CATARACT SURGERY FOR JANE SNOW

Jane Snow, the best food writer in BJ history (there were a LOT of good ones, too), will have cataract surgery on her eyes, beginning Thursday, June 3. Two weeks later they’ll do the other eye. 

I had both of mine done about a decade ago. Several months apart. Piece of cake.

The average cost of LASIK eye surgery is about $2,000 per eye.

Patients pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for corrective lenses after each cataract surgery with an intraocular lens, and the Part B deductible applies. 

In my case the replacement lens improved my eyesight to 20/30 because, I was told, 20/20 vision in one eye puts the other eye out of kilter and creates vision problems (the way that 2 speakers provide stereo rather than mono but have to be synchronized properly).

Jane says if she goes for laser surgery and lenses that correct everything to end the need for glasses the cost is about $8,000.

Jane Snyder Neyrinck, who retired from Summit Physicians coding and auditing and lives in Uniontown, said that’s pretty much in the ballpark.

 She added: “What is covered by Medicare is the basic lens. We are sadly lacking in meaningful vision and dental care coverage.”

Anyone with more encouraging, reliable information to forward to Jane on her Facebook page?

The lenses aren’t much help if you have astigmatism. 

And you usually have to choose, as I did, between seeing better to drive or seeing better to read a book. 

I choose driving without running into cars I can’t see. 

If I take off my glasses the type in this article looks larger and clearer than it does when I look through my glasses. It’s a tradeoff I’m happy to live with.

My eyesight has remained remarkably stable over the years (I had a checkup last week).

Good luck, Jane! Here’s looking at you with my storebought lenses! Hope it doesn't screw up your marvelous cooking and recipes.