Volume 6, Issue 13 │April 1, 2022
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COVID-19 Injections Bill Passed House and Senate Unanimously
HB 4929, sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Laura Murphy, has unanimously passed the Senate. The bill allows for ODs in Illinois to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to patients 17 years and older. The bill will now head to Governor Pritzker's desk for signing and will take effect upon becoming law.
“The passing of this bill opens up another point of access to care for Illinoisans, allowing patients to receive their COVID vaccination from their trusted eye care provider,” said Leigh Ann Vanausdoll, IOA Chief Executive Officer.
Thank you to the IOA PAC Committee, PAC Donors, Keyperson, and IOA members who helped to support this scope expansion effort.
The IOA would like to thank the legislation's chief sponsors (bold) and co-sponsors in the General Assembly: The House sponsors are Rep. Theresa Mah, Rep. Dagmara Avelar, and Rep. Paul Jacobs. The Senate sponsors are Sen. Laura Murphy, Sen. Christopher Belt, and Sen. Omar Aquino.
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License Renewal Portal Open through May 31, 2022
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (DFPR) has now opened the renewal portal for optometrists. Additionally, DFPR will pass a variance extending the license renewal deadline until May 31, 2022. IOA has published FAQs on how to renew under the updated license renewal process.
Please note: IDFPR's system is currently bogged down with several professions trying to renew their licenses causing errors in the renewal process. Consider trying to renew your license during off-hours (early morning or late at night) when there is less traffic on the website.
Doctors who did not receive an email from IDFPR with their username and password should follow the MATCH instructions posted here.
Click here to read the FAQs before renewing your license.
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Report illegal and unsafe contact lens sales to the FDA & FTC
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2022 Medicare Fee Schedules
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Labor Law Poster - 2022 Updates |
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Form I-9 Update: Expired Documents No Longer Allowed on I-9 Form, Expired Documents Used During Pandemic Must be Updated by July 31
SHRM reports that beginning on May 1, employers will no longer be able to accept expired identification documents when verifying an employee's work eligibility on Form I-9. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security was allowing employers to use expired List B identity documents for Form I-9 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. DHS also announced that employers are required to update the I-9s of current employers who presented expired List B documents between May 1, 2020, and April 30, 2022, by July 31, 2022. If the employee who presented expired List B documents is still employed, they must provide an unexpired document that establishes identity. If the employee is no longer employed by the company, no action is necessary. No action is required if a List B document was auto-extended by the issuing authority. Employers should update the I-9 by entering the title, number, issuing authority, and expiration date in the Additional Information field of Section 2 on the Form I-9, and initial and date that section of the form.
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IOA MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
IOA Member and AOA Trustee Dr. Lori Grover wrote a piece in Modern Optometry titled "Vision Screening and US Population Health, Part 2: What You Need to Know". Dr. Grover discusses "seven key elements associated with vision screening that further highlight critical shortcomings in improving popul ation health relative to the availability of eye care in the United States." "Doctors of optometry, as the nation’s primary eye care doctors, must ensure that the high-value, effective, and equitable care they provide is recognized as the unequivocal standard of care for all populations," Dr. Grover writes.
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IOA member Dr. Millicent Knight was recognized in the AOA-PAC Insider newsletter as an AOA-PAC Visionary Elite donor. Dr. Andrea Thau, AOA PAC Board member, met with Dr. Knight to thank her for her generous contributions to AOA's advocacy efforts.
Pictured left (L-R): Andrea Thau, O.D., Millicent Knight, O.D.
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The Illinois Prescription Monitoring Program has named Dr. Erica Ittner to the ILPMP Advisory Board. Dr. Ittner is an Assistant Professor at Illinois College of Optometry and practices at Hawthorn Woods Family Eye Care. |
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Check out the newest IOA classifieds here!
We are looking to add a personable full-scope optometrist who can grow with the practice. This opportunity is for either full-time or part-time, fill in work for any day of the week or regularly scheduled hours. ( Read more)
Seeking Optometrist for our Private Practice in Orland Park--Possible Partnership Opportunity - We are seeking a Full-time or Part-Time time associate optometrist for well established full scope private optometry practice in Orland Park ( Read more)
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Steve Hamman Out as President of BCBSIL
WCIA reports that Blue Cross President Steve Hamman has left his position. Hamman was directly involved in negotiations with Springfield Clinic when BCBS dropped all 650 of the clinic's providers in November 2021. The move left BCBS customers in central Illinois with "a dead-end directory of providers, several of whom did not exist." On Wednesday, the Illinois House's State Government Administration Committee held a hearing to discuss challenges faced by constituents as a way to encourage BCBSIL and Springfield Clinic to find a compromise. Hamman had been with the company since 1991 and was appointed president in 2019. Stephen Harris, president of BCBS's Medicaid plan, will become president of BCBSIL.
