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AAO and ASCRS Update Guidance to Clarify Medicare Billing for Femtosecond Laser Use

The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery have updated joint guidelines that were released earlier this year for billing Medicare and beneficiaries when using the femtosecond laser. The guidelines, which outline instances when billing for use of the laser is or is not clearly permissible, incorporate information recently provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In particular, the organizations are clarifying a provider’s ability to charge a Medicare beneficiary receiving a premium refractive intraocular lens for non-covered services, such as imaging, but not for using the femtosecond laser to perform covered steps of cataract surgery. Download the guidelines using the toolbar above.

For more information, contact: Catherine G. Cohen, American Academy of Ophthalmology vice president of governmental affairs, at cgcohen@aaodc.org or 202.737.6662; or Nancey McCann, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery director of government relations, at nmccann@ascrs.org or 703.591.2220.