Practice Management News

WASHINGTON — The use of telemedicine has improved access to care for patients in rural areas while saving millions of dollars in travel expenses. However, insurance coverage of telemedicine services remains an issue, and some physicians have concerns about treating patients during virtual care visits rather than in the clinic, according to several panelists at a recent conference about the future of health care.

Women made up the majority of enrolled medical students in the United States for the first time, according to data for the 2019-2020 academic year.

Several CMS-designated permanent and product-specific J-codes recently went into effect, allowing three ophthalmology-minded pharmaceutical companies to expand reimbursement through commercial and Medicare insurance plans.

The annual Hawaiian Eye meeting, now going into its fifth decade, will feature 7 days of comprehensive ophthalmology information and education in Koloa, Hawaii, Jan. 18-24, 2020.

The FDA recently issued warning letters to 15 companies for illegally selling products containing cannabidiol, or CBD, according to a press release.

Life expectancy among adults in the United States increased for nearly 6 decades but eventually slowed over time and then dropped for 3 straight years after 2014, according to a special communication published in JAMA.

NEW YORK — Darrell E. White, MD, discusses the benefits of attending smaller meetings like OSN New York 2019 to facilitate learning.

The Ophthalmic Instrument Cleaning and Sterilization Task Force is asking cataract surgeons and nurses to take part in an online survey on surgical waste and their willingness to help reduce it.

NEW YORK — At the Open Your Eyes to Private Equity meeting preceding OSN New York 2019, Shareef Mahdavi, president of SM2 Strategic, discusses the importance of weighing the benefits and drawbacks of a private equity partnership.

NEW YORK — At the Open Your Eyes to Private Equity meeting preceding OSN New York 2019, moderator John B. Pinto discusses the inaugural event, featuring “a whole arc of material, from basic to intermediate to advanced” presented in discussions on how ophthalmologists are affected through private equity partnerships.