Local Coverage Determination (LCD): Diagnostic Evaluation and Medical Management of Moderate-Severe Dry Eye Disease (DED) (L36232) Links in PDF documents are not guaranteed to work. To follow a web link, please use the MCD Website. Contractor Information CONTRACTOR NAME CONTRACT TYPE CONTRACT NUMBER JURISDICTION STATE(S) First Coast Service Options, Inc. A and B MAC 09101 - MAC A J - N Florida First Coast Service Options, Inc. A and B MAC 09102 - MAC B J - N Florida First Coast Service Options, Inc. A and B MAC 09201 - MAC A J - N Puerto Rico Virgin Islands First Coast Service Options, Inc. A and B MAC 09202 - MAC B J - N Puerto Rico First Coast Service Options, Inc. A and B MAC 09302 - MAC B J - N Virgin Islands LCD Information Document Information LCD ID Original Effective Date L36232 For services performed on or after 11/22/2015 LCD Title Revision Effective Date Diagnostic Evaluation and Medical Management of For services performed on or after 01/08/2019 Moderate-Severe Dry Eye Disease (DED) Revision Ending Date Proposed LCD in Comment Period N/A N/A Retirement Date Source Proposed LCD N/A DL36232 Notice Period Start Date AMA CPT / ADA CDT / AHA NUBC Copyright 10/08/2015 Statement CPT codes, descriptions and other data only are Notice Period End Date copyright 2019 American Medical Association. All Rights 11/22/2015 Reserved. Applicable FARS/HHSARS apply. Current Dental Terminology © 2019 American Dental Association. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2019, the American Hospital Association, Created on 01/02/2020. Page 1 of 12 Chicago, Illinois. Reproduced with permission. 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To license the electronic data file of UB-04 Data Specifications, contact Tim Carlson at (312) 893-6816 or Laryssa Marshall at (312) 893-6814. You may also contact us at [email protected]. CMS National Coverage Policy This LCD supplements but does not replace, modify or supersede existing Medicare applicable National Coverage Determinations (NCDs) or payment policy rules and regulations for Diagnostic Evaluation and Medical Management of Moderate-Severe Dry Eye Disease (DED). Federal statute and subsequent Medicare regulations regarding provision and payment for medical services are lengthy. They are not repeated in this LCD. Neither Medicare payment policy rules nor this LCD replace, modify or supersede applicable state statutes regarding medical practice or other health practice professions acts, definitions and/or scopes of practice. All providers who report services for Medicare payment must fully understand and follow all existing laws, regulations and rules for Medicare payment for Diagnostic Evaluation and Medical Management of Moderate-Severe Dry Eye Disease (DED) and must properly submit only valid claims for them. Please review and understand them and apply the medical necessity provisions in the policy within the context of the manual rules. Relevant CMS manual instructions and policies may be found in the following Internet-Only Manuals (IOMs) published on the CMS Web site. Internet Only Manual (IOM) Citations: • CMS IOM Publication 100-02, Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Chapter 15, Section 30.4 Medical and Other Health Services, -Optometrist’s Services • CMS IOM Publication 100-04, Medicare Claims Processing Manual, • Chapter 23, Section 20.9 National Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) • CMS IOM Publication 100-08, Medicare Program Integrity Manual, • Chapter 13, Section 13.5.4 Reasonable and Necessary Provision in an LCD Social Security Act (Title XVIII) Standard References: Created on 01/02/2020. Page 2 of 12 • Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, Section 1862(a)(1)(A) states that no Medicare payment shall be made for items or services which are not reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of illness or injury. • Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, Section 1862(a)(7). This section excludes routine physical examinations. • Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, Section 1833(e) states that no payment shall be made to any provider for any claim that lacks the necessary information to process the claim. Coverage Guidance Coverage Indications, Limitations, and/or Medical Necessity History/Background and/or General Information Dry eye disease (DED) is divided into two groups: 1) aqueous-deficient, and 2) evaporative. Dry eye is a common and often chronic and progressive problem, particularly in older adults, but not exclusively associated with age. Dry eye (also known as dry eye syndrome (DES), dysfunctional tear syndrome (DTS), keratoconjunctivitis sicca, xerophthalmia, xerosis, or sicca syndrome) is a multifactorial disease of the tears and ocular surface that results in symptoms of discomfort, visual disturbance, and tear film instability with potential damage to the ocular surface. It is often accompanied by increased osmolarity of the tear film and inflammation of the ocular surface. DED can occur alone or in conjunction with inflammatory disorders or immunologic disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogren's syndrome and other diagnosed or suspected disorders such as celiac disease or vitamin deficiency. It is a frequent side effect manifestation of certain pharmaceuticals and allergies. DED can also result from mechanical issues such as exposure keratopathy, nodular keratopathy or postsurgical changes. Additionally, there are systemic disorders such as hormonal changes that may cause dry eyes. DED is commonly (but not always) associated with symptoms which include: dryness, redness, burning, reflex tearing, itching, foreign body sensation, grittiness, stinging, soreness, photophobia, and pain. In cases of corneal neuropathy resulting from DED, symptoms may be lessened or missing. In some severe cases, the ocular discomfort becomes marked and visual acuity may be reduced or distorted with resulting limitations in activities of daily living. Exacerbating factors such as systemic medications that decrease tear production (e.g., diuretics, antihistamines, and anticholinergics), topical medications, contact lens wear or environmental conditions that increase tear evaporation may lead to an acute increase in the severity of symptoms. Elimination of such factors often leads to marked improvement. Diagnostic testing The initial evaluation of a patient who presents with a history or symptoms suggestive of DED should include those features of the eye exam relevant to dry eye, as well as evaluating patient history to determine the presence of any general health problems, medications taken, or environmental factors that may be contributing to the dry eye problem. Ocular surface diseases, systemic or local inflammatory diseases, or surgeries that produce symptoms similar to those associated with dry eye should be identified. Corneal sensation should also be assessed when neuropathy is suspected. There are several dry eye questionnaires that assess patient symptoms. Many have been statistically validated as effective instruments to screen for dry eyes. The Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), the Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness (SPEED) and the 5-Item Dry Eye Questionnaire (DEQ-5) questionnaires are valid and reliable instruments for measuring the severity of dry eye disease. The OSDI analyzes patient responses across three different subscales: vision-related function, ocular symptoms, and environmental triggers. The OSDI has good to excellent reliability, validity, sensitivity, and specificity for the overall questionnaire and each subscale. The OSDI is effective in discriminating between normal, mild to moderate, and severe DED as defined by both physician's assessment and a composite disease severity score. The DEQ-5, the sum of scores for frequency and intensity of Created on 01/02/2020. Page 3 of 12 dryness late in the day and discomfort plus frequency of watery eyes, effectively discriminated across self-assessed severity ratings and between patients with dry eye diagnoses. The SPEED questionnaire was shown to be a repeatable and valid instrument for measurement of dry eye symptoms. The SPEED score also correlated significantly with ocular surface staining and clinical measures of meibomian gland function. Along with other clinical and subjective measures of DED, these questionnaires provide a quantifiable assessment of dry eye symptom frequency and the impact of these symptoms on vision-related functioning. There are several commonly used objective tests for documenting and assessing the severity of DED including: (1) the Schirmer test, (2) vital dye staining of the ocular surface (e.g., fluorescein, Rose Bengal, lissamine green), (3) tear film break-up time (TFBUT), (4) slit