1-800 Contacts Files Complaints against Arizona ODs

"One of the nation’s largest contact lens retail companies filed complaints Monday against hundreds of Arizona optometrists for allegedly failing to turn over patients’ prescriptions so they can sell them lenses," according to a Casa Grande Dispatch post. "Draper, Utah-based 1-800 Contacts filed 3,200 complaints with the state Board of Optometry, asking the board to censure or fine the optometrists or suspend or revoke their licenses. The complaints mark a new tack by the discount contact lens supplier in an ongoing battle with contact lens manufacturers and retailers over pricing.
The company alleges the optometrists failed to follow federal and state laws requiring them to provide prescriptions to a patient’s designated representative upon request. Stacey Meier, president of the state optometric association, said his members know and follow the law and that there’s no requirement that optometrists respond if the prescription is valid. He said 1-800-Contacts can fill a prescription if they don’t hear back within eight business hours under 'passive verification' rules." Read more.

California Changes How ODs and Opticians Can Work

Existing California law prohibits an OD and optician from having any kind of business relationship in regards to an individual practice. ODs also cannot have any such relationship with companies that supply products to physicians, optometrists, and opticians.

A new bill (AB 684) recently passed will those prohibitions when the governor signs it into law. It institute the following:

• Prohibits ODs from having any profit-sharing arrangement with an optician or optical company.
• ODs, opticians and operating companies can own and operate a health plan so long as the plan’s ODs do not provide optometric services to enrollees.
• Provide for the direct or indirect provision of products and services to the health plan or its contracted providers or enrollees or to other optometrists, as specified.
• ODs, opticians, optical companies, and health plans could enter into a lease or other written agreement an optometrist “if specified conditions are contained in a written agreement.”
• Authorizes the State Board of Optometry, to inspect lease agreements. 

Read the legislation.

OD's Enter Second Day of Hunger Strike

"The indefinite hunger strike by members of the Indian Optometry Federation (IOF) being held at Jantar Mantar entered its second day on Tuesday. The group is protesting against what they claim to be “unlawful change of duties of optometrists by the Central Health Ministry.” The group has also written to the Prime Minister demanding immediate relief," reports The Hindu, a leading Indian newspaper. "R.S. Berwal, secretary, IOF, said: 'Blindness in India can only be controlled if optometry is considered part of the primary health care. We should be allowed to diagnose and treat patients for common eye ailments and refer patients who need specialised care and surgical intervention.'" Read more.

NJ ODs Step Closer to Avoid Vision Care Contracts

“A bill sponsored by Assembly Republicans Dave Rible and Anthony M. Bucco was approved today by the General Assembly that provides vision patients more freedom to choose the in-network eye doctor of their choice. The bill, A-1035, prohibits health insurance carriers from requiring optometrists to accept a vision care plan contract before becoming part of their network…,” according to PolitickerNJ. “Currently, health insurance carriers may require optometrists to accept a contract with a Vision Care Plan as a condition for participation in the carrier’s provider networks for the provision of medically necessary physician services.” Read more.

Shortage of Optometrists in Near Future? Maybe!

"A new business research report put optometry top among health-related fields facing labor shortages in the next decade—a claim the National Eye Care Workforce Study does not support," according to an AOA (American Optometric Assn.) post. 'The bottom line is that optometrists continue to be well-positioned to meet the growing needs of Americans for medical eye care.' Published on Sept. 2, the report from the Conference Board—a global business membership and research association—concluded 'among doctors, optometrists and podiatrists are the specialists most at risk of shortage, with the general physicians and surgeons category not far behind.' This is attributable to an overall increase in demand for health care providers due to an aging American population and an overall decrease in supply as practitioners retire, according to the study. The Conference Board labor report tracked 464 occupations in the United States between 2012 and 2022. Earlier this year, a poll concluded the 65-and-older population will surpass the 15-and-younger group by 2030, growing to more than a fifth of the U.S. population for the first time. It's a fact that prompted the update of the AOA's manual, Optometric Care of Nursing Home Residents." Read more.

