Earning Almost $300K, Ophthalmologists Don't Think to Get Paid Enough

"Ophthalmologists are in the middle of the pack when it comes to compensation and professional satisfaction. Yet the majority of ophthalmologists think they should be better paid, according to the Medscape Ophthalmologist Compensation Report 2015," notes Medscape. "Ophthalmologists surveyed reported earning $292,000 per year on average in 2014. That is more than $100,000 higher than pediatricians, the lowest earners ($189,000), but a roughly equal amount below that of the perennial highest earners, orthopedists ($421,000). Ophthalmologists are also right in the center for earnings not linked to patient care (such as expert witness duties, product sales, or speaking engagements), picking up an average of $14,000 in outside work, on par with rheumatologists, general surgeons, and gastroenterologists." Read more. Maybe they should join the thousands of fast-food workers protesting throughout the U.S. for $15 an hour or $30K per year.

Opthalmologists Pull in the Big Medicare Bucks

"More than any other specialists, ophthalmologists — not cardiologists, cancer doctors or orthopedic surgeons — were the biggest recipients of Medicare money in 2012," according to the post "Eye Doctors Say Their Profits Are Smaller than the Data Makes Them Look" in the New York Times.  The 17,000 providers, most of whom are concentrated in Florida, Texas, California and New York, accounted for 7 percent — $5.6 billion — of the reimbursements to doctors and other providers. Included in the amount is $929 million for cataract surgery, about $1 billion for an expensive eye drug and $707 million for eye exams." Read more.

The article misses a point, though. The patients of cardiologists and oncologists die from heart disease and cancer, limiting the time the physicians can treat them. AMD, cataracts, and most retinal diseases do not kill patients, so ophthalmologists must treat their patients for longer periods, leading to higher overall billings.

Cloud-Based Fundus Photographs

“A new tool for ophthalmologists and optometrists is now available online, making it easier to monitor changes in the eye,” according to MedGadget. “EyeIC has released a cloud-based application that allows to easily compare fundus photographs taken at different times of the same patient, or across patients.” Read more.

Ophthalmologist Receives Patients' Choice Award

Dr. Sadiqa Stelzner of Santa Monica, CA, has been ranked among the top physicians in the nation based on patient reviews, called the Patients' Choice Award. Doctors who have received top scores by their patients and pass other quality measures are awarded the Patients' Choice Award. In fact, of the nation's 720,000 active physicians, just 5 percent were accorded this honor in 2011.Stelzner joined the Santa Monica Eye Medical Group in 2004 which was established in 1948. After the retirement of Dr. Dickerson in January of 2008, she became the successor of the practice. In addition, she is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the UCLA Jules Stein Eye Institute and the Director of Eye Care at the Greater Los Angeles VA. Stelzner and the Santa Monica Eye Medical Group provide comprehensive eye care including premium lens replacement, cataract surgery, LASIK, glaucoma treatment and cosmetic treatments such as eyelid surgeries, botox, fillers. For more information on this Patients' Choice Award winner, please visit Dr. Sadiqa Stelzner's profile on PatientsChoice.org.

AMA and AOA Still Butting Heads, Maybe Bashing Heads

Here's a release from the American Optometric Association: "After being dealt a series of setbacks on Capitol Hill by optometry, the American Medical Association (AMA) and its medical specialty allies have announced plans for renewed attacks on the landmark Harkin patient access law and a renewed and refocused campaign aimed at undermining optometric education and diminishing ODs in the eyes of patients and the public." Read more.

Looming Worldwide Shortage of Optical MDs

"Despite more than 200 000 eye doctors in practice around the globe, capacity is not keeping pace with the growing demands of ageing populations and the current needs of developing countries, finds research published online in the British Journal of Ophthalmology," reports Eureka. "The responses (192 countries) showed that there were 205,000 ophthalmologists in 2010, half of whom were in China, USA, Russia, Japan, Brazil, and India. The number of ophthalmologists by country ranged from zero to more than 28,000 in China. Some 131 countries had less than 5% of the total number between them. The average number of ophthalmologists per million of the population varied according to the level of economic development, ranging from 9 per million in low income countries to 79 per million in high income countries―an eightfold difference. Read more.