Regulatory/Legislative News

The announcement of new Medicare physician payment rates for 2014 prompted an urgent call from the American Medical Association for Congress to repeal the “broken” payment formula and begin “paving the way for a more stable and innovative Medicare program.”

The FDA has ordered genetic testing services company 23andMe Inc. to immediately discontinue marketing its Saliva Collection Kit and Personal Genome Service without agency clearance.

On Nov. 18, after more than 1 year of debate sparked by a deadly 2012 meningitis outbreak tied to compounded injectable steroids, the Senate passed the bipartisan Drug Quality and Security Act (DQSA), which will now go to President Barack Obama for signature.

NEW ORLEANS — A physician here discussed the precedence for billing at the ORA System Symposium, sponsored by WaveTec Vision.

NEW ORLEANS — The Affordable Care Act will have less impact on ophthalmology practices next year than anticipated, William L. Rich III, MD, said here at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved topography-guided custom ablation LASIK procedures performed with the WaveLight Allegretto Wave Eye-Q excimer laser, Alcon announced in a news release.

Early in 2011 CMS published regulations that went virtually unnoticed by the provider community, but could have a profound impact on any provider affected by them.

A proposal would allow faster dissemination of new safety information about generic drugs to health professionals and patients, according to a press release from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The annual per-patient cost of glaucoma care among Medicare beneficiaries decreased in constant dollars between 2002 and 2009, according to a study.

Aerpio Therapeutics has completed a phase 1b/2a study of a novel drug for diabetic macular edema, according to a press release.