Volume 6, Issue 6 │February 11, 2022
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Congratulations 2022 Membership Dues Contest Winners! |
Congratulations to Dr. Elizabeth Panton & Dr. Michelle Skowron who were drawn as the 2022 membership dues contest winners! Dr. Panton & Dr. Skowron will receive 15 hours of free IOA CE in 2022. Thank you to all members who renewed their membership by January 31, 2022. |
Let's Keep the Momentum Going:
Join the Love Your Eyes Campaign
In celebration of Valentine's Day, the IOA has launched a Love Your Eyes campaign which encourages patients to practice the 20-20-20 rule. IOA members have access to resources like the graphics linked below and a customizable email template to send to your patients encouraging them to give their eyes a break when using digital devices and schedule a comprehensive eye exam.
The full-page images linked below can be printed out and placed 20 feet away from where your patient is sitting. You can even add your practice's logo to personalize the graphics. They will serve as a reminder to follow the 20-20-20 rule. You and your patients can help spread the word by posting your pictures practicing the 20-20-20 rule on social media using the hashtags #LoveYourEyes & #202020Rule.
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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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Public Health Committee Update: Low Vision Awareness Month
IOA Public Health Committee member, Janis Winters, OD, wrote an article with Sherry Day, OD, and Jacqueline Theis, OD, for AOA Focus. The article examines technological advances in portable electronic devices and wearable technology that are helping to improve the lives of low vision patients. The increased availability of technology has expanded the recommendations made for both education-based programs and to enhance daily living.
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Welcome New IOA/AOA Member!
The IOA would like to welcome the following new member who joined the IOA/AOA:
Vicki Nguyen, O.D.
Fox Valley Optometric Society
Welcome to the IOA!
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Happening Next Week: “Preparing for the End of the Student Loan Payment Holiday” Workshop
After multiple extensions, the Student Loan Payment & Interest Holiday is coming to an end on May 1, 2022. This means many IOA members may be required to resume payment and may begin accruing interest on federally held student loans for the first time in almost 2 years.
Have your questions answered during an AOAExcel workshop aimed to assist IOA/AOA members in preparing for the end of this payment holiday with topics including:
- How to lower your monthly payments
- How to get your loans out of default
- Navigating student loan servicer changes
- How to re-start your auto-payments
- What to look for in a refinancing lender
- Avoiding student loan debt scams
- How to receive a 0.25% rate discount as an AOA member
What: “Preparing for the End of the Student Loan Payment Holiday” Workshop
When: 7 p.m. CT, Tuesday, Feb. 15
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Make Sure You're Ready When License Renewal Opens! Complete Your CE ASAP!
Don't forget! Illinois licenses renew on March 31, 2022 and ODs are required to complete 30 hours of CE before their license renewal. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, IDFPR has allowed optometrists to complete all 30 hours online provided by IL-licensed CE providers. As a licensed CE provider, all IOA courses will count for Illinois credit.
Renewal Requirements:
- ODs must earn 30 hours of CE from April 1, 2020-March 31, 2022.
- Tested hours were waived for the 2020-2022 licensing cycle.
- 1 hour of sexual harassment CE must be taken by all licensed optometrists in order to renew a license.
- 3 hours of safe opioid prescribing CE must be taken by all optometrists who hold a Controlled Substance license in order to renew the license.
- First-time renewal applicants are exempt from CE requirements at the time of their first renewal. However, if the licensee holds a controlled substance license, they must comply with the 3-hour opioid CE requirement, even if this is the first renewal.
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POLL: What type of health insurance does your practice offer for ODs/staff?
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HRA/HSA or other tax-favored health plans
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Do not offer health insurance
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Check out the newest IOA classifieds here!
Optometrist needed for Sunday coverage at Bloomington, IL Lenscrafters. ( Read more)
36 year successful optometric practice for sale in Culver, Indiana. ( Read more) |
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Illinois Mask Mandate to End February 28 - Masks Still Required in Healthcare Facilities
On Wednesday, Governor Pritzker announced that the statewide mask mandate in Illinois is set to expire on February 28. The current mandate requiring masks in all public places has been in effect since August. Doctors of optometry should note that this change does not apply to optometry offices. The CDC continues to recommend masking in all healthcare facilities and the press release published by Gov. Pritzker states that "mask requirements will continue where federally mandated, such as on public transit and in high-risk settings including healthcare facilities and congregate care" as well as daycares. The mask mandate will also continue in P-12 schools.
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IL Unemployment Rate Decreased in January
The Illinois Department of Employment Security announced that the unemployment rate decreased over-the-year in all 14 Illinois metropolitan areas in December. It marked the ninth consecutive month of unemployment rate decreases.
The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases were:
- Carbondale-Marion - +5.9%, +3,300 jobs
- Kankakee - +5.7%, +2,400 jobs
- Rockford - +4.8%,+6,600 jobs
Jobs were down over-the-year in the Bloomington region (-0.7%, -600 jobs). The article notes that the unemployment rate has decreased over-the-year in all 102 counties for the second straight month.
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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 went into effect on September 19, 2021. 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 29,939 New Cases of Coronavirus Disease Over the Past Week
On Thursday, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported 29,939 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including an increase of 499 deaths since February 4, 2022.
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 2,987,502 cases, including 31,795 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Since February 4, 2022, laboratories have reported 707,521 specimens for a total of 52,553,574. As of last night, 2,380 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 432 patients were in the ICU and 238 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from February 3-9, 2022 is 4.5%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from February 3-9, 2022 is 5.8%.
A total of 20,803,108 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 24,334 doses. Since February 4, 2022, 150,651 doses were reported administered in Illinois. Of Illinois’ total population, more than 75% has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, 66% of Illinois’ total population is fully vaccinated, and 48% boosted according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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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PRF Reporting Phase 2: Tips
The PRF Reporting Portal opened for Period 2 on Jan. 1 and will remain open through March 31 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Providers who received one or more General and/or Targeted PRF payments exceeding $10,000, in the aggregate, July 1-Dec. 31, 2020, must report on use of funds in Period 2. The deadline to use funds for Payment Received Period 2 was Dec. 31, 2021.
Here are reminders about reporting:
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Password Reminders: Your password is not autosaved and you may need to reset your password.
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Period 1 Reports: Your Period 1 report is available. Instead of clicking Report 2, you'll see a tab for archived reports. Once you click the Period 1 report, you can see your old data. Note: there is no button for Period 2 reporting once you access your old report, so you will need to log in again.
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Program Issues: During Period 1 reporting, several tables did not save if you clicked save and left the portal to come back later. Those issues are resolved.
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Transferred Data: Most of your Period 1 reporting data is already saved and should expedite the process. Most time will be spent on reporting use of funds. The funding and other metrics like "unreimbursed expenses" or the personnel metrics only have to be updated for Q3/Q4 2021. The previous 4 quarters were autosaved and uploaded from your Period 1 reporting.
The #AskAOA PRF reporting webinar has useful information for reporting here. Questions? Contact askaoa@aoa.org.
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Driven By Omicron, US COVID-19 Death Toll Surpasses 900,000
Reuters (2/5, Gorman, Abraham) reported, “The coronavirus pandemic reached a grim new milestone in the United States on Friday with the nation’s cumulative death toll from COVID-19 surpassing 900,000, even as the daily number of lives lost has begun to level off, according to data collected by Reuters.” This “latest tally marks an increase of more than 100,000 U.S. COVID-19 fatalities since Dec. 12, coinciding with a surge of infections and hospitalizations driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant of the virus.”
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THANK YOU TO OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS! |
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