Blue Cross of MA to coverage Boston Scleral Lens

[kurt]

Excerpted from the Boston Foundation for Sight Visionary, their newsletter.

"Blue Cross Coverage...At Long Last!

“Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BLBSMA) currently has their legal department writing an amendment to the Boston Foundation for Sight (BFS) contact to provide full-fee coverage for both the global fitting and lens fees for the Boston Scleral Lens Prosthetic Device….

“BLBSMA will be the first insurance company in the country to contract with the BFS for these services. As the gatekeeper for all Blues scribers seen at the BFS, we hope this decision will benefit all of our patients covered by Blue Cross nationwide. Our hope is that this contract will be extended nationally so that patients of our planned network of satellite clinics will benefit as well….this leader in the health care insurance industry concluded that the cost effectiveness of the tangible benefits of our medical device warrant full fee coverage….We hope that this precedent will be followed by Medicare and all other health care insurers.”

Boston Foundation for Sight webpage
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(I believe the cost to fit with the BFS scleral lens, which is made onsite, is around $7,000.)

[spaniel]

I cannot tell you how important I feel this is. I have had serious eye problems since the l970's and I can tell you, without insurance backing, this is a life altering event. (I've had two cornea transplants-and as you all know,this is not a final treatment for keratoconus,a corneal thinning disease.) I do know quite a few people,at this point in the health care system, that are going without even close to adequate eye care.