Presidential year in review

By the time you read this, we will either have a newly elected president of the United States or be a few days away from the outcome. As I reflect back on my time as POA President, I can say that this past year was as unpredictable as the national election has proved to be. 

Here are some of the highlights from my presidential year:

• ICD-10 became a reality and doctors were still paid in a timely fashion. The POA Electronic Claims Service helped the transition go smoothly.

• The Pennsylvania Diabetic Eye Health Alliance continued to expand its influence with third party payers, resulting in more diabetic patients seen by our members.

• ACT 31 became a requirement for license renewal and the POA provided courses to fulfill this new requirement. ACT 31 requires all licensed health professionals to complete at least two hours of Board-approved continuing education in child abuse recognition and reporting requirements as a condition of license renewal.

• The Think About Your Eyes program for POA members was voted on and passed by the House of Delegates. POA members will benefit from the increased advertising and online presence that TAYE provides starting in 2017.

• Despite our best efforts to pass our scope modification bill, Senate Bill 1012 remains within the Senate Consumer Protection and Licensure Committee. Likewise, Senate Bill 795, which would further define ophthalmic surgery, did not see the light of day and remains within the same committee. SB 795 was introduced by Ophthalmology, who would like to see a very broad definition of ophthalmic surgery.

• Senate Bill 978, the “vision plan bill” that was introduced by Senator Ward, successfully made it out of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, and was passed 12-1. Our plan is to reintroduce both our scope bill and SB 978 in 2017 and keep the process moving forward.

• A data breach affecting optometrists across the nation was reported by the AOA. Many POA members reported being affected and were advised to take steps to protect their credit ratings and identity. No optometric organization has come forward to accept full responsibility.

• Optometry’s Meeting caught us by surprise when Dr. Greg Caldwell announced that he would not run for re-election to the AOA board for 2017. Greg continues to remain active on several committees at the AOA and POA levels, and remains dedicated to organized optometry. 

• The Contact Lens Consumer Health Protection Act (S. 2777) to crack down on unscrupulous internet based contact lens sellers was introduced by Senator Bill Cassidy, an internist from Louisiana, with support of the AOA and other major contact lens companies.

• 1-800-CONTACTS entered into an agreement with Opternative and began to offer online “refraction” as a way to bypass a visit to an eye care practitioner. An app called “Simple Contacts” marketed itself to consumers as a way to renew your contact lens prescription in less than five minutes.

• VSP wanted to implement a reduction in reimbursement to doctors who did not purchase $6,000 worth of Altair/Marchon frames. As a result of action taken by the AOA this program was stopped.

• Dr. Charles Stuckey announced his intention to retire as the POA Executive Director after serving for 19 years!

I want to take this opportunity to thank my current POA Board, the entire POA staff, and the POA membership for the opportunity to serve as your president this past year. It was truly an honor and a privilege to serve the profession and I hope to remain active within organized optometry for many years to come. The POA is in excellent hands as I pass the President’s gavel over to Dr. Steven Eiss. I am confident that under his leadership the POA will continue to be your voice for a strong optometry.

One thing I can say for sure is that under my watch there were no 3 a.m. tweets about any former Miss Universe contestants and no private email servers containing classified information at the POA!

Wishing you all a happy Thanksgiving and a wonderful holiday season,

Mark M. Margolies, O.D.

Your voice for a strong optometry

This editorial features the 2016 POA Board of Directors, eight of the many dedicated volunteers that drive the association forward. The POA tagline, which is included on the front page of every Keystoner, is “Your Voice for a Strong Optometry.” The POA Board works as your voice. They are here for you and willing to serve the profession. In order for members to know these volunteers better, I recently asked the following questions:

• What type of practice setting are you in and for how many years?
• Do you have any specialties?
• Please tell me an interesting fact about your practice.
• What one thing do you love about optometry?
• What do you like to do in your spare time for fun or relaxation?
• What does POA membership mean to you?

PRESIDENT
Mark M. Margolies, O.D. 
Out of my 31 years of practice, 22 have been spent as a solo practitioner in private practice in Levittown. Prior to that, I had practiced at a LensCrafters location, an ophthalmology-owned practice, and a multi-disciplinary practice that was owned by an insurance company.
I love primary care, and my specialties include treating glaucoma, removing corneal foreign bodies, co-managing macular degeneration with retinal specialists, and traditionally prescribing and dispensing eyeglasses and contacts. What I love about optometry is the ability to deliver primary care to a wide variety of patients in one day ranging from infants to seniors. An interesting fact about my practice is that my spouse, Sandra, began to work there in 1996 as a three-month experiment and it has turned into a twenty-year partnership that is still going strong! It’s not for everyone, but it has worked for us. 
In my spare time, I love playing Blues guitar and exercising. I also love to spend time with my grandchildren. 
POA membership is about being stronger together for our profession and for our patients. I would not be able to practice the way I do today if it wasn’t for the efforts of the POA. Together we can make a difference for the future of the profession.

