Table 2. Count of Unique Health Care Professionals Making Medicare Claims as Ophthalmologists and Optometrists by State and Procedure.
| Procedure | No. (%)a | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | Kentucky | Louisiana | Arkansas | Missouri | Total | |
| LPI | ||||||
| Ophthalmologist | 41 (68.3) | 93 (84.5) | 92 (NR) | 71 (100) | 166 (100) | 463 (NR) |
| Optometrist | 19 (31.7) | 17 (15.5) | <10 (<10) | 0 | 0 | <46 (<10) |
| SLT | ||||||
| Ophthalmologist | 58 (50.9) | 86 (73.5) | 140 (79.1) | 73 (100) | 150 (100) | 507 (80.3) |
| Optometrist | 56 (49.1) | 31 (26.5) | 37 (20.9) | 0 | 0 | 124 (19.7) |
| YAG | ||||||
| Ophthalmologist | 121 (43.8) | 183 (70.4) | 215 (76.8) | 115 (NR) | 275 (100) | 909 (NR) |
| Optometrist | 155 (56.2) | 77 (29.6) | 65 (23.2) | <10 (<9) | 0 | <307 (<33.8) |
| New patient visit | ||||||
| Ophthalmologist | 201 (21.7) | 323 (33.0) | 327 (48.4) | 180 (29.5) | 435 (32.5) | 1466 (32.4) |
| Optometrist | 727 (78.3) | 656 (67.0) | 349 (51.6) | 431 (70.5) | 902 (67.5) | 3064 (67.6) |
| Optometrist-provided care | No./total No. (%) | |||||
| Oklahoma | Kentucky | Louisiana | Arkansas | Missouri | Total | |
| LPI | 19/727 (2.6) | 17/656 (2.6) | 10/349 (2.9) | 0/431 (0) | 0/902 (0) | NA |
| SLT | 56/727 (7.7) | 31/656 (4.7) | 37/349 (10.6) | 0/431 (0) | 0/902 (0) | NA |
| YAG | 155/727 (21.3) | 77/656 (11.7) | 65/349 (18.6) | 10/431 (2.3) | 0/902 (0) | NA |
Abbreviations: LPI, laser peripheral iridotomy; NA, not applicable; NR, not reported; SLT, selective laser trabeculoplasty.
a
Patient counts less than 10 but greater than zero are reported as less than 10.