AOA Keeps FTC rule dialogue Going & encourages members to connect with lawmakers ( Reported by AOA First Look on Oct 10)
The AOA doubles down on efforts to educate lawmakers and set the record straight on contact lenses, while regulators continue mulling over their proposed changes to the Contact Lens Rule. That proposal would mandate doctors collect a signed contact lens prescription acknowledgment form, and keep such a document on file for at least three years, which AOA maintains is not only burdensome but wholly unnecessary.
Recently, Reps. Leonard Lane (R-N.J.) and Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) authored a letter to the FTC to scrap the proposal—a letter that garnered bipartisan support thanks to the tireless efforts of AOA doctors and students.
But AOA still needs members to take action. Reach out to your Senator now, requesting them to oppose the FTC's proposal. Use AOA's Online Legislative Action Center to send a request to your lawmakers, or contact Matt Willette in the AOA's Washington office for more information.
And don't forget to REPORT ANY CONTACT LENS VIOLATION
ICD-10 Coding Changes Went Info Effect This Month
On October 1, 2017 new diagnosis codes went into effect related to conditions treated in optometric practice. Changes and revisions were made to codes for degenerative myopia (H44.2) to allow for greater specificity in reporting. Additionally, over 50 new codes were added to the blindness and low vision (H54) code set. These new codes are intended to allow physicians to more accurately capture the vision status of their patients with low vision and to allow for doctors to report the category of visual impairment that exists, as defined by the World Health Organization.
AOA CODING RESOURCES
AOA’s Comprehensive Codes for Optometry Manual: purchase at the AOA MARKETPLACE.
Coding Changes Overview: An overview of some of the significant ICD-10 code changes impacting optometric practice. AVAILABLE HERE
Coding Support for Members: Direct your questions to AOA’s coding experts simply by completing the AOA’s ONLINE FORM.
NEWS You Can Use
& Doctor RESOURCES