Home Forums General Discussion OT: Are injections better than drops for cataract patients?

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  • #461347
    Jan Lucinda1
    Participant

    The articlr in usnews.com ‘See no evil: are injections better than drops for cataract patients? It says most seniors have trouble with eyedrops, miss the eye completely and antibiotic injections cut infection rate in half, recommended by Dr. Javitt of johns Hopkins. The drawback for the doctor is he has to cover the cost, whereas patients pay large amounts for eyedrops. I had to get nursing help for the eyedrops- a major stress. The link for the article doesn’t work but you can google it.

    #461348
    richie
    Participant

    HI I really dont know the answer but doctors dont cover the cost of anything –if he gives injections he or she will certainly bill somebody !!!!!!

    #461350
    Jan Lucinda1
    Participant

    richie- the article says doctors cannot bill for injections. they are made by small compounding pharmacies. expensive eye drops are made by big pharma. that law needs to change. the article quotes a doctor from Kaiser in Walnut Creek, CA, no. CA, who does injections. the pharmacy that makes them is in san diego. i called them and got the name of a doctor in L.A. who does them. i will see if i can get a doctor near me to do them. i can offer to contribute to a charity. there is a 2016 article in the journal Ophthalmology about this. it is new but is being done in france and other countries.

    #461352
    richie
    Participant

    Hi There is absolutely no way a doctor will not bill for office visit –administering the injections at a minimum –I really think the article is wrong –If the doctor orders the injections and receives them –a good bet is that he will bill for it !!!

    #461353
    richie
    Participant

    I read the article you are referrring to and you are correct in that it says a doctor cant bill for the injections under Medicare rules –firstly -what about younger people who dont have medicare and secondly I can not believe for one moment its not worked into the cost of surgery etc —

    #461355
    Jan Lucinda1
    Participant

    richie- I had cataract surgery on my right eye. my doctor billed medicare $2,200. medicare approved $1,142. i got 3 eyedrops- an antibiotic, a NSAID and a steroid, all made by giant bausch and lomb. those eyedrops cost $175, $271 and $216. medicare paid part, i paid part. the doctor paid nothing. if he had done the injection during the surgery, it would have cost him less than $100 to get the injection from Imprimis Pharmaceuticals who makes the injection. On my first visit this doctor said there are injections but he doesn’t like them because if the patient is allergic, it is bad. i think that is an invalid argument because all you need to do is find out if the patient is allergic to any antibiotic and use another antibiotic.

    Medicare pays a fixed amount for cataract surgery so the doctor wouldn’t get any more if he uses injections.

    Imprimis says big pharma likes the status quo but the status quo isn’t the best patient care. I hope this can change.

    #461356
    richie
    Participant

    Hi In your case I suppose its right -but most people have a secondary carrier after medicare –

    #461357
    Jan Lucinda1
    Participant

    I have a secondary. The issue as I see it is that the doctor has to pay for the injection. I guess time will tell if this changes.

    #461458
    Jan Lucinda1
    Participant

    I found thwre is a female ophthalmologist near me who does volunteer work at a hospital in guatemala and may be willing to do injections. i will see. the fact is everyone over 60 will probably need cataract surgery so it does affect everyone.

    #461459
    richie
    Participant

    I saw 60 a long time ago -No cataracts

    #461460
    richie
    Participant

    Why injections now -isnt the danger of infection pased

    #461461
    richie
    Participant

    passed

    #461471
    Jan Lucinda1
    Participant

    Richie- you are unusual if you have no cataracts. lucky. I am talking about dealing with the second surgery for the left eye. The right eye has healed.

    #461941
    Jan Lucinda1
    Participant

    I am going to contact my U.S. Representative about changing the medicare regulation so the doctor can be paid for injections. I told my pcp and she was very supportive. I can’t get it done myself but if others speak up it may happen. would save medicare millions of dollars.

    #462857
    Jan Lucinda1
    Participant

    I recently was told by my optoetrist there is a doctor here who does injections of antibiotic and steroid. he said people sometimes react to the steroid.

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