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Industry reps form coalition to improve cataract reimbursement
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SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Industry representatives from Advanced Medical Optics, Alcon and Bausch & Lomb have formed an advocacy group called ICARE, standing for the Industry Coalition for the Advancement of Refractive Eyecare. AdvaMed, a medical device lobbying group, expressed strong support for the new group.
ICARE’s goal is to change federal perceptions that cataract surgery is a perfected procedure with no need to expand, said Brette McClellan, director of health policy government relations for Alcon. She spoke about the new group’s purpose and role here at the Outpatient Ophthalmic Surgery Society meeting.
Common perceptions of government officials regarding cataract surgery are that cataract surgery is a large Medicare expenditure, that it is routine and simple, and that Medicare should focus more on life-saving specialties, Ms. McClellan said. Although these perceptions hold some truth, she said, the government also needs to know that patients value their vision and rank it among their top concerns. Advocates must show how patients after cataract surgery provide a positive benefit to the economy by making more contributions, she said.
"Policymakers need to know that cataract surgeons restore vision to more than 2.5 million people, that cataracts are the leading cause of low vision and blindness among blacks, and that cataract surgery is a highly evolved and technical procedure," Ms. McClellan said.
ICARE is working along with AdvaMed to make these facts known, she said. Among the groups’ objectives is adjustment to the menthods by which reimbursement for ambulatory surgery centers is set.
The Vision Caucus, made up of congressional members, has been formed in support of ophthalmology interests, Ms. McClellan noted. For more about The Vision Caucus, click here.