WHAT'S NEW

Online Patient Registration
To better serve our patients, we are transitioning from paper registration forms to an online patient registration service. This will simplify the process of collecting and maintaining your registration data. Please go to PatForm.com and enter your basic registration data before your next appointment.

CMS Ruling
A major change occured in the field of cataract surgery in 2005. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) changed their regulations, allowing patients to pay for an upgrade to a premium intraocualr lens during cataract surgery if they desired.

Premium intraocular lenses specifically refer to lenses which help to resotre the patient's ability to see far and near without the use of reading glasses. Prior to this ruling, Medicare beneficiaries who had cataracts were not allowed to have these lenses during cataract surgery, even if they were willing to pay for the entire surgical procedure out of their own pocket.

Now, if a patient has cataracts and desires to have a premium intraocular lens, Medicare would cover the cataract surgery portion of the procedure, including a standard intraocular lens, and the patient would then be responsible for paying for the upgrade to the premium lens. The change in the CMS regulations paved the way for other insurance companies to follow with similar guidelines.

Today, the number of premium lenses have proliferated and patients have many choices that allow them to become less dependent on glasses. If you are interested, ask Dr. Decker or Dr. Yang which lens options is best for you.