Medicare Payment to Service Volume Elasticities for Glaucoma Procedures From 2013 to 2021.
Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery volume rises sharply as Medicare payments increase
Medicare Payment to Service Volume Elasticities for Glaucoma Procedures From 2013 to 2021.
Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness, and Medicare payments influence access to and utilization of glaucoma procedures.
This study examines the relationship between Medicare payments and service volumes for glaucoma procedures.
This retrospective longitudinal study used Medicare Part B National Summary Data Files from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Each 1% rise in Medicare payment was linked to a 4.67% increase in minimally invasive glaucoma surgery volume.
Traditional Glaucoma Surgeries (Traditional Glaucoma Surgeries) had a payment-volume elasticity of 1.96% ( p = 0.002), with a 1% decrease in payment resulting in a 1.96% decrease in Traditional Glaucoma Surgeries volume.
Specific procedures like goniotomy (CPT: 65820) and aqueous drainage device (CPT: 66183) also showed significant elasticities of 4.27% and 4.13%, respectively.
A significant relationship between Medicare payment adjustments and the utilization of glaucoma procedures was observed, with potential implications for access and care delivery.
minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries demonstrated the highest sensitivity to payment changes, suggesting that reimbursement policies could influence the adoption and availability of these surgeries beyond clinical decision-making.