Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness globally. But a quick surgery and a $4 plastic lens can restore sight. A group from Vermont is offering free surgery in Africa and Asia.
The insurer says it is not usually medically necessary to have an anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist on hand most of the time during the common surgery.
An eye doctor was surprised when some of her colleagues questioned whether a man dying of cancer should have cataract surgery. Was it justified when he could "use" those new lenses just a few weeks?
Cataracts are the No. 1 cause of blindness. In the West, a simple surgery can reverse the vision loss. An HBO documentary looks at the effort to do the same for people in the developing world.