Volume 6, Issue 2 │January 14, 2022
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No Surprises Act: Register Now for An Important #AskAOA Webinar
A provision of the recently implemented No Surprises Act will require all physicians, including optometry, to provide uninsured patients with good faith estimates (GFE) upon request. The HHS explained the requirement after an initial lack of clarity in its 2021 interim rule, drawing immediate concerns from the AOA and other medical associations.
The No Surprises Act, aimed at addressing “surprise medical billing” for out of network care, will require “generally, all providers and facilities that schedule items or services for an uninsured (or self-pay) individual or receive a request for a GFE from an uninsured (or self-pay) individual [to] provide such individual with a GFE. No specific specialties, facility types, or sites of service are exempt from this requirement.”
The AOA has concerns about this clarification and asked HHS to delay implementing the rule to consider additional feedback. In the meantime, doctors should access the AOA’s updated FAQ document and consider attending an upcoming #AskAOA webinar for further information.
When: 8 p.m. CT, Monday, Jan. 24
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Report illegal and unsafe contact lens sales to the FDA & FTC
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Labor Law Poster - 2022 Updates
Two required postings on the labor law poster have been updated in 2022. To stay compliant, all offices must post the Illinois and federal labor law posters with the two updates. Follow the link below to reprint the entire 36"x48" poster, or click the links for the Illinois Rights and Illinois VESSA posters and post those over your current poster.
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Illinois Valley Optometric Society Hosts COVID-19 Vaccination Course
This week, the Illinois Valley Optometric Society hosted a COVID-19 Injections Course where 15 doctors of optometry became eligible to administer COVID-19 injections. Thank you to the doctors who participated and to Society President Dr. Jacqueline Crow for organizing the event.
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CDC Quarantine Guidance
The CDC has released updated quarantine guidance for healthcare professionals with COVID-19 infection or exposure. The guidance allows for more flexibility with regard to quarantine requirements for doctors and staff. Click here to review the interim guidance. |
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Third Party Committee Update: BCBSIL Offers New Flex Plan
Third Party Committee Update: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) announced a new Medicare plan, Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Flex (PPO). Flex plan members will be able to see any provider currently accepting Medicare. Providers who accept Medicare and bill BCBSIL can see Flex plan members. If you are a Medicare Advantage-contracted provider with a BCBS plan, you will be paid at the contract's rate. Those who are not a Medicare Advantage-contracted provider with BCBS will receive the Medicare allowed amount for covered services. The patient may not be billed for any difference in provider charges and the allowance.
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Welcome New IOA/AOA Members
The IOA would like to welcome the following members who joined the IOA:
Dr. Ryan Edwards
Fox Valley Optometric Society
Dr. Connor Kabbes
East Central Optometric Society
Dr. Lindsey Stull
Fox Valley Optometric Society
Dr. Magdalena Bak
Lake McHenry Optometric Society
Dr. Nicole Sidock
Rock Island Optometric Society
Welcome to the IOA!
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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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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.
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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.
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Check out the newest IOA classifieds here!
Looking for three months of maternity fill-in coverage at our fantastic practice in Bensenville, IL (May, June, July) ( Read more)
Practice for sale chicago area jefferson park very good neighborhood. grossing 425,000 yearly ( Read more) |
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Elections Update
Politico reports on several campaign announcements made this week.
State Senator Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago) has entered the race to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush. Collins also plans to pass out petitions for the state Senate seat she currently holds, keeping options open. Chicago Ald. Pat McDowell is currently the frontrunner in the race, while Rep. Bobby Rush has endorsed Karin Norington-Reaves in the Democratic primary.
Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin is expected to announce his candidacy for governor on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. State Rep. Avery Bourne is likely to be announced as his running mate.
State Rep. Deb Conroy (D-Villa Park) announced this week that she won't seek re-election. She is instead running for the DuPage County Board. Conroy has held the seat since 2013 and serves as the Women's Caucus Whip.
WIFR reports that Illinois House Deputy Republican Leader Tom Demmer (R-Dixon) has announced his campaign for State Treasurer. Rep. Demmer will challenge Treasurer Michael Frerichs in the 2022 election. He has served in the General Assembly since 2013. The treasurer "handles the state's finances in conjunction with the comptroller's office. While the comptroller focuses on paying bills, the treasurer's office invests state money."
State Senator Brian Stewart (R-Freeport) announced in a press release today that he will not seek re-election in the 45th District. Sen. Stewart has served almost 50 years in public service. He added, "I care for the communities in my Senate District even more than when I was first elected, and I will continue to do my part to serve whenever I can."
