CMS released the 2018 proposed payment update for hospital outpatient departments and ASCs, with positive changes for ophthalmologists, according to the Outpatient Ophthalmic Surgery Society.
The proposed updates include:
1. A 1.9 percent increase in reimbursement rate, which would increase the facility fee for cataract surgeries to $1,000.
2. If the updates are accepted, the payment for common eye surgeries in ASCs would be:
• YAG: $255.60
• Eyelid repair: $801.60
• Glaucoma Surgery: $1,000.12
• Laser retina: $1,788.05
• Corneal transplant: $1,788.05
• Vitrectomy: $1,788.05
3. CMS proposed adopting the ASC-16 quality measure, which would require reporting on Toxic Anterior Segment Syndrome in 2019. If accepted, ASCs would collect the number of ophthalmic anterior segment surgery patients diagnosed with TASS within two days of surgery.
4. CMS is soliciting comments on packaging and bundling of services; OOSS and others object to packaging policies for ophthalmic surgical services in the ASC.
5. For intraocular lens procedures, ASCs stand to receive additional $50 in facility reimbursement if they use lenses with "new technology" status; however, there weren't any ophthalmic manufacturers that requested the "new technology" status for the 2018 ASC payment rate rulemaking, according to the report.
6. CMS did not address payment for office cataract surgery.