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New Modifier, Place of Service Code Implementation for Telehealth Services Delayed until July 1, 2022
Last week, InSight informed doctors of optometry of an HFS notice that added Modifier 93 and Place of Service Code 10 with effective dates of service beginning April 1. HFS has issued a new statement that delays the implementation of the new modifier for telehealth services to July 1, 2022. Our original notice outlining the new Modifier 93 and Place of Service Code 10 can be viewed here. |
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Community-Based Testing Sites Ended Operations on March 31
In a press release, the IL Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced that state-run COVID-19 testing sites were shutting down effective March 31. After a sharp drop in the demand for COVID-19 testing services and increased availability of free at-home tests and a network of SHIELD saliva test sites, IDPH determined there was no longer a need for state-run sites. IDPH data showed that the sites were seeing fewer than 50 individuals per day and were handling less than one percent of the tests being conducted statewide.
Testing Resources:
- SHIELD saliva test sites can be found here
- Other COVID-19 test sites can be found by zip code here
- Free at-home COVID-19 tests can be ordered from the federal government here
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Masks Continue to be Required in Healthcare
In a February 28 Executive Order, the Pritzker administration outlined settings where masks would continue to be required, which includes healthcare settings.
The governor's press release outlines the following situations where masking will continue to be required:
- Healthcare Settings
- Long Term Care Facilities
- Congregate Settings (prisons, shelters, etc.)
- On planes, trains, buses, and other forms of public transportation and in transportation hubs such as airports, and train and bus stations
Masking requirements are also outlined in an FAQ here.
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Reminder: Executive Order on Vaccine/Testing Mandate
As a reminder, the Executive Order mandating that all health care workers must either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly (at minimum) testing for COVID-19 is still in effect. Employers must either maintain proof of vaccination status or proof of weekly negative COVID-19 tests in their personnel files.
Click here for a Q&A issued by the Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
Click here for information about a COVID-19 saliva testing program through ArcticDX
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Public Health Officials Announce 8,426 New Cases of Coronavirus Disease Over the Past Week
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 8,426 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including an increase of 87 deaths since March 25, 2022.
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 3,069,650 cases, including 33,394 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois since the beginning of the pandemic. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Since March 25, 2022, laboratories have reported 501,236 specimens for a total of 57,392,864 since the start of the pandemic. As of last night, 500 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 73 patients were in the ICU and 26 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide case rate is 65.3 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 Illinoisans. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total tests from March 25-31, 2022 is 1.7%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from March 25-31, 2022 is 1.7%.
This week, IDPH informed Illinois vaccine providers that it has adopted the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for a second booster dose for certain individuals at least four months after the first booster dose. This applies to adults over 50 years of age, and to immunocompromised individuals over 12 years old. The CDC also recommended a second booster dose with an mRNA vaccine for all those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for both their primary dose and their first booster, four months after their first booster dose. Those who already received an mRNA booster dose after their initial Johnson and Johnson primary vaccine do not need an additional booster unless they are either over the age of 50 years or immunocompromised.
The state also announced that providers who administer COVID-19 vaccines to uninsured individuals can bill the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services’ (HFS) COVID-19 Uninsured Program for vaccine administration. More information on the HFS program, which also covers COVID-19 testing, is available here.
As of today, April 1, IDPH and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency are discontinuing their joint effort of the Statewide Community Partner Vaccination and Staffing Assistance Program. Vaccines will continue to be readily available at locations across the state, including pharmacies, local health departments, doctor’s offices, and other health centers.
Since the COVID-19 vaccine became available to the public, millions of eligible adults and children across the state of Illinois have received their COVID-19 vaccine or booster dose.
Illinois remains among the highest in the Midwest for its vaccination rates, with more than two thirds of the population fully vaccinated.
A total of 21,374,596 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 8,386 doses. Since March 25, 2022, 58,703 doses were reported administered in Illinois. Of Illinois’ total population, more than 76% has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, more than 68% of Illinois’ total population is fully vaccinated, and more than 50% is boosted according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Vaccination is the key to ending this pandemic. To find a COVID-19 vaccination location near you, go to www.vaccines.gov.
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Momentum Growing for AOA-Backed DOC Access Act
A major focus of AOA on Capitol Hill 2022 will be shining an even bigger national spotlight on the push to end anti-patient, anti-doctor vision plan abuses. Bolstered by growing Capitol Hill support, AOA doctors and students will be urging even more lawmakers to back the Dental and Optometric Care Access Act (HR 3461/ S 1793). While the key legislation already enjoys wide bipartisan support, more national groups are renewing their efforts to grow momentum ahead of optometry’s mobilization April 24-26. This month, more than 400 dentists and dental students spread across Capitol Hill, and their top priority was winning new supporters for the DOC Access Act. At the same time, leading national patient and consumer advocacy groups are getting involved too and plan to announce their support directly to advocates and lawmakers in April. AOA doctors and students not planning to join their colleagues and future colleagues in DC next month, can make their voice heard with lawmakers today through the AOA’s Online Action Center.
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President Biden Launches “One-Stop-Shop” Website For COVID-19 Resources
The Washington Post (3/30, Diamond) reports that on Wednesday, President Biden “announced the launch of covid.gov, a website that the White House is billing as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for Americans seeking vaccines, tests, treatments and masks, while urging Congress yet again to pass a stalled funding package to support the nation’s virus response.” The new website “also includes information on local virus spread, guidance on travel rules and restrictions, and a new tool to help Americans locate places to receive immediate antiviral treatments if they have covid.”
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THANK YOU TO OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS! |
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