COVID-19 Vaccine and Your Eyes

cataract :: Article Creator

Labour Would Let High-street Opticians Do Glaucoma And Cataract Checks For NHS

Labour would let optometrists deal with some common eye problems such as cataracts and glaucoma in high-street opticians as it seeks to make the NHS in England more productive, a shadow health minister has said.

Karin Smyth told the Institute for Government (IFG) the party's plan would address the 620,000 patients currently waiting for NHS eye care, with 17,000 waiting more than a year. It has previously been revealed that hundreds of NHS patients lost their eyesight after delayed appointments.

The party said it would seek to negotiate a national deal to deliver more routine outpatient care in high-street opticians, using existing funds. This would include cataract pre-assessments and operation follow-ups, glaucoma monitoring, and common diagnostic tests.

Smyth said it would free up hospital specialists to treat more serious cases and provide better value for money.

Labour said the plan had support from expert ophthalmologists. Prof Ben Burton, the president of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, said it was a "positive commitment to supporting eye care patients and we would offer our clinical expertise to shape this policy if delivered in government".

Smyth was stepping in for Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, who is ill. He told the Sun newspaper on Monday night that the NHS needed reform more than it needed more money, which has provoked a backlash from the left.

In response to Streeting's comments the independent MP and former shadow health secretary Diane Abbott said: "The population is ageing and growing. It is getting sicker too as the effects of austerity bite. There are also rising costs in the NHS especially with medical equipment and many drugs. Of course the NHS needs more money. Wes Streeting doesn't know what he's talking about."

Smyth told the IFG conference that about one in four missed outpatient appointments were due to administration issues, costing £300m a year. She highlighted that the NHS still spent £200m a year on paper and postage, a decade after Jeremy Hunt pledged the health service would go paperless.

She also pointed to the £1.7bn cost of hospital beds for patients who were well enough to leave, but could not because there was no care available in the community, £3.5bn paid to recruitment agencies because of staff shortages and £626m spent by the Department of Health and Social Care on management consultants.

John Glen, a Cabinet Office minister, also addressed the IFG conference on how to reform the civil service to improve productivity.

He indicated that civil servants taking jobs in data, digital and AI were set to get higher pay to help fill shortages, but that this would save money overall on consultants.

The minister said he would review the pay structure for these expert areas as he sought to transform efficiency in Whitehall.

Glen, who has been in the job for 10 weeks, also set out plans to review civil service staff groups known as "networks" to ensure their impartiality, having previously briefed the Telegraph that he was leading a crackdown on "activism" in Whitehall during working time.

He confirmed he wanted to make sure senior civil servants were in the office more than 60% of the time, which is the amount now mandated for all Whitehall workers.

skip past newsletter promotion

Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning

Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

His other ideas to increase efficiency included launching a performance management framework for civil servants to make it easier to get rid of underperforming employees or help them to improve.

Overall, Glen said he wanted to work towards a "smaller, more skilled civil service that is better rewarded", with numbers cut by about 66,000 to bring last year's high of about 457,000 back to 2019 levels.

Does Medicare Cover Cataract Surgery In 2024? Exploring Benefits And Eligibility

If you're new to Medicare or making different elections for the coming year, you may be wondering about specific coverage…

If you're new to Medicare or making different elections for the coming year, you may be wondering about specific coverage areas. For instance, can Medicare help with eye health, namely cataract surgery?

Medicare — the federal health insurance program for people age 65 and older, as well as certain people with disabilities younger than 65 — may be able to help you get this corrective surgery and any post-surgery vision care you might need.

[SEE: Things You Should Know About Medicare.]

Importance of Cataract Surgery for Vision Health

Cataracts are common among older adults. They develop when proteins in your eye break down and cause a clouding of the natural lens. This lens bends and refracts light rays that come into the eye, so when it gets cloudy, what you see can look hazy — like looking through a foggy window.

Symptoms of cataracts can also include:

— Blurry or double vision.

