Aetna drops prior authorization for cataract surgeries

Aetna will no longer require pre-approval for member's cataract surgeries starting July 1.

The new policy will not apply to Medicare Advantage members in Florida and Georgia.

Last July, the payer implemented a new policy that required pre-approval for all physician-prescribed cataract surgeries for its members, which was opposed by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

According to the academy, an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 Aetna members had cataract surgery unnecessarily delayed in the month of July 2021 alone.

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