1 billion over the next 10 years, a new study finds.

In addition, patients could save an additional $1.4 billion for out-of-pocket costs for pharmaceutical co-payments, and states could save $124 million in Medicaid payments.

The dropless alternative eliminates the need for patients to administer expensive eye drops multiple times a day for several weeks after surgery.

Though cataract surgeons have been able to offer the dropless choice for 2 years, Medicare reimbursement policy states that patients and physicians will receive no reimbursement for this new procedure and that patients may not pay for it themselves.

Medicare’s position is that hospitals or surgical centers where the surgery is performed should absorb the costs.

A study reports that wider adoption of “dropless” therapy in connection with cataract surgeries could save Medicare and Medicaid more than