Study finds Medicaid patients more likely to receive cataracts surgery than VA patients

March 18, 2010

For individuals who are suffering from cataracts, the problem often affects their everyday life. The most common treatment for cataracts is a surgical procedure that replaces the clouded lens with an artificial one to restore vision.

According to research published in the American Journal of Medical Quality, Medicaid patients are 5.5 times more likely to receive cataracts surgery than VA patients. The disparity could indicate that many people whose insurance doesn't cover cataract treatment decide to suffer with the condition.

Researchers are still trying to find conclusive evidence as to what financial incentives could encourage patients to receive the surgery.

"We don't know yet what exactly accounts for the five and a half fold difference in surgery rates between the two systems," said first author Dustin French. "It may be related to how the two systems are funded by the government, it could be a difference between physician-driven decisions or it may be related to a lack of ophthalmologists within the VA system or it could be more than one of these factors."