MedPage Today December 18, 2025
It’s time for payment reform and a lasting remote follow-up option
With nearly 1% of Americans undergoing cataract surgery each year, the procedure is the most common operation Medicare covers. For many older adults, it’s a small miracle: a 15-minute procedure and suddenly the world is in focus for the first time in years.
What comes next can be much less miraculous. Patients must arrange rides and caregivers for brief follow-up visits. As an ophthalmologist who cares for these patients, every week I see how, for those who can’t drive, who live alone, or who use walkers or oxygen, these “routine” checkups can be the hardest part of the whole experience.
Meanwhile, Medicare is steadily cutting what it pays for...
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