PRESIDENT ELECT 
Steven P. Eiss, O.D. 
For the past 21 years, I have been in a multi-doctor, multi-specialty private practice with offices in Emmaus, Pennsburg and Quakertown. I had worked part-time at a corporate location for many years while growing this practice. I currently provide full-scope optometric care. Being located in a semi-rural area, I have gained a large number of glaucoma patients and see a number of ocular emergencies on a daily basis. Optometry provides me the opportunity to be both a medical provider and a business owner all in one profession. I enjoy the challenges of caring for a patient’s health and running a successful business at the same time. 
When I joined my practice, it was a part-time, single-doctor practice. Over the years, it has grown into three locations with six doctors. About five years ago, our third location came about when we merged an ophthalmology practice into our corporation.
Most of my spare time is spent chasing after my seven-year-old twins. I am a big baseball fan, and have just completed my 32nd season of playing fast-pitch softball.  
Initially, my association membership allowed me to garner information from other doctors on how to treat disease and to learn how to handle business and insurance issues. I was able to grow into a position where I am able to contribute to the advancement of the profession through committee and Board service. Of course, much of this revolves around the camaraderie and friendships I’ve made, and now being able to mentor others.

TRUSTEE
Rebecca L. Wincek-Bateson, O.D.
For the last thirteen years, I have been in private practice in Indiana, PA, where I have developed a specialty in pediatrics and traumatic brain injury.
What I love about optometry is getting to know the families in my practice, watching the kids grow up to graduate from high school and college, grandparents sharing pictures of grand kids, and couples marrying and having children. It’s a blessing to be able to share in it. Most of my fun and relaxation time is spent on the baseball or softball fields lately, but I love being with friends and my husband and twins, Wil and Lira. I enjoy traveling, snowboarding, kayaking, triathlons, running or most anything outdoors.
The POA is the only member-driven organization to advocate for our profession in Pennsylvania. I personally feel that being a member is like having “job insurance.” When Opternative, 1-800-CONTACTS, insurance companies and other providers are working against optometry and the care I provide my patients, the POA and AOA are advocating and fighting back for optometry. I am proud to belong to a group of doctors across the states that have a vested interest in protecting our profession. POA members are fortunate that we have a great group of doctors, lobbyists, attorney and staff that are constantly watching out for our futures. 

TRUSTEE
Lori Gray, O.D. 
I’m in private practice in Gilbertsville and have been for eight years. I also guest lecture at Salus University. I specialize in disease management. I love that optometry allows me the flexibility to have both a fantastic career and to be there for my family. 
In my free time, I love spending time with my husband, Austin, our two children, Maggie and Zach, and our new puppy, Minnie. We enjoy hiking, golfing, skiing and spending as much time as possible outdoors. 
POA membership is the insurance policy I carry on my profession. I want to be sure optometry is going to be a viable profession for the entire duration of my career and beyond. The POA works hard to ensure this.

TRUSTEE
David A. Evans, O.D. 
For 32 years, I have worked in a solo private practice in Nanticoke. I also work in two rehab hospitals and see individuals who have sustained strokes and injuries of the head and brain. One thing I love about optometry is the relationships I am able to build with my patients. This profession often allows me to get to know the whole family. Having been in practice for this long, I now am seeing the children of the children I examined when I opened my office. I have many families that I see four generations of patients.
My spare time is spent with my family. I am also an avid hunter and love the outdoors.
My POA membership is very important to me. Besides myself, my wife and brother are both optometrists. Since 1983, when optometrists couldn’t even bill Medicare for exams, I have seen the profession grow into what it is now, which is significantly more medically-oriented than when I began practicing. The POA has been instrumental in expanding the scope of optometry in Pennsylvania.

