TOA Update: March, 2008

Table of Contents

• Tom Annunziato, OD Thanks the Optometric Community
• Save Your Vision - by Stan Woo, OD
• UHCO Students Meet Education UnderSecretary
• TOA Members: IMPORTANT ACTION REQUIRED First Quarter Dues Requested
• Billing, Coding and More
• 2008 ELECTION DATES TO REMEMBER
• Find Your Legislator: http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/

Tom Annunziato, OD, thanks optometry for unwavering support

Dr. Tom Annunziato lost his bid for state representative from district 99 due to a strong turnout for the presidential primaries which saw his conservative republican base cross over to vote for one of the democrat candidates, as well as an incumbent with a strong family name.

From Dr. Annunziato:

A few words about my State Representative campaign.

I am truly humbled by the huge outpouring of support that Texas Optometry threw behind this effort. We ran a five month campaign, 15 hours a day, seven days a week. We had a dream team of consultants, a talented campaign manager and best of all, my Optometry friends to lean on.

I received 5800 votes and my opponent 7200. This is considered the exceptionally good showing for a first-time candidate. However, it was still a loss.

Regardless, I have no regrets on how we ran the campaign nor my decision to jump into the ring. Until you have been there yourself, you have no idea where the next punch is coming from.

I did learn a few lifelong lessons:

Losing a race is not the end of the world. I still have my family, all my friends and I have been reinstated on all boards and committees that I had to suspend activities on in order to devote my time to running. Also, when one door closes another opens. A lot of positive "things" are beginning to surface from this attempt. I had received hundreds of congratulatory phone calls and e-mails.

Nothing quite prepares you for a campaign. Having said that, serving on the TOA Board and most of its committees, did prime me quite handily in a significant number of arenas.

1. Never tell a joke to the press
2. Never run against a long-term incumbent.
3. Never run for office unless you have thick skin and learn to smile while being called ugly names (in public) and pretend it doesn't bother you.
4. Only run if you have a lot of spare time, and money on your hands.
5. Plan on your opposition's goons to take down three quarters of the signs you put up.
6. Take the word "trust" out of your vocabulary.
7. Finally and seriously:There is no shame in losing, only quitting!

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Save Your Vision

By Stan Woo, OD, MS, FAAO TOA Secretary-Treasurer

Because computer vision syndrome (CVS) has proven to be a hot topic, we'll be using CVS in March's Save Your Vision Month (SYVM) campaign and AOA's message to Americans to have their eyes examined regularly.

The AOA recently conducted a short telephone survey of 1,000 consumers Americans' use of computers and handheld devices. The survey found:

• Forty-two percent of Americans spend three or more hours each day in front of a computer or handheld device.
• Forty-one percent have complained of eye strain and 45 percent suffer from neck or back pain from prolonged computer or handheld device use.
• Special computer glasses and other computer products are available to help reduce glare and discomfort, but only 11 percent of Americans currently use these devices.

Some suggestions to alleviate the symptoms include:

• Limit the amount of time you continuously use the computer. Practicing the 20/20 rule (look away from the computer every 20 minutes for 20 seconds) will minimize the development of eye-focusing problems and eye irritation caused by infrequent blinking.
  
  
• Check the height and arrangement of the computer. Optometrists suggest more comfortable computer viewing can be achieved when the eyes are looking downward. Optimally, the computer screen should be 15 to 20 degrees below eye level (about 4 or 5 inches) as measured from the center of the screen and 20 to 28 inches from the eyes.
  
  
• Check for glare on the computer screen. Windows or other light sources should not be directly visible when sitting in front of the monitor. When this occurs, turn the desk or computer to prevent glare on the screen.
  
  
• Reduce the amount of lighting in the room to match the computer screen. A smaller light can be substituted for a bright overhead light or a dimmer switch can be installed to give flexible control of room lighting. Turn three-way bulbs to the lowest setting.
  
  
• Keep Blinking. To minimize the chances of developing dry eye when using a computer, make an effort to blink frequently. Blinking keeps the front surface of the eye moist.

Do you do a lot of CVS evaluations? If so, we'd like to hear your ideas and plans for promoting awareness. Please share your ideas and stories with us. A media outreach campaign will kick off on March 13th. If you are interested in copies of the media release to help your community please contact the TOA for additional information.

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UHCO Students Meet Education UnderSecretary

Discuss Student Loan Repayment

Five University of Houston College of Optometry students were selected to meet with Sara Martinez Tucker, the Undersecretary of Education, on February 28, 2008. The Undersecretary is currently on a tour around the country promoting a new initiative to improve college attendance and graduation.

