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Treating indigent glaucoma patients is financially difficult but necessary, clinician says
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SAN FRANCISCO — Alternative ways of caring for indigent glaucoma patients are needed to reduce financial burden on practices from delayed payments and lack of payment from noninsured patients, Jacob Wilensky, MD, said here.
"Care of glaucoma patients with limited financial resources is both challenging and frustrating. These patients are more time-consuming and costly to treat, but generate less or even no compensation," Dr. Wilensky said at the joint meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology. "These patients need care, and we need to provide that care."
He said there are several classes of indigent glaucoma patients: Medicaid patients, medically indigent non-Medicaid patients, uninsured patients, prisoners and other institutionalized individuals, and legal and illegal immigrants.
Higher billing costs and reduced or no reimbursement financially impact practices that treat indigent glaucoma patients, he said. Some practices have opted to limit or not accept Medicaid or uninsured individuals; other practices then have a deeper financial burden when they accept the many indigent patients that need care, Dr. Wilensky said.
Although treating indigent glaucoma patients is both more time-consuming and costly for the physician, we ophthalmologists need to provide that care. The current global economic crisis underscores the urgent need for a better solution for both the physician and, most importantly, the patient.
– Teresa C. Chen, MD
Associate Professor
of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
Glaucoma Service