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WHAT’S HAPPENING
Advocate for Ophthalmology’s Future at Mid-Year Forum 2018
At the Mid-Year Forum, the ophthalmology community comes together to shape its future and drive change.
Attend the panel discussions. Key topics will include “Drugs in 2018: Access, Pricing, and Payment” and “The Changing Role of the Veterans Health Administration.” You’ll also hear panel discussions on the scientific advancements and practice insights of the IRIS Registry; private equity and equity transfers; how to handle information overload; the future of artificial intelligence in ophthalmology; and more.
Visit Capitol Hill to educate legislators and their staff on health care issues. During Congressional Advocacy Day, join your colleagues and Academy leaders in directly advocating for your profession and patients. On the evening of April 18, you’ll be briefed over dinner. On April 19, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., attend Academy-facilitated meetings with your members of Congress and their staff to advocate for your patients and the profession of ophthalmology.
The Mid-Year Forum 2018 will be held April 18-21 at the Renaissance Downtown in Washington, D.C. The registration fee for the Mid-Year Forum increases from $225 to $325 on March 7; however, Congressional Advocacy Day’s day of lobbying (April 19) is free to all members. Register by April 3.
For registration information and the event schedule, visit aao.org/myf.
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CREATING CHANGE ON THE HILL. Young ophthalmologists take a stand at Congressional Advocacy Day, during last year’s Mid-Year Forum.
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TAKE NOTICE
A Request From EyeNet’s Editors
This month, some of you will be asked to take part in a readership survey conducted by Kantar Media. If you are a fan of EyeNet and the work we do, please participate to help keep our scores high. Being ranked among the most widely and thoroughly read ophthalmic publications enables us to secure funding for projects that help you in the clinical realm as well as your practice, like the MIPS Manual—the most popular supplement we’ve ever created. We appreciate your support!
Your Academy’s Year in Review
Each year, Academy leadership and more than 1,000 physician volunteers provide you with the best member experience. Find out what the Academy achieved in the last year on all fronts, including advocacy, education, public service, and more. The 2017 Year in Review highlights some of the Academy’s achievements:
- launched the David E.I. Pyott Glaucoma Education Center on the ONE Network
- promoted our profession to the public through impactful patient stories
- fought for ophthalmology’s best interests in state and federal affairs
Read about these accomplishments and more at aao.org/yearinreview.
Submit Your Research to Ophthalmology Retina
Ophthalmology Retina publishes original research of interest to retina specialists globally. The journal prioritizes papers that teach clinicians how to make better diagnoses, select preferred treatments, and follow best practice patterns with the goal of delivering optimal outcomes for patients.
To submit an article, visit www.evise.com/profile/#/oret/login.
ACADEMY STORE
Access AAO 2017 Practice Management Program
More than 30 hours of practice management courses from the 2017 AAOE Program in New Orleans are available on demand. Order this package to view your favorite practice management pre-sentations again or see what you missed.
To order, visit the Academy Store.
Register for March 28 Benchmarking Webinar
Benchmarking provides practices with a distinct competitive advantage. In this 60-minute webinar, you’ll review case studies and learn how comparative insights about financial performance and practice efficiency can significantly increase profitability. An introduction to the Academy’s AcadeMetrics benchmarking tool—free for Academy and AAOE members—will be covered.
To order, visit the Academy Store.
MEETING MATTERS
Registration and Hotels: Mark Your Calendar
Starting June 13, Academy and AAOE members can register and make hotel reservations for Subspecialty Day (Oct. 26-27) and AAO 2018 (Oct. 27-30), which will be held in Chicago. On June 27, nonmembers can register and reserve hotel rooms.
AAO 2018 Abstract Deadlines: Papers/Posters and Videos
To present at AAO 2018, you must submit abstracts online. The abstract submitter for papers/posters and videos opens March 8 and closes April 10.
For abstract guidelines for videos and paper/posters, visit aao.org/presentercentral. To submit an abstract, visit aao.org/abstracts.
International Attendees
Foreign travelers coming to the United States to attend conferences need visitor visas, unless they qualify for entry under the Visa Waiver Program. There are several steps to apply for a visa, so get started early. To help you obtain travel documents, the Academy has an online letter generator to create a letter of invitation to attend AAO 2018. Enter your information into the form and print out the personalized letter.
For the letter generator and other helpful information, visit aao.org/visa.
PEOPLE
Passages
Benjamin F. Boyd, MD, FACS, ophthalmic surgeon and professor, passed away on February 5. He was 93.
Dr. Boyd was past president and executive director of the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO), where he made significant inroads in organizing and promoting ophthalmic education throughout the Western hemisphere and fostered the development of international relations between ophthalmologists. In recognition of his contributions to education and the restoration of sight, PAAO created the Benjamin F. Boyd Humanitarian Award and Gold Medal in 1987. The award is presented every 2 years to an individual who participates in charitable activities, indigent care, community service, and humanitarian activities through a public service program.
Dr. Boyd was past president of the Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis, president of the Panamanian Academy of Medicine and Surgery of the Republic of Panama, founder and president of the Panamanian Society of Ophthalmology, founder of the Boyd Ophthalmology Center, and a founder of the School of Medicine of the University of Panama, where he was the first professor of ophthalmology and then dean of the faculty of medicine. He was also the founder, author, and editor-in-chief of Highlights of Ophthalmology, a bimonthly journal published in English and Spanish.
D.C. REPORT
Delay for Multistate Modifier –25 Cut
Since October, the Academy has fought Anthem BlueCross and BlueShield’s 12-state cut to reimbursements for office visits associated with modifier –25. In response to this advocacy, Anthem said it would delay the cut’s implementation from Jan. 1 to March 1. It also said it would decrease the cut to these reimbursements from 50% to 25%. The policy will affect the following states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Modifier –25 applies to office visits bundled with same-day treatment, including intravitreal injection. To ensure adequate reimbursements, physicians might be compelled not to provide 2 services on the same day, instead having patients return to the office for a separate visit for treatment. The Academy is partnering with the affected ophthalmic state societies to halt this cut.
The Academy has specific guidance on the use of modifier –25. Even when an established patient exam is medically necessary, if you perform it solely to confirm the need for the minor surgical procedure, you cannot separately bill the exam. Medicare Part B does not require you to append new patient exams with modifier –25 when you perform a minor surgical procedure the same day.