Regulatory/Legislative News

I have a tendency to be influenced by the people that I meet and talk with. I often find the stories of the events and happenings of other people’s lives at least interesting and many times fascinating. I believe that this is one of the reasons that I love optometry. We are truly in the “people” business.

The American Optometric Association announced its support for the Contact Lens Consumer Health Protection Act of 2016, introduced by Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD, (R-La.), to ensure more effective federal enforcement of contact lens patient health and prescription verification safeguards.

Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc. announced that it has discontinued its unilateral pricing policy and is replacing it with new programs to ensure broad access and support the needs of patients, doctors and customers, according to a press release.

I am sure most of the nation’s health care providers have heard or read about Medicare’s recent comparative billing reports, which began during the final quarter of 2015. Knowing my colleagues as I do, I imagine that many doctors of optometry whose billing practices were reviewed, as well as those who have heard about the CBRs “through the grapevine,” are wondering what will be coming next. Audits? Site visits?

A report from the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness found that amblyopia is the most common cause of vision loss in children.

A bill aimed at shortening the development time for superbug treatments was recommended today by the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, or HELP.

The American Optometric Association filed a complaint with the FDA that calls for enforcement action to remove Opternative from the market until it can be shown to meet all appropriate federal requirements for medical devices under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, according to a press release from the association.

The American Optometric Association and Optometry Cares—The AOA Foundation congratulate three AOA member doctors of optometry selected for induction into the National Optometry Hall of Fame.

At OSN New York, Allison W. Shuren, MSN, JD, and Candace S. Simerson, COE, CMPE, discuss legal, regulatory and payment topics relevant in ophthalmology.

The FDA is warning the public about eye drop bottles that have loose plastic safety seals or tamper evident rings below the bottle cap, according to a press release from the FDA.