British Courts Fine Man after Row with OD about CLs

“A dad has been fined in court after shouting abuse at Vision Express staff in a row over contact lenses,” according to a post from the Warrington Guardian. “Barry Dilworth, of Brambling Way, Lowton, screamed at an optometrist at the store in Golden Square as he was unhappy at the service. The 52-year-old then burst into a consultation room to confront the optometrist, who had gone to see another customer, and demanded an apology.” Read more.

How Moscot Remains Competitive for More Than 5 Generations

"Recent years, the eyewear industry is becoming an increasingly unfriendly place for mom-and-pop shops. Customers are moving online, hungry upstarts are disrupting the industry by eschewing storefronts and middlemen and major brands are combining forces to stop the young lions in their tracks. With all this upheaval, how is a family-owned optics shop with nearly a century of history supposed to keep up?" asks Mashable. "By embracing its niche position in the market and keeping all of its operations in-house, Dr. Harvey Moscot, the fourth-generation owner and president of Moscot Eyewear says. 'We stay competitive by being experts in what we do,' he tells Mashable . 'There are five generations of professionals, both opticians and optometrists. At Moscot, it’s all about quality and proper fit. At Moscot, it’s all about quality and proper fit.'" Read more, see video.

Louisiana ODs Get Chance to Cut

Louisiana "optometrists, who didn't go through medical school, now will be allowed to perform a few types of eye surgery," reports the Sun Herald. "Gov. Bobby Jindal's office announced Thursday that the governor has signed into law the heavily-lobbied bill by Republican Rep. Rogers Pope, of Denham Springs. It takes effect immediately....Supporters said the expansion will give people greater access to eye care and only involved procedures for which the optometrists will receive additional training.The bill prohibits optometrists from performing any injections into the eye and from using anesthesia. Read more.

Alberta ODs Expand Scope of Practice

“The provincial government is extending the eye-care services provided by Alberta optometrists to reduce referrals to specialists,” according to a CBC News report. “’A key strategy in improving the health and well-being of Albertans is providing increased access to primary health-care services in communities,’ said Health Minister Fred Horne in a written statement. The changes, which come into effect this fiscal year, will allow optometrists to do the following: Prescribe certain oral and topical drugs, order lab tests, order and apply ultrasound tests, and treat certain types of glaucoma.” Read more.

Georgia Rules That ODs Are Free to Use Whatever Lab -- Even Under an Insurance Plan

Vision Monday reports that "in a decision that could set a precedent for other states with similar laws, the Georgia Supreme Court has affirmed a lower court’s ruling that Spectera violated Georgia’s Patient Access to Eye Care Act when the managed vision care company required independent providers to use Spectera’s lab network for eyeglasses and/or contact lenses. While the full impact of the court’s Nov. 4, 2013 decision in the case of Spectera, Inc., v. Wilson, et. al. has yet to unfold, some industry observers feel that because there are laws with similar language in other states that it possibly could set a precedent for similar lawsuits elsewhere." Read more.

Meeting Mandela at the ODs

“I was sitting at the Optometrist waiting for my first pair of glasses and the receptionist said if you wait around a bit longer you will meet the president,” according to News24 based in Capetown, South Africa. “I stupidly said ‘which President.’ Of course she looked at me in horror and said ‘Nelson Mandela who else?’ I was so embarrassed. Never the less I hung around and low and behold a bunch of body guards walked in followed by our president. He chose to sit right next to me and he took my hand and asked me what my name was, what I did, how old I was and general chit-chat.” Read more.

AOA Releases Evidence-Based Guideline for ODs

Health care reform comes with strict new government standards for evidence-based health care. Now, the first guideline developed to help optometrists meet those standards is available for review and public input during a 30-day comment period. The general public, along with practicing optometrists and other stakeholders, can review the AOA Evidence-Based Guideline on Eye Care of the Patient with Diabetes Mellitus and submit comments for consideration, according to the AOA Evidence-Based Optometry Committee. To participate in the review process, record all comments and suggestions on the Peer & Public Review Document available here. Save the document and forward to QualityImprovement@aoa.org, or by mailing to AOA Guideline Development Group, American Optometric Association, 243 N. Lindbergh Blvd., Floor 1, St. Louis, MO 63141, or faxing to 314-991-4101.

