January 4, 2024 — Five Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) retired their local coverage determinations (LCDs) for minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) that were scheduled to take effect on Jan. 29, 2024. The five MACs — WPS Government Health Administrators, Palmetto GBA, Celerian Group Company, National Government Services and Noridian Healthcare Solutions — have issued statements that the final LCDs will not go into effect. The MACs previously published LCDs on MIGS, which identified certain procedures as investigational for glaucoma management in patients over the age of 18. 

Sight Sciences released a statement supporting the decision, which impacts canaloplasty in combination with trabeculotomy ab interno, a procedural description associated with the company’s Omni Surgical System. Iridex Corp. published a news release stating that the company, along with other stakeholders opposing the LCDs, engaged with the MACs throughout the comment period to advocate for continued patient access to these glaucoma treatments. The decision effectively retains reimbursement and full access for Medicare patients to these procedures, including the cyclophotocoagulation procedures performed by Iridex’s G6 laser system and probes.