Ben Uhl (OPT IV), Marcia Moore (OPT IV), Jamie Houser (OPT III), Sarah Fruge (OPT III) and Geetika Mehra (OPT III) along with 15 other University of Houston students were invited to discuss issues including:

• personal stories of college success
• barriers to admittance and completion
• federal financial aid
• solutions to increase college attendance

  Ms. Tucker said she was familiar with issue of increasing the limit of Stafford loans and reported that Optometry could anticipate a positive outcome.

  In addition, while communicating the importance of optometric debt management, the students introduced the topic of loan forgiveness for health professions, specifically the National Health Service Corps (NHSC),. The undersecretary assumed that optometry was a profession included in this valuable program, which provides health services to underserved populations while forgiving the federal debt of the health professional. The optometry students quickly pointed out that the NHSC program removed optometry from the list of approved health professions in its final modification. Undersecretary Tucker made a point to her assistant to investigate this further.

  This opportunity provided a unique experience to directly discuss, and possibly influence, national policy before its full integration. A great sense of accomplishment stems from having also discussed issues specific to the optometric profession, while receiving encouragement on their outcomes. Overall, the appearance, organization, and presence of the optometry students were both professional and impressive. The profession can remain confident that the future of Optometry and professional education will stay at the vanguard of the healthcare field.

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TOA Members: IMPORTANT ACTION REQUIRED

First Quarter Dues Requested

TOA's delegate count or voting strenth at AOA's Optometry's Meeting in June, is determined by the number of members who have sent in at least the first quarter of their dues.

Since AOA has gone to a calendar year budget, the deadline for sending dues for the first quarter is April 30. Last year, TOA lost delegates because we didn't have enough of our members send a quarter of their dues before that date.

We are asking our members to please submit at least a quarter of your yearly dues by April 1, so we can meet this year's deadline and increase our delegate count. This is important so we make sure Texas has a voice in matters that effect the profession.

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Billing, Coding and More

Tamper-Resistant Prescription Pads Required April 1

Beginning April 1, 2008, all written prescriptions for Medicaid recipients must be on paper with at least one tamper-resistant feature as outlined by CMS and defined by your State. Beginning October 1, 2008, these same prescriptions must be on paper that meets all three baseline characteristics of tamper-resistant pads. CMS has outlined the three baseline characteristics as those that: (1) prevent unauthorized copying of a completed or blank prescription form; (2) prevent the erasure or modification of information written on the prescription by the prescriber; or (3) prevent the use of counterfeit prescription forms.

The Medicaid tamper-resistant pad requirement currently applies to outpatient drugs only, not eyeglasses or contact lenses. There is a general movement towards e-prescribing for all outpatient drug prescriptions. While this may not impact eyeglasses and spectacles, it may be a leading trend that may migrate into that area should the vendors choose to go paperless/electronic and as providers move into implementation of the EHR (electronic health record)

Additional information on CMS' requirements can be found at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/DeficitReductionAct/30_GovtInfo.asp.

Please note that electronic prescriptions, faxed prescriptions and prescriptions sent over the telephone are exempt from this requirement.

AOA has the required tamper-resistant pads available: http://www.aoa.org/x8668.xml. The forms meet both federal and state requirements.

Failure to comply with this requirement could result in a withholding of Medicaid reimbursement.

Important Information for Medicare FFS Providers

Effective March 1, 2008, all 837P and CMS-1500 claims received must have an NPI or NPI/legacy pair in the required primary provider fields. Failure to include an NPI will cause the claim to reject!

What to do if your 837P or CMS-1500 Claim Rejects

Check your record in the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES)

• Validate that the legacy identifier sent on the claim is reported in your NPPES record. If the legacy identifier is not there, it needs to be added.
  
  
• Validate that the Legal Business Name (for a provider/supplier who is an organization) or the Legal Name (for a provider/supplier who is an individual or a sole proprietorship) is correct.
  
  
• Validate that the correct Entity type was selected at the time of NPI application. Individuals obtain an NPI as Entity Type 1. Organizations obtain an NPI as Entity Type 2 NPI.
  
  

(Note: If you enumerated through the EFI alternative or submitted a paper NPI application, you should use the NPI Registry to check the content of your NPPES record. Make sure to have the Customer Service Representative at your Medicare contractor verify your Employer Identification Number (EIN) because the NPI Registry does not display EINs.)

• If the above validation is successful and your claims continue to reject, call the Customer Service Representative at your Medicare Contractor.

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2008 ELECTION DATES TO REMEMBER

Voter Information Available:

March 29 — Democrats and Republicans hold their State Senate District conventions.

March 31-April 4 — Early voting for March primary runoffs

April 8— Primary Runoff Election

June 6-7 — Democrats hold their state convention in Austin

June 12-14 — Republicans hold their state convention in Houston

June 14 — Green Party holds its state convention; location TBA

July 10-13 — Green Party holds its national convention in Chicago

August 25 — Democratic National Convention opens in Denver

September 1 — Republican National Convention opens in Minneapolis

November 4 — General election for all national, state, and county offices

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