The document will be accessible for review online for 30 days. Comments will be accepted until Nov. 30. The AOA Evidence-Based Optometry Committee plans to release a final version of the guideline in January 2014.

Medicare Pays Out More Than a Billion to ODs

Optometrists for the first time earned more than $1 billion in reimbursements under Medicare during 2012, according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), according to the AOA (American Optometric Assn.). Complete 2012 data on the number of optometrists providing services under Medicare, the number of Medicare patients seen that year, or the total number of services provided by them is not yet available. However, the CMS estimates 32,404 optometrists saw Medicare patients during 2011, and more than 11 million services were performed by those optometrists under Medicare that year. Read more.

ODs Must Wait Til Next Year

“State Sen. Ed Hernandez is giving up for this year his effort to expand the kinds of medical services optometrists can offer in California,” according to a Sacramento Bee post. “The Democrat from West Covina said Monday that he is pulling his Senate Bill 492 from any further action in the Legislature this year, and will instead push for its passage in 2014. The bill would allow optometrists to diagnose and treat all kinds of ailments related to the eye, including conditions such as diabetes. Read more.

Looking for ODs to Teach/World Sight Day Challenge

VOSH/International and the Brien Holden Vision Institute Public Health Division are looking to build worldwide optometric education. So they--with the support of Optometry Giving Sight--are inviting North American ODs to serve as faculty and program development assistants in emerging optometric institutions. The group is seeking optometrists with an interest in the academia required for recently established optometry programs aimed at the delivery of eye care delivery in developing countries. The successful candidate will be required to assume the position for a minimum duration of two years (reviewable after year one) and relocate within a reasonable time once a position becomes available. VOSH/International will review applications with final selection and placement by the Brien Holden Vision Institute. Read more.

The initiative was announced as Optometry Giving Sight launched its annual World Sight Day Challenge.

Sleeping Dogs Lie in Louisiana When It Comes to ODs Using Laser

Louisiana “State Rep. Frank Hoffmann says he has pulled his bill that would have allowed optometrists to expand their practices,” reports Ouachita Citizen. “’I'm just going to let it lie,’ said Hoffmann, R-West Monroe. ‘It's just not the right time to do it.’ Under Hoffmann's legislation, House Bill 527, optometrists could have conducted more surgical procedures, including laser eye surgery. The bill also would have granted optometrists the authority to prescribe certain narcotics. Ophthalmologists, including former Congressman Dr. John Cooksey, fiercely opposed the bill. Cooksey is an ophthalmologist.” Read more.

ODs in Texas Lobbying to Negotiate with Insurers

“A group of Texas optometrists is lobbying the State Legislature for more power to negotiate contracts with health insurance companies, and the measure they are supporting could hit consumers’ wallets, some business advocates say,” according to the New York Times. “Senate Bill 632…would prohibit a common practice among insurers: contractually obligating optometrists to offer discounts on services and products that are not covered by the health plan, like a spare pair of glasses or cosmetic contact lenses that change eye color.” Read more.

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.

ODs in FL to Prescribe Oral Meds for Eye Diseases

“Gov. Rick Scott has signed into law a long-debated bill that expands the drug-prescribing powers of optometrists,” reports WFLX. “Scott signed the bill (HB 239) on Friday. The state now allows optometrists to prescribe oral medications - including pills - to treat eye diseases. They had been limited to prescribing medications such as eye drops. Optometrists had to refer patients to ophthalmologists for conditions requiring drugs taken by mouth.” Read more.

FL ODs Finally Win Right to Prescribe

“A decades-long battle between Florida's optometrists and ophthalmologists -- nicknamed the "eyeball wars" – is finally over,” according to the Sun Sentinel. “The Florida Senate, in a 40-0 vote, sent a measure to Gov. Rick Scott Thursday that effectively ended a long battle between the two politically powerful groups by allowing optometrists to prescribe a limited array of drugs while also putting in new protections for patients…The compromise allows optometrists to prescribe 14 oral drugs, including certain antibiotics and anti-glaucoma drugs but not controlled substances, after taking a course and passing an exam. Additionally, the measure clarifies that optometrists cannot perform surgery and requires them to report any bad medical outcomes to the state, as ophthalmologists are required to do today.” Read more.