GOA COVID-19 Update - March 18, 2020 at 5:00

Happy Friday!

Providing you with the education, information and resources you need to serve your patients well remains our number one priority. The GOA is committed to providing you with vital information during this time of uncertainty.

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Call to Confirm

As the nation deals with the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC has asked doctors of optometry to postpone routine eyecare visits for their patients.

The GOA is asking consumers to #CalltoConfirm that their doctor's office is open and seeing patients.

AOA LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY ACTION ALERT: Tell Congress That Optometry Practices Need Immediate Crisis Relief

Congress and the President are working on a national response to the Coronavirus / COVID-19 crisis, and the AOA is making sure that Optometry is heard loud and clear in Washington, D.C. as relief and recovery legislation is drafted.

Last week, the AOA reported on the successful inclusion of Doctors of Optometry as physicians in emergency legislation to expand Medicare telehealth services .

Right now, Congress is considering another crisis relief bill. The AOA is making sure that U.S. Senators and House members fully understand frontline, essential care role and the extreme disruption and care delivery complications that practices across the country are facing each day during the crisis.

The AOA’s message is that Optometry practices must be fully included in all physician-level and small business crisis relief provisions now being readied to be voted on.

Doctors, optometry students, and optometric staff are asked to contact their U.S. Senators (202-224-3121) to express support AOA’s recommendations to recognize the challenges Doctors of Optometry are facing and to assure continued patient access to essential eye health care in communities across America.

Please Take Immediate Action

Suggested telephone message for AOA Doctors to use to call their two U.S. Senators (can be adapted for Optometry Students and Optometric Staff).

Step 1:

Call both of your U.S. Senators through the Capitol Hill switchboard at 202-224-3121, and deliver the message below. Please include relevant information about the challenges your office is facing under crisis conditions.

Step 2:

Thank you for taking my call. I appreciate your service to the public at this difficult time and all that the Senator is doing to support our state during this national emergency.

I am a Doctor of Optometry practicing in ___________________________. I deliver essential, primary eye health and vision care to working men and women, school-aged children and seniors, and my practice employs ____________.

There are enormous challenges and risks for all frontline doctors like me and other providers arising from the COVID-19 outbreak, but the care we’re providing is essential to the health and well-being of our patients and our communities. I believe in the difference my colleagues and I are making and in the oath we took as doctors.

Please let the Senator know that I called to request that he/she work with the American Optometric Association in the days ahead. My request is that the Senator support the AOA’s specific recommendations to ensure that the essential care I am providing and the role my practice and my state association plays in our communities is fully recognized in crisis relief legislation now being considered.

I would welcome the chance to continue to be a resource for the senator on frontline essential care and how we can respond together to the current crisis. Please do not hesitate to contact me if there is any further information I can provide.

Step 3:

Update the AOA Advocacy Team in Washington, D.C. by sending an email to Matt Willette, AOA Director of Congressional Relations, at MWillette@aoa.org .

From the US Small Business Administration: Small Business Loans Available Now

The SBA will work directly with state Governors to provide targeted, low-interest loans to small businesses and non-profits that have been severely impacted by the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program provides small businesses with working capital loans of up to $2 million that can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing.

The office of Governor Kemp is hard at work on this process, and the SBA strongly recommends that business owners who are seeking an SBA loan to move forward with both registering and applying on the SBA website.

You can apply here: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance

COVID-19 and Medicare Telehealth Services

On Tuesday, March 17, the AOA hosted a webinar on billing and coding specifics for the recently expanded physician telehealth services under Medicare.

You can view the webinar here: https://zoom.us/rec/play/tZZ5JLqv-Ds3SdaWtQSDBaJxW9Tveq-s1ikbrvFezk-xAnRWYQGvZLoUauR7dhKBzm4gAtobYwkMTa48

Employers – Important Rules On Filing Claims During Temporary Shutdowns

The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) has adopted an emergency R ule 300-2-4-0.5 Partial Claims, effective March 16, 2020. The rule mandates all Georgia employers to file partial claims online on behalf of their employees for any week during which an employee (full-time/part-time) works less than full-time due to a partial or total company shutdown caused by the COVID-19 public health emergency. Any employer found to be in violation of this rule will be required to reimburse GDOL for the full amount of unemployment insurance benefits paid to the employee. Download the How Employers File Partial Claims Desk-Aid found on the GDOL Alert Page and follow the step-by-step instructions.

Filing partial claims results in your employees receiving unemployment insurance (UI) benefit payments faster, usually within 48 hours for claims filed electronically. Employees for whom you file a partial claim are NOT required to report to a Georgia Department of Labor career center, register for employment services, or look for other work.

Please continue to monitor our website at gdol.ga.gov for any updates to these guidelines.