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TIPS, TRENDS & NEWS YOU CAN USE

STATE IS FIRST TO PASS ALL-ENCOMPASSING BILL

Kansas Law Prohibits Aspects of Vision Insurance Contracts

■ At press time, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback signed the Vision Care Services Act, which places contract limitations on vision insurance companies and providers, into law. Kansas is the first state to pass a comprehensive law, though portions of the legislation are currently law in Connecticut, Kentucky, Maryland, Rhode Island and Texas.

The new legislation, which covers O.D.s and ophthalmologists, prevents vision insurance company contracts from limiting or setting fees on services and materials unless they reimburse the eyecare provider for those services or materials as covered services by the contract. Also, they’re not allowed to change the contract’s discounts, rates or terms without the provider’s consent, force a provider to become a provider for a vision plan in order to become one for a medical plan and limit a patient’s choice of sources and suppliers of materials.

Eyecare providers, meanwhile, can’t charge more than the usual and customary rate for services or materials that aren’t covered services under either visioncare insurance or a visioncare discount plan.

Several other states are pursuing similar legislation, says Brian Reuwer, of the AOA.

Newcastle University researchers have fit tiny 3D glasses to a praying mantis to determine how its innate 3D vision can be used in both science and industry.

LENS COMPANY KNOWN FOR O.D.-ONLY SALES TAKES IT A STEP FURTHER

Sauflon Releases Lens Exclusively to Vision Source Members

■ Sauflon launched its Fresh Day silicone hydrogel family of contact lenses to 3,500 Vision Source members at the network of independent optometrists’ annual meeting, held in Boston in mid-April.

Fresh Day lenses are available in sphere, toric and multifocal designs and feature AquaGen technology, which attracts and binds water molecules together and holds the molecules tightly to the lens surface, the company says. The contact lens material has a 0.5 MPa modulus, 97% oxygen permeability and provides UV protection.

ORGANIZATION SEEKS TO HELP O.D.S HARNESS POWER OF DIGITAL MEDIA

CooperVision Creates Digital Marketing Consultancy

■ CooperVision Inc. has launched EyeCare Prime Premier, an individualized digital marketing consulting service for eyecare practitioners, through its subsidiary WebSystem3.

“Eyecare professionals often need help with online profiles and business listings on Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, Google+ and Yahoo,” explains WebSystem3’s director of Business Development, Michael Arnell, O.D. “Otherwise, they won’t reach prospective patients, create practice followers and increase patient engagement with the practice.”

He adds that optometrists struggle with generating and monitoring patient reviews, e-mail marketing and consistency with digital marketing in general.

EyeCare Prime Premier provides a personal marketing consultant, who then creates a customized, integrated marketing plan and executes it in all digital platforms. In addition, the consultant assesses each practice’s marketing efforts against an industry index to determine current progress and future opportunities.

For additional information, visit www.websystem3.com, or call (888) 218-4777.

RANIBIZUMAB INJECTION CITED AS MAIN REASON

Eye MDs Named Top Medicare Billers

■ In 2012, ophthalmologists received more money from Medicare money in 2012, totaling $5.6 billion, reports The New York Times.

Of the 100 physicians who received the largest payments from Medicare, nearly half were eye specialists. Most of this money was for ranibizumab (Lucentis, Genentech) injections, notes the article. Those who employ the AMD drug note that much of what Medicare pays them goes to the cost of the drug, which is priced at nearly $2,000 per injection.