— Seeing less saturated colors. Brighter colors, for instance, may appear yellowed.

— Sensitivity to light, especially from oncoming headlights at night.

— Difficulty seeing at night.

Cataracts can lead to blindness and can impact your safety as they're developing. The good news is that they can be corrected with surgery.

During cataract surgery, your surgeon will remove the eye's cloudy natural lens and replace it with a clear artificial lens. Called an intraocular lens, or IOL, this plastic device works just like your natural lens did when it was clear.

[Read: Medicare Enrollment Deadlines You Shouldn't Miss.]

Does Medicare Cover Cataract Surgery?

Medicare has several parts:

— Part A. This part covers inpatient care in hospitals, skilled nursing facility care and some home health care or hospice care.

— Part B.This part focuses on services from health care providers. Coverage includes outpatient care, physical therapy, various preventive services and durable medical equipment, such as wheelchairs and walkers.

— Part C. Also called Medicare Advantage, this part includes plans offered by private companies that are approved by Medicare. These plans bundle Part A, Part B and usually Part D coverage into a single plan.

— Part D. This part is the prescription medication piece of Medicare.

In addition to Medicare, seniors may purchase Medigap. This supplemental insurance is a secondary plan designed to help cover the costs that "original Medicare" — Part A and Part B — do not pay.

"Many beneficiaries don't realize it, but Medicare covers cataract surgery in most cases," says Bob Rees, chief sales officer with eHealth Inc., a health insurance broker and online resource provider headquartered in Santa Clara, California.

Original Medicare doesn't provide routine vision care, he adds, but it does cover the diagnosis and treatment of cataracts, including laser surgery to correct cataracts with an IOL.

Keep in mind: Medicare covers cataract surgery when it has been deemed "medically necessary," which means the cataracts are causing significant vision impairment. When corrective lenses are no longer enough for you to complete daily tasks, then you've probably met the threshold for medical necessity. Your ophthalmologist can advise you on that diagnosis.

Cataract surgery is usually conducted as an outpatient procedure. Medicare Part B covers the cost of the surgery once you've met your deductible. (In 2024, the annual deductible for all Medicare Part B enrollees is $240.)

"This is a basic benefit provided under original Medicare, so it's available to everyone," Rees explains. "You don't need to be enrolled in a Medicare supplement or Medicare Advantage plan to receive this benefit, though these products can help you save on out-of-pocket costs. Some Medicare Advantage (plans) also provide routine vision care."

If you have a traditional Medicare, you'll be responsible for 20% of the cost of surgery, after you've met the deductible. If you have a Medigap plan, you may be able to get additional coverage for that 20%. If you have Medicare Advantage, you'll be responsible for your plan's cost sharing.

[READ: What Medicare Does Not Cover.]

Types of lenses covered by Medicare

Medicare only covers standard cataract surgeries that involve the implantation of an IOL.

"Other forms of cataract surgery typically aren't covered," Rees notes.

Medicare also doesn't cover advanced technology lenses or surgeries that are deemed elective, such as those to correct nearsightedness or astigmatism.

Eyeglasses coverage after cataract surgery

After the surgery, Medicare Part B will cover the cost of one pair of corrective glasses or contacts up to an allowed amount. Typically, Medicare doesn't cover eyeglasses or contact lenses, but for those who've had cataract surgery, this post-surgery treatment is an exception. However, you may have to pay some out-of-pocket costs.

"After you've met your Part B deductible, you may still pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for corrective lenses," Rees says. "For glasses, the coverage only extends to basic frames and lenses, so you may also pay more if you get fancier ones."

What's more, he notes, you have to get said lenses from the right provider.

"(Original) Medicare will only pay for your post-cataract surgery glasses or contact lenses from a supplier enrolled in Medicare. It's not enough for them to bill Medicare for you; they must be a Medicare-enrolled supplier," Rees explains.

For Medicare Advantage, the right provider translates to in-network.

Do Medicare Advantage Plans Cover Cataract Surgery?

