Dry Eyes
Customize your policy alerts
Sign up for Aetna Policy 0457 alerts
Get alerted when Policy 0457 changes without checking for updates manually.
Monitor payer policy activity
Clinical policy governing medical necessity and investigational status of diagnostic tests and interventions for dry eye syndrome for Aetna members. Affects providers submitting claims for treatments such as punctal plugs, punctoplasty, tear osmolarity testing, and related procedures.
No material clinical or coverage changes in this revision.
Coverage Criteria and Policy Determinations
Evidence summaries (no coverage rules present)
Evidence summaries (no coverage rules present) — aggregated evidence summaries without explicit coverage nodes.
Coding — Covered and Not Covered Codes; Clinical Thresholds
| 68760 | Closure of the lacrimal punctum; by thermocauterization, ligation, or laser surgery. |
| 68761 | Closure of the lacrimal punctum; by plug, each. |
| 68801 | Dilation of lacrimal punctum, with or without irrigation. |
| 83861 | Microfluidic analysis utilizing an integrated collection and analysis device, tear osmolarity. |
| 0232T | Injection(s), platelet rich plasma, any site, including image guidance, harvesting and preparation when performed [combined with TEMPO-oxidized sacchachitin nanofibers (TOSCNFs)]. |
| 0330T | Tear film imaging, unilateral or bilateral, with interpretation and report. |
| 83516 | Immunoassay for analyte other than infectious agent antibody or infectious agent antigen; qualitative or semiquantitative, multiple step method. |
| H04.121 - H04.129 | Dry eye syndrome. |
| H04.561 - H04.569 | Stenosis of lacrimal punctum. |
| H11.141 - H11.149 | Conjunctival xerosis, unspecified. |
| H16.221 - H16.229 | Keratoconjunctivitis sicca, not specified as Sjögren's. |
| M35.0 - M35.09 | Sicca syndrome [Sjögren]. |
| No codes listed |
Provider Actions, Authorization, and Documentation Requirements
Prior authorization for selected CPT/HCPCS
Prior authorization required for selected CPT/HCPCS when selection criteria are met. Affected codes include: CPT 68760 (closure of lacrimal punctum by thermocauterization/ligation/laser), 68761 (closure by plug, each), 68801 (dilation of lacrimal punctum), 83861 (tear osmolarity microfluidic analysis), and HCPCS A4262 (temporary absorbable lacrimal duct implant) and A4263 (permanent long-term nondissolvable lacrimal duct implant). Providers should verify plan-level PA processes and submit objective documentation (see documentation callout) with PA requests.
Prior authorization not specified / None specified
No specific prior authorization requirement is stated for many treatments and devices discussed in this policy excerpt. Several sections and device/study summaries do not specify PA requirements — e.g., thermal pulsation systems, IPL, cross-linked hyaluronic acid gel occlusive devices, and autologous serum (study-level evidence only). Verify member benefits and medical necessity criteria prior to scheduling.
- Thermal pulsation: PA not specified in excerpts
- Intense pulsed light (IPL): PA not specified in excerpts
- Cross-linked HA gel occlusive device: PA not specified (study-level evidence)
- Autologous serum tears: policy lists as medically necessary when criteria met; PA not specified in these excerpts
Punctal occlusion treatment indication and conservative therapy prerequisite
Punctal occlusion (temporary or semi-permanent plugs, punctoplasty) is indicated only for moderately severe to severe dry eye that is refractory to conservative management. Conservative measures should be tried first, including at least a 2-week trial of artificial tears, ophthalmic cyclosporine where indicated, and adjustment of medications that may contribute to dry eye. Document objective evidence of lacrimal gland deficiency (e.g., Schirmer test or tear break-up time) or corneal compromise on slit-lamp exam.
- Indication: moderately severe to severe dry eye not controlled with conservative measures
- Conservative trial: ≥2 weeks of artificial tears, trial of ophthalmic cyclosporine where indicated, medication adjustment
- Objective evidence required: Schirmer test, TBUT, ocular surface dye staining or slit-lamp evidence of corneal decompensation
Required clinical documentation and evaluation guidance
Required clinical documentation for procedural therapies: providers should document the diagnosis of severe dry eyes, symptom severity, and objective test results (Schirmer, TBUT, ocular surface staining, tear osmolarity where available). For punctal procedures, failure to document these elements or corneal compromise may result in non-coverage. When submitting for PA, include prior conservative treatments tried and their duration.