SECRETARY-TREASURER
Edward B. Savarano, O.D., MS 
At the beginning of my 31 years of practice, I bounced from commercial setting to commercial setting, finally settling on a solo private setting in Belle Vernon and a position at the Veteran’s Administration in Pittsburgh. I have spent 23 years at the private practice and 15 at the VA. Medical optometry has always been a passion, but lately post-trauma rehabilitation has proved to be most stimulating. Traumatic brain injuries take away simple things that we take for granted: single vision, not falling when walking, reading without maximum effort, and driving without a headache to name a few. It is exciting to watch patients who suffer from post-trauma vision syndrome/visual midline shift take their first few balanced steps without a walker.
All of this has been provided by organized optometry and I am very grateful. The future holds more than we can imagine, but we need an advocate to make those dreams a reality. The POA has helped to fulfill many and continues to speak for our future. 
So, what do I do in my spare time? I’m a cheer dad! My daughter, Gabby, is the captain of her high school cheer squad and competes on an All-Star team as well. It is a travelling squad, extending to Kentucky, Ohio, Connecticut and Florida. Thankfully, we love to travel, too. The Grand Canyon, Wyoming’s Teton Wilderness, The Snake River, Yellowstone, King Salmon Alaska and next year, Africa. When the “Cheer Dad” hat is off, I hunt for coyotes, trap beaver, and fish for whatever bites...usually mosquitoes. 

TRUSTEE
Mark J. Dalton, O.D.
I practice in Allentown as a solo owner with one full-time associate. I have owned my practice since 1998, after spending about nine months in a corporate setting. We are a primary care optometry practice, treating everything possible within our scope of practice. I see a lot of diabetic patients and treat a lot of glaucoma. I love the variety of both optical and medical ocular conditions that I diagnose and treat, which ensures that each day is unique and never boring. I love the relationship I have with many of my patients whom I have been seeing for up to 18 years. 
Spare time relaxation includes reading, listening to and playing music, drawing, and spending time my family. Because my practice is in a busy, urban location, with a large population on medical assistance, we’ve been forced to become very efficient. At our peak, we were seeing about 12,000 patients per year. 
POA membership to me is essential to protecting my investment in optometry. Since we are a legislated profession, we need a strong association to represent us, protect us, and help move us forward. The hard work of the POA volunteers and staff have made possible our increased scope of practice that has helped all Pennsylvania optometrists. Also, for me personally, the POA Board has become a second family to me, always there for help and support. Some of my best memories in the past few years revolve around the POA meetings and Congress. 

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Richard P. Christoph, O.D. 
I’ve been leasing space from Wal-Mart in Temple since I graduated in 1992. I see everyone, from six-month-olds to those over 100. I complete a lot of traditional refractive care and contact lens fittings, but also treat all types of topical conditions and a surprising amount of trauma. I also co-manage surgical cases, and what I’m not comfortable treating or don’t have the equipment to manage properly, I try to refer to my local optometric colleagues whenever possible. The thing I love the most is being able to make a difference in people lives. The child whose grades improve because they can see what is happening in the classroom or the adult with a challenging Rx and complicated visual demands that needs a creative approach to their prescription and eyewear are the most rewarding. 
In my spare time, after seeing patients six days a week, I manage to fit in volunteering with our local minor league hockey team, attending 40 to 50 hockey games a season, and taking care of my four senior rescue dogs, ages ranging from seven to over fifteen years old. My wife and I also foster dogs from Henry’s Hope Dog Rescue and often dog-sit for our friends and neighbors. I have a large Hispanic patient population, including at least one patient per day who doesn’t speak English. Because of that, the majority of my staff members are bilingual. It has been a big practice builder, and a real learning experience. 
The POA and AOA are the way we come together as a profession to address all the issues that “somebody should do something about.” I’ve found over the last 20+ years that the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. I’ve learned so much about patient care, practice management, third party billing, staffing, and every aspect of optometry from my colleagues. Many of those topics I never even sought out help with, they just came up in the process of volunteering or while having lunch or dinner at a POA event.

Please thank your 2016 POA Board for what they do on behalf of the profession when you see them at your local society meetings. In return, you will find a colleague who is more than happy to help you or, at the very least, point you in the right direction. If you would like to contact a Board member by email or phone, all contact information can be found on the POA website here: http://pennsylvania.aoa.org/x7760.xml.
On behalf of the current POA Board of Directors, I want to wish everyone a productive fall season. 

