Volume 6, Issue 1 │January 7, 2022
|
|
|
Telehealth Legislation Goes into Effect 1/1/2022
Legislation allowing Illinois optometrists to treat a remote patient utilizing an interactive telecommunications system went into effect on January 1, 2022. The bill amends the IL Optometric Practice Act to allow ODs the ability to use telehealth while also protecting patient safety. It sets the standard for tele-optometry in Illinois. The main points include:
- Holding an optometrist performing telehealth services to the same standard of care as would apply when providing in-person services
- Limiting telehealth services to established patients only, with the exception of emergency care
- Requiring optometrists performing telehealth care to perform the components of a minimum eye exam before prescribing glasses or contact lenses
|
Federal Vaccine Mandates Head to Supreme Court Today
The Washington Post reports that today, the Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether the Biden administration's vaccine policies affecting private employers and some healthcare facilities should remain in effect. In November, OSHA and CMS filed rules requiring large private employers and healthcare facilities that receive certain federal funding to implement a vaccination requirement or weekly testing mandates. The rules were set to take effect January 4, but in response to the litigation, OSHA said it would not immediately issue citations for companies not in compliance.
|
Congratulations AOA Leadership Institute Graduates
Congratulations to the following ODs who completed the inaugural 2021 AOA Leadership Institute Program. These doctors spent many hours throughout 2021 to improve their leadership skills so they are ready to step in and lead at all levels - local, state, and beyond.
Dr. Mark Burke
Dr. Sarah El-Khazendar
Dr. John Gialousakis
Dr. Derek Hennig
Dr. Jessica Jose
Dr. Caitlyn McHugh
|
|
Report illegal and unsafe contact lens sales to the FDA & FTC
|
2021 Medicare Allowables:
|
|
Medicaid Practitioner Fee Schedule Key
Third Party Committee Update: The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services has posted an updated Practitioner Fee Schedule Key. The updated key is available at the link below.
|
|
IOA Members in the News
Dr. Julie Steinhauer wrote an article for the St. Louis Post Dispatch on how to regain vision after a stroke. In the article, Dr. Steinhauer notes that patients can experience visual field loss after a stroke and common symptoms include blurriness or a blind spot. Dr. Steinhauer urges patients to set up an appointment with an optometrist as soon as possible after experiencing a stroke so a doctor of optometry can detect any loss in the visual field and begin a visual therapy program to help restore as much of the visual field as possible.
Dr. Brandon Lernor and his father Lawrence Lernor were featured in an article by the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy on Lawrence's efforts to train optometrists to administer the COVID-19 vaccination. A UW-Madison School of Pharmacy grad, Lernor estimates that he has administered nearly 20,000 vaccinations throughout his career. Lernor assisted in training about 60 optometrists to administer COVID-19 vaccines. In September 2021, the IOA honored him with the Dr. Floyd Mizener Friend of Optometry Award.
|
|
Political Fundraiser
Drs. Vince Brandys and Janette Perez and ICO 4th year student Connor Robbs attended a political fundraiser in December for Congressman Danny Davis (D-7).
L-R: Dr. Vince Brandys, Dr. Janette Perez, Congressman Danny Davis, ICO student Connor Robbs
|
|
Welcome PAC Donors
Thank you to the following members who increased their 2022 monthly PAC donation:
Dr. Sasha Radford
Bloomington Regional Optometric Society
Dr. Janelle Brown
Bloomington Regional Optometric Society
Thank you for your support!
|
|
Recenty Retired or Retiring in 2022?
Let us know if you recently retired or plan to fully retire in 2022 so that we can update your membership! Please reach out to Travis Hamlin, IOA Finance & Business Manager, at thamlin@ioaweb.org or call the IOA at 217-525-8012.
|
|
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.
|
|
2022 IOA/AOA Membership Dues Renewal
2022 Membership invoices have been mailed out, so be on the lookout for yours! If you are on recurring monthly or quarterly payments, nothing needs to be done as your payment schedule is automatically renewed. IOA/AOA membership dues can be paid online by logging into your profile.
