cover the $340 the center pays for each cas-
sette (the disposable patient interface), plus
an added fee to help defray the purchase
price of the machine and maintenance costs.
"When we explain to patients that we'll get
to the same outcome but there's less swelling,
less discomfort and less energy used in the
eye, 9 times out of 10, patients will opt to
have (the laser)," says Ms. Graves. "Surgeons
meet with patients and say this is my pre-
ferred method (and) our patients are pretty
much on board with what their surgeons rec-
ommend. They're generally willing to pay a lit-
tle more out of pocket unless they're signifi-
cantly indigent."
"Some of our commercial plans are begin-
ning to pay for the laser," adds Ms. Christian.
But some facilities say both the upfront and
the ongoing expenses related to femto are too
daunting. "It's too costly and we can't get reim-
bursed," says Denise Carpenter, BSN, director
of nursing at the Surgery Center of Northern
California in Redding. "We would be unable to
cover the cost of the laser based on the number
of cases we do," says another facility leader.
Highlighting the need for strong vendor sup-
port, the clinical coordinator of a southern
surgery center says her facility tried femto for
a year but gave up: "Patients balked at the
expense and there were technical issues with
