More types of New Technology Intraocular Lenses (NTIOLs) will win coverage under Medicare soon.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services approved an application for NTIOL status from Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) for its Tecnis lens. AMO provided evidence that the Tecnis lens compensates for corneal spherical aberrations and improves vision, so CMS created a new class of NTIOLs called "Reduced Spherical Aberration."
Every year, manufacturers can request that their intraocular lenses gain NTIOL status, which makes them eligible for an extra $50 payment when surgeons provide them in an ambulatory surgery center. The bonus payment lasts five years.