Medicare’s Paying Less for Cataract Surgery. Eye Doctors Are Turning to Lucrative Lasers.

Medicare’s Paying Less for Cataract Surgery. Eye Doctors Are Turning to Lucrative Lasers.

Tammy Chalala, a retired dietitian in New York, was thrilled with the results of her cataract surgeries, which left her with close to 20/20 vision. She said she paid nearly $4,000 out-of-pocket for her two surgeries last year because she opted to have her doctor use a laser to assist with the procedure. Chalala, 69, chose that method over the traditional scalpel after doing research online and consulting with her doctors, believing it would give…