- Documented diagnosis of severe dry eye (keratoconjunctivitis sicca)
- Objective tests: Schirmer test (wetting <5 mm/5 min abnormal), TBUT, ocular surface staining (rose bengal, fluorescein, lissamine green)
- Conservative therapy documentation: duration and response to artificial tears, cyclosporine, medication adjustments
- Include rationale when autologous serum or procedural therapy is requested
Autologous serum — evidence quality note
Autologous serum tears: evidence quality is variable with small RCTs and heterogeneity in methods and outcomes. Trials show inconsistent benefit for symptoms and TBUT and no clear benefit on Schirmer, ocular surface staining, or impression cytology. When used, document trial details, prior therapies, and rationale given limited high-quality evidence.
- Evidence: small RCTs (n totals small), variable risk of bias, inconsistent outcomes
- Documentation: trial protocol, concentration used, duration of therapy, prior treatments and response
Treatment escalation and therapeutic sequencing (informational)
Therapeutic sequencing: escalate treatment from conservative measures (environmental/lid hygiene, OTC lubricants, adjust exacerbating medications) to anti-inflammatory agents (topical corticosteroids, cyclosporine, lifitegrast) and consider procedural options (punctal occlusion, thermal pulsation, IPL, tarsorrhaphy) if refractory. No formal step-therapy rules or mandatory sequencing were specified in this excerpt; thermal pulsation and IPL are presented as options when conventional measures fail.
- Start: environmental modifications, lubricants, warm compresses, lid hygiene
- Next: prescription anti-inflammatory agents (e.g., cyclosporine, lifitegrast)
- Procedural options: punctal occlusion, thermal pulsation (eg LipiFlow), IPL, tarsorrhaphy for refractory cases
- No explicit step-therapy enforcement found in policy excerpts
Reported clinical measures
Reported clinical measures used in studies and recommended for assessment: TBUT, Schirmer test, ocular surface staining (fluorescein, rose bengal, lissamine green), tear osmolarity, MMP-9 (InflammaDry), tear meniscus height, corneal staining scores, and validated symptom questionnaires (OSDI, SPEED). Include these objective measures in documentation when available.
- Objective tests: TBUT, Schirmer, ocular surface staining
- Biomarkers/assays: tear osmolarity (83861), MMP-9 (InflammaDry), tear MUC5AC/IL-8 in research settings
- Symptom scales: OSDI, SPEED
Policy history and review dates
Policy history and review dates are provided in the document header. Effective date listed: 10/04/2000; last review: 07/11/2023; next review scheduled: 05/09/2024. Use these dates to confirm currency of policy guidance and any subsequent updates that may affect authorization or coverage.
- Effective: 10/04/2000
- Last Review: 07/11/2023
- Next Review: 05/09/2024
Background and Context
Background: Dry eye syndrome is a chronic disorder of the ocular surface characterized by tear film instability, ocular surface inflammation, and symptoms of dryness and irritation. It results from decreased tear production or excessive evaporative loss and ranges in severity from mild symptoms to severe disease with corneal damage and vision risk. Common objective assessments referenced in the policy include the Schirmer test, ocular surface staining (rose bengal, lissamine green, fluorescein), and tear film break-up time (TFBUT), and the policy also highlights tear osmolarity as a key diagnostic marker.
Definitions and Clinical Measures
OpenPayer is powered by Trek Health's payer performance platform. Trek continuously ingests, validates, and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data alongside payer policies and other commercial payer data to create a structured payer intelligence foundation. OpenPayer uses this foundation to deliver personalized search results, dynamically generated policy pages, and tailored policy monitoring based on each user's payers, specialties, billing codes, and areas of interest. The same intelligence powers broader payer performance workflows, including reimbursement benchmarking, contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and financial decision-making.