Sincerely,

Mark M. Margolies, O.D.
POA President

Legislative Update

As POA president, I feel it’s my duty to keep the membership informed of our legislative efforts both at the state level and at the national level. Let me start with Pennsylvania. The legislative session in PA runs two years with the current session scheduled to end on November 30, 2016. The PA state legislature is the second largest state legislature in the nation and the largest full-time legislature. Just as a frame of reference, 3,998 bills were introduced in the House and Senate during the 2013-14 session. Of those bills that were introduced, 369 bills became law, or 9.2 percent.

Here is what’s happening in PA:

Senate Bill 1012 is the “scope modification bill” introduced by Senator John Gordner. This bill is currently sitting with the Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee. The co-sponsors for this bill are Senators White, Baker, Scarnati, Hutchinson, Bartollota, Yudichak, Stefano, Wozniak, Rafferty, Folmer, Pileggi, and Teplitz.

Key components of the bill include:

• revising the therapeutic drug approval process to eliminate the Secretary of Health approval;
• eliminating the six-week restriction on therapeutic drug usage; and
• allowing optometrists to do injections for anaphylaxis, a potentially life-saving procedure.

If you personally know any of the above legislators, please contact the POA office so that we can work together to achieve a favorable outcome.

Senate Bill 978 is the “third party bill” that was introduced by Senator Kim Ward and is currently sitting in the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee. The co-sponsors for this bill are Senators Scarnati, Folmer, Rafferty, Gordner, Teplitz, Vogel, Boscola, McGarrigle, Yudichak, Brooks, Hutchinson, Sabatina, Wozniak, Stefano, White, Schwank, Leach, McIlhinney, and Corman.

Key components of the bill include:

• allowing providers to use the lab of their choice to fabricate eyewear;
• allowing providers to participate with a medical plan without being required to participate in the associated vision plan;
• eliminating mandatory discounts on non-covered services and materials; and
• making vision plans obtain written consent from the provider before any changes may occur to the terms of a provider contract.

Again, if you personally know any of the above legislators, please contact the POA.

House Bill 1779, otherwise known as the “handicapped placard bill,” was introduced by Representative James Marshall. This bill would add optometrists to the list of providers who can certify that a person is disabled so that a disability parking placard may be issued. This bill is currently residing with the Transportation Committee and has 21 co-sponsors.

On the national level I would like to highlight two very important bills.

Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who happens to be an internist, has introduced the AOA-backed Contact Lens Consumer Health Protection Act (S. 2777) to crack down on unscrupulous Internet-based contact lens sellers that are placing contact lens wearers at risk by selling without proper verification of prescriptions, by overfilling orders, by filling orders with expired prescriptions, or by filling orders with lenses other than those that were prescribed.

Here is a link to the AOA Legislative Action Center where you can read more about this bill and take action by sending an email to your legislator: http://tinyurl.com/aoa2777

H.R. 3323, The Dental and Optometric Care Access Act, also known as the DOC Access Act, is the AOA and American Dental Association-backed legislation that seeks to outlaw anti-patient and anti-doctor policies by Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and other federally-regulated vision and health plans, including restrictions on medical plan participation, limits on doctors’ choice of labs, and mandates on non-covered services and materials.

H.R. 3323 would, among other safeguards, prohibit plans from forcing discounts on non-covered services and materials; prohibits forcing doctors to participate in a vision plan as a condition for participation in a medical plan; and prohibits restrictions on a doctor's choice of lab.

The DOC Access Act specifically targets insurers and plans that are regulated on a federal level and often are beyond the reach of state law, such as those organized under the ERISA. As such, the AOA is urging states to continue to advance state-level fixes to plans regulated on the state level.

Here is a link to the AOA Legislative Action Center where you can read more and take action: http://tinyurl.com/aoa3323

Finally, I would like to thank all those who came to the POA Congress in Camp Hill to support our profession. Those who attended enjoyed top-notch education, an exhibit hall with 30 vendors, the House of Delegates, the POA Awards ceremony, an inspirational appearance by actor/singer Tom Sullivan, the President’s Reception with yours truly and the Andy Mowatt quartet, and Saturday evening at Penn National Race Course and the Hollywood Casino!

For a little taste of the fun that was had here is a link to my performance with the Andy Mowatt Quartet: https://youtu.be/c8CRADPuerE

Have a great summer everyone,

Mark M. Margolies, O.D.

House of Delegates

What is a delegate? A delegate is a person elected or appointed to represent others. The POA House of Delegates will convene this year on Saturday, May 14 from 2:30-5:30 p.m. as part of the POA’s Spring Congress at the Radisson Hotel in Camp Hill. The House of Delegates is the legislative and policy making arm of the POA. All local society presidents are urged to attend along with society officers and general members. Besides the 2017 budget, which will be presented and voted upon, there will be a very special presentation from Jon Torrey, director of professional relations for the Think About Your Eyes (TAYE) program. 