2022 Dues Contest
Pay your dues in full before 1/31/2022 and you will be entered to win 15 hours of free IOA CE! We will be giving this prize away to two lucky winners. The free CE can be used for either the 2022 or 2024 renewal cycle, but must be used before the end of the 2022 calendar year.
|
|
|
|
Check out the newest IOA classifieds here!
Vision Care Associates, Springfield: full or part-time opening. Our busy two location, 8 doctor practice features all state of the art equipment ( Read more)
|
|
New Laws Going into Effect in 2022
Minimum Wage Increase: Illinois minimum wage is set to increase to $15 an hour by 2025, with increases going into effect yearly to ramp up to $15/hour. In 2022, minimum wage increases to $12 an hour for standard workers and $9.25 an hour for workers under age 18 who work less than 650 hours per calendar year.
Non-Compete Clause Threshold: SB672 bans non-compete clauses for individuals making less than $75,000 per year. The law defines earnings to include salary, bonuses, commissions, or any form of taxable income.
Prescription Drug Price Transparency: SB1682 removes limits imposed on consumers looking for the retail price of brand name or generic prescription drugs. The legislation removes the 10 request limit for consumers, and pharmacies must post a notice informing customers that they can request the price of prescription drugs.
Student Mental Health Days: New laws allow for Illinois students to have up to five excused absences for mental or behavioral health, not just physical illness.
Juneteenth State Holiday: Juneteenth, a day that celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S., is now officially a state holiday. Juneteenth will be recognized as National Freedom Day and is celebrated on June 19.
|
|
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
|
|
IDPH Announces New COVID-19 Antiviral Treatments Coming to Illinois
WAND reports that new oral antiviral treatments, Paxlovid and Molnupiravir, will soon be available in Illinois. The IL Department of Public Health announced that the drugs are prescription-only and are meant for patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 who have a high risk of becoming severely ill from the vi rus. “These new oral antivirals add new tools to our toolbox to keep people with COVID-19 out of the hospital,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. IDPH stated that they are working with pharmacies across the state to offer the antivirals, but noted that they are in limited supply.
|
|
Public Health Officials Announce 201,428 New Cases of Coronavirus Disease Over the Past Week
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 201,428 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including an increase of 444 deaths since December 31, 2021.
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 2,382,437 cases, including 28,361 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Since December 31, 2021, laboratories have reported 1,322,127 specimens for a total of 45,992,122. As of last night, 7,096 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 1,123 patients were in the ICU and 639 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from December 31, 2021 – January 6, 2022 is 15.2%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from December 31, 2021 – January 6, 2022 is 18.5%.
A total of 19,535,937 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 42,098 doses. Since December 31, 2021, 294,687 doses were reported administered in Illinois. Of Illinois’ total population, 73% has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and more than 64% of Illinois’ total population is fully vaccinated, and 40% 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.
|
|
U.S. Rep Bobby Rush Announces He Will Not Seek Reelection
NPR reports that Illinois Rep. Bobby Rush will not seek reelection for a 16th term in Congress. At age 75, Rep. Rush has held the seat for nearly 30 years. Rush "is a legendary figure in Chicago politics and in the push for civil rights." He was a co-founding member of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party in the 1960s and has spent his life as a civil rights activist. "I am not leaving the battlefield. I am going to be an activist as long as I'm here in the land of the living, and I will be making my voice heard in the public realm - from the pulpit, in the community, and in the halls of power," Rep. Rush said in a statement. Rush is the 24th House Democrat to announce retirement from the chamber.
|
|
U.S. House, consumer groups mull federal action against DTC contact lens sales schemes
Concerned that regulatory oversight may be a step behind emerging direct-to-consumer (DTC) medical device sales schemes, members of Congress demand a federal inquiry into the sales practices with support from the AOA and a coalition of consumer and health care organizations.
|
|
THANK YOU TO OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
