Billing/Femto/NY Medicare

My Mom had Femto 11 months ago which the doctor charged her 2800- for. He was insistent that the cataract was so dense that this was the only way to do it with a good result(this was the second doctor who said only to do Femto). She did not want/get specialty lenses. I understood that this was not covered and would have to pay. My mom did sign a form but it was checked off where the doctor was still supposed to submit the bill but never did. I have learned alot over the year. I did not know that a doctor could not charge for the Femto unless he was placing a specialty lens or doing a astigmatism ketatotomy. Neither of these things were explained. While doing the exam really just 

in the air said and while I am doing the laser I will fix this small astigmatism. I never thought anything about it or even knew what it was. It just seemed that while removing the cataract he could fix something minor. In the original papers my Mom signed I could barely read what was written besides Femto and thought nothing of it. I now know they wrote LRI which I now have learned what it is and it was never explained. My mom never even knew she had an astigmatism and certainly would not have done it. This was the way the dr could charge her. She would not have agreed to pay 2800- for this procedure. Her cataract sugery in one eye has been bad/blurry since 3 weeks after surgery. She had Yag 3 weeks ago with no positive result. She went to the dr yesterday and her vision is worse since the Yag. It was 20/70 after the Yag and 20/60 before. After the cataract surgery she was seeing better than 20/30. He says the cloudiness is gone yet my mom sees worse. He now says the lens has fallen back a little which is why her vision is worse. Then why put her through the Yag for no reason. He assured her the vision would be as clear as after surgery. He pretty much said the only thing to do now is get glasses. I have done nothing against this dr but now I feel he charged 2800- that he should not have. I really need an advocate/help as to what to do. Can My mom get copies of my moms records from the dr? She had previously seen another dr who also wanted to do Femto and was pushing all these specialty lenses. I am getting those records to see if she even had an astigmatism that needed surgery on. I am just tired of these dishonest doctors. I just read a local dr I had gone to has to pay 7 million dollars because of fraud. I did not want to proceed with this grievance until after she was done seeing him. He know just said come back in a year. Thanks for listening. It is all upsetting especially since she cannot see well.

1 like, 13 replies