About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

HRD-84-44 1 (1984-03-07)

handle is hein.gao/gaobabnhj0001 and id is 1 raw text is: UNITED STATES GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE WASHINGTON, D.C. 20548 HUMAN RESOURCKS DIVISION l Carolyne K. Davis, Ph.D.II111IIII~ I Health Care Financing Administration 123683 Department of Health and Human Services Dear Dr. Davis: Subject: Medicare Reimbursements for Conventional Eyeglasses (GAO/HRD-84-44) We have reviewed the administration of Medicare reimbursements for cataract surgeries and prosthetic lenses by seven carriers which cover all or portions of seven States.1 Based on our review, we believe that HCFA should discontinue Medicare part B coverage of conventional eyeglasses for patients who have undergone cataract surgery and who wear eyeglasses in front of cataract contact lenses or intraocular lenses. In such cases, we believe that eyeglasses serve the same function as they do in patients who still have the eyes' natural lenses--that is, refractive correction to improve vision--and Medicare law excludes coverage of eyeglasses for this purpose. We estimate that the seven part B carriers we reviewed paid about $6 million in their areas for conventional eyeglasses in calendar year 1982. Medicare payments would be significantly greater nationally. On May 20, 1983, we discussed our preliminary findings with members of your staff, and stated our intention to recommend at the completion of our review that HCFA discontinue Medicare coverage of conventional eyeglasses. Your October 28, 1983 response to this discussion expressed general concurrence with that proposed recommendation. Recently we were informed that the Bureau of Eligibility, Reimbursement and Coverage is developing a proposed regulation to discontinue coverage of IThe seven carriers and States included in our review are: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (all of Florida except Dade and Monroe Counties); Transamerica Occidental Life Insurance Company (Southern California); Aetna Life and Casualty Insurance Company (Arizona); Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama (Alabama); E.D.S-Federal Corporation (Illinois); Prudential Insurance Company of North America (North Carolina); and Wisconsin Physician Service (Wisconsin). (106237)

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most