MORE ACADEMY NEWS

FDA Seeks Input on Post-LASIK Experiences
The Academy is presenting on LASIK at a briefing tomorrow of the FDA’s Ophthalmic Devices Panel. The meeting provides an opportunity for the FDA to hear from the public and experts about LASIK satisfaction issues; several unhappy patients are expected to testify. The Academy and The International Society of Refractive Surgery will be represented by Steven Schallhorn, MD, former director of cornea service and refractive surgery at the Naval Medical Center San Diego and the refractive surgery program manager for the U.S. Navy, and Peter McDonnell, MD, director and William Holland Wilmer professor of ophthalmology at the Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute. While multiple studies have documented that LASIK is safe and effective with an excellent satisfaction rate and has benefited millions of patients, regulators are interested in finding out more about quality-of-life issues following LASIK surgery. To that end, the Academy is co-funding and supporting a new LASIK study with the FDA, NEI and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

CMS Meets with Academy, Others About DMEPOS Quality Standards
March 1 was the deadline for Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) accreditation for any new physician practices or new office locations, including ophthalmologists’ offices that supply post-cataract eyewear. The Academy strongly disagrees with the necessity of such accreditation for any physician practices and met with CMS on April 16, along with the AMA and several other health care provider groups. CMS agreed that the DMEPOS standards are primarily aimed at larger licensed retail suppliers, and the coalition was offered an opportunity to provide suggestions on how CMS might lessen the burden for physician suppliers. CMS stressed, however, that the law that initiated accreditation for DMEPOS specifically requires physicians and other health care providers to be included. Typically, physician practice accreditation costs about $3,000, a rate that makes it untenable for ophthalmology practices. Existing providers who are currently Medicare enrolled, have their National Provider Information number and have an existing National Supplier Clearinghouse number, have until September 2009 to become accredited.

IOM Highlights Health Care Workforce Challenges as Baby Boomers Loom
As nearly 80 million baby boomers begin to become Medicare-eligible, health care workforce and access issues rise to the top of policy makers’ agenda, coinciding with the Academy’s own initiatives. An Institute of Medicine (IOM) report released this month points to a shortage of practitioners serving older people. To improve ophthalmologists’ ability to keep up with the growing eye health needs of society, an Academy-produced white paper series (member login required) considers the best practices for high patient throughput in three practice types:

• Physicians with technicians and optometrists

• Physicians with technicians

• Physician only