Rates of Routine Cataract Surgery Among Medicare Beneficiaries

Substantial variation in rates of cataract surgery among Medicare beneficiaries has been documented since the 1990s, with greater than 50% variation between selected states. 1 More than 80% of all cataract surgery is covered by Medicare, so trends among Medicare beneficiaries are a barometer of national trends. 2Past estimates of Medicare surgery rates are limited, however, due to the reliance on 5% samples, exclusion of Medicare health maintenance organizations (HMOs), and the use of data more than a decade old. 1,3Identifying variations in practice patterns is an important step in improving quality of health care including access. 3We explored the rates of cataract surgery among Medicare beneficiaries with the goal of shedding light on geographic variation at the US county level.