The Daily Herald reports that Rep Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) won't seek re-election in the 54th District, after serving in the House since 2011. Rep. Morrison cited personal and family-related factors that led to the decision. Under the newly drawn legislative maps, Morrison's neighborhood was drawn into Republican Rep. Chris Bos' 54th District. Rep. Morrison has endorsed Rep. Bos.
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New Law Expedites Professional Licenses for Military Members and Spouses
Illinois Senate Democrats report that service members and their spouses will now receive their professional licenses at a faster rate due to a law sponsored by State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea). Public Act 102-0384 requires state agencies that issue occupational or professional licenses to review applications for expedited licensure for service members and their spouses within 30 days, rather than 60 days under previous law. "Many people who serve at Scott Airforce Base have relocated from other states, Belt said. "Fighting to make these transition periods easier so they can continue to serve our country is the least I can do." The law took effect January 1, 2022. |
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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 207,203 New Cases of Coronavirus Disease Over the Past Week
Updated data analysis – almost 90% currently hospitalized with COVID-19 are unvaccinated
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 207,203 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including an increase of 738 deaths since January 7, 2022.
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 2,589,640 cases, including 29,099 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Since January 7, 2022, laboratories have reported 1,956,972 specimens for a total of 47,949,094. As of last night, 7,320 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 1,148 patients were in the ICU and 657 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators. Updated data analysis shows almost 90% of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Illinois are unvaccinated.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from January 7 – 13, 2022 is 10.6%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from January 7 – 13, 2022 is 15.6%.
A total of 19,893,424 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 51,070 doses. Since January 7, 2022, 357,487 doses were reported administered in Illinois. Of Illinois’ total population, almost 74% has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, 65% of Illinois’ total population is fully vaccinated, and more than 42% 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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Supreme Court Upholds HHS Rule on Vaccine/Testing Mandates
While the Supreme Court halted implementation of the vaccine mandate for employers with 100+ employees, the Court is allowing the HHS mandate for healthcare workers in certain settings to stand.
Impacted facilities (if the facility accepts Medicare and Medicaid funds)
- Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs)
- Hospices
- Psychiatric residential treatment facilities (PRTFs)
- Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)
- Hospitals (acute care hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, hospital swing beds, long term care hospitals, children’s hospitals, transplant centers, cancer hospitals, and rehabilitation hospitals/inpatient rehabilitation facilities)
- Long Term Care (LTC) Facilities, including Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) and Nursing Facilities (NFs), generally referred to as nursing homes
- Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICFs-IID)
- Home Health Agencies (HHAs)
- Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (CORFs)
- Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs)
- Clinics, rehabilitation agencies, and public health agencies as providers of outpatient physical therapy and speech-language pathology services
- Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs)
- Home Infusion Therapy (HIT) suppliers
- Rural Health Clinics (RHCs)/Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
- End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Facilities
Please note: This does not impact the Illinois requirement that all healthcare workers must be vaccinated or undergo weekly testing.
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CMS Extends Flexibilities for MIPS Eligible Clinicians in 2021 PY
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) continues to provide relief to clinicians responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency by extending flexibilities across multiple performance years for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS).
In November, the CMS announced it would apply an automatic extreme and uncontrollable circumstances (EUC) policy to all individual MIPS-eligible clinicians for the 2021 performance year (PY); however, the automatic EUC policy doesn’t apply to groups, virtual groups or Alternative Payment Model entities. Eligible clinicians who don’t submit 2021 MIPS data by the March 31, 2022 deadline will receive an automatic neutral payment adjustment, unless they have a higher score from group or APM participation.
For more information about the 2021 PY, including details about the EUC policy, FAQs and other steps that CMS is taking in response to COVID-19, access this CMS fact sheet. Use the QPP Participation Status tool to enter your National Provider Identifier to view your eligibility by PY.
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Being A Patient In A Racial Or Ethnic Minority Group May Be Tied To Feeling Less Respected By Clinicians Compared With Non-Hispanic White Patients, Research Suggests
Healio reports, “Patients with vision-threatening eye diseases who belong to a racial or ethnic minority group reported feeling less respected by clinicians than their non-Hispanic white counterparts,” investigators concluded in a study that “drew data from the National Health Interview Survey” on “5,343 adults...who self-reported age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and cataracts.” The findings of the “cross-sectional cohort study” were published online in JAMA Ophthalmology.
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THANK YOU TO OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS! |
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