Because coverage for cataract surgery is a basic Medicare benefit, you don't need separate coverage for routine vision care.

However, some Medicare Advantage plans offer additional vision services coverage.

Do I Need Supplemental Insurance to Cover Cataract Surgery?

You do not need supplemental insurance to cover cataract surgery. For those who have chosen original Medicare, however, Medigap plans can help you cover any out-of-pocket costs.

Cataract Surgery Costs and Lenses

Cataract surgery can be expensive depending on where you live and how the procedure is performed. However, Medicare sets an approved amount for procedures it covers.

According to Medicare.Gov's Cost Lookup tool, cataract surgery costs $1,101, on average. That amount is simply the fee for the facility and does not include the doctor's fee. Your specific surgery may involve additional steps, which may also add to the cost.

Of the estimated $1,101 listed above, Medicare would pay $880, leaving $220 for the patient to make up out of pocket.

The surgeon's fee can increase this total significantly. Generally speaking, cataract surgeries run about $3,000 to $5,000 in total, depending on the complexity of the case, the doctor's fee schedule and the location where the surgery is being performed.

The key here is to remember that with original Medicare, you, the patient, will be responsible for 20% of the costs associated with the surgery. Medicare Advantage plans may also have out-of-pocket costs. Either way, make sure you understand ahead of time what your financial responsibility will be when scheduling your surgery.

Bottom Line

Vision health is a key component of overall health and wellness, and you don't need to accept clouded vision as just a part of getting older. Talk with your doctor about what you can do to address cataracts, and check your Medicare plan details for more information for your specific situation.

If you need help understanding or navigating your Medicare benefits, visit Medicare.Gov or reach out to the CMS call center at 1-800-Medicare.

Hayleys Group Sponsors Cataract Surgeries Of HASL 'Give The Gift Of Sight' Initiative

124

Hayleys Group's benevolent corporate sponsorship of 260 cataract surgeries as part of the HelpAge Sri Lanka (HASL) 'Give the Gift of Sight' 2023 campaign, concluded recently.

This meritorious act of corporate empathy was backed by a sponsorship exceeding Rs 5 million from the Group, aimed at contributing to HASL's goal of raising funds for 2000 cataract surgeries for underprivileged elderly individuals in Sri Lanka.

Led by Chairman and Chief Executive of Hayleys PLC, Mohan Pandithage, thirteen sectors within the Hayleys Group of Companies united to sponsor these surgeries. Each sector sponsored the cost of surgeries for one day, amounting to 20 surgeries performed daily at the HASL Eye hospital, at Wellawatta, Colombo 6.

Pandithage, who visited the hospital and interacted with patients' post-surgery said; "As a purpose-led business striving to make lives better, social responsibility is a part of our Group's core values.

"Senior citizens have made remarkable contributions to society throughout their lifetimes. By supporting the Helpage 'Give the Gift of Sight' initiative, we look to empower the elderly in a meaningful way, helping them regain their sight so that they may continue to lead fulfilling lives."

The Executive Director of HelpAge Sri Lanka, Samantha Liyanawaduge, conveyed gratitude to Hayleys for their sponsorship. "Given the challenges faced by over 500,000 elderly individuals in Sri Lanka, where the risk of losing sight is heightened due to financial and mobility obstacles, donor support in this endeavor is crucial," he emphasised.

"Hayleys has set a commendable example for corporate compassion, illuminating the path for other companies to make a meaningful impact by partnering to supportcrucial causes."

Beyond eye care, HASL's support extends into various areas, including Mobile Medical & Eye Care Units, Age Care Training, Youth Education, and Advocacy for Elders' Rights. Additionally, HASL operates a free Elderly Day Care Centre and an Ayurveda Centre, providing wheelchairs, hearing aids, bifocal spectacles, and other elderly care-related aids.

Cabinet Decisions

Committed to provide support for Sri Lanka – German Ambassador

Search This Blog

Otitis Media