Ophthalmology and Optometry Coding Alert

If the bundling of anterior vitrectomies and cataract surgeries is giving you the blues, its time to sing another tune thanks to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. In an AAO press release, the Academy touted "a major victory" for ophthalmology coding and practice reimbursement: They reached an agreement with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that will result in the deletion of the bundling of codes 67005 (Removal of vitreous, anterior approach [open sky technique or limbal incision]; partial removal) and 67010 ( subtotal removal with mechanical vitrectomy) into cataract surgery codes 66830-66986. The man of the hour, Michael X. Repka, MD, Academy associate secretary for health policy, is responsible for providing the clinical evidence against considering a vitrectomy an included part of the cataract surgery. The AAO news brief also asserts that the proposed bundling of corneal pachymetry (0025T) into the eye codes and E/M codes has been avoided, and according to William Rich III, MD, Academy secretary for federal affairs, Repka is again the one to thank. Expect to see these edits in CCI Version 9.1, effective April 1, 2003.