Article Date: 8/1/2004  contact lens economics Choosing a
Corneal Topography Reimbursement Strategy  There's little doubt
that a corneal topographer provides more information than a
manual keratometer. In addition to helping with specialized care
such as orthokeratology or refractive surgery,  today's
topographers can reveal subtle changes in the cornea that a
keratometer may miss. Additionally, software can help us to
follow and graph these trends over time.  Yet while nearly all
of us have a phoropter in our offices, many of us (including
active contact lens fitters) still don't have a topographer.
Certainly cost is a major barrier, but I've met several doctors
who've hesitated for other reasons -- the one I see most
frequently and that we'll discuss this month is getting
reimbursed. After all, there's no procedure code for topography.
And if there's no code, then patients won't pay for it. Or will
they?  Looking for the Light  As a practice-building consultant,
I seek out the type of technology specificall