As you may have heard, Think About Your Eyes is a national public awareness campaign, presented by The Vision Council and the American Optometric Association, designed to educate the public on the benefits of vision health and promote the importance of getting an annual comprehensive eye exam. One feature of the program is a doctor locator website, which can be found at www.thinkaboutyoureyes.com. Consumers can search this website to find an optometrist within or near a zip code.

Here is some information behind the TAYE program that Mr. Torrey provided to me:

TAYE’s consumer advertising is reaching the public and increasing the number of exams given across America. Comprehensive exams are growing at over twice the rate as compared to the rate before TAYE’s national launch. Data from The Vision Council’s VisionWatch survey shows that during 2015 alone, over one million additional comprehensive exams occurred due to the advertisement. Those exams generated at least $55 million in clinical fees, and expenditures totaling $450 million for purchases of lenses, frames, and contacts. 

Over the past year in Pennsylvania:

• Almost 140,000 patients visited the TAYE website to find a doctor.
• 418 patients dialed an office to make an appointment while viewing the locator on their mobile phone.
• 427 patients clicked on “Request Appointment.”
• 1,566 patients read a doctor’s profile, downloaded map directions, or clicked through to a doctor’s website or Facebook page.

Patient engagement numbers would jump if the POA had all its members listed, as opposed to the less than 100 members currently listed. Because of the higher “crawlability” of the TAYE doctor locator, having a listing helps increase the chances that a doctor will show up when a patient searches for optometrists online.

The POA has been presented with the opportunity to join 29 other states who have enrolled their entire association membership in this program. Currently, the fee for a basic listing for an individual doctor is $250 per year. If the POA commits to the program for its membership, POA members will receive an 80% discount off the regular fee, which will result in a charge of only $50 per member. 

The optometric profession has been asking for years for a program that would mirror the dental profession whereby consumers are reminded to see their dentist every six months. This is our chance to have such a program for optometry. The AOA and 16 other industry partners are supportive of TAYE advertising campaigns. These national advertisements can be found on TV, radio, social media, audio services such as Pandora and Spotify, as well as in digital and print editions of popular magazines. Please make an effort to attend the House of Delegates where this important opportunity and other topics of interest will be discussed and voted upon. Your opinions and votes matter. You are the POA.

The Congress schedule can be found here. There is still time to sign up for great continuing education, the exhibit hall, golf, and a night the Hollywood Casino and Penn National Racetrack for dinner and live racing.

I want to take this opportunity to cordially invite everyone to attend the President’s Reception on Friday evening at 9:30 p.m. Our special musical guest will be the Andy Mowatt quartet. My wife and I look forward to being your host for the evening.

Sincerely,

Mark M. Margolies, O.D.

Markod59@gmail.com

Presidents' Council

In January, I had the pleasure of attending the AOA’s Presidents’ Council meeting that took place from January 14 to 16 in Albuquerque, New Mexico with POA President-Elect Dr. Steven Eiss and POA Executive Director Dr. Charles Stuckey.
The purpose of this annual meeting is for the leadership of every state to exchange ideas and to learn from one another in order to effectively serve their respective state associations. Besides state leaders, there were also AOA committee chairs and members of the AOA Board of Directors in attendance.

Over the course of one and a half days, sessions on membership, non-dues income, advocacy, third party issues, how to run an effective meeting, working with the Board, and more were offered for attendees. These sessions alone would have been enough to consider the meeting a worthwhile endeavor; however, the POA was once again singled out as a state with a cutting edge member program. I am referring to the Pennsylvania Diabetic Eye Health Alliance (PDEHA). On Saturday morning, there was a session devoted to State Diabetes Initiatives and, besides the POA, only one other state, North Carolina, was asked to report on their program. Dr. Eiss gave a presentation before the entire group about the PDEHA and how POA members have benefited from this program. Specifically because of this program, Geisinger Health Plan reached out to our association and asked for our members’ help in providing comprehensive eye exams for their patients who are diabetic. You can watch Dr. Eiss’ presentation here: https://youtu.be/tnF-sK3JC5g

If for some reason you are not familiar with this member only program, please go to the POA’s website at poaeyes.org and click on the link in the section for the Pennsylvania Diabetic Eye Health Alliance. You can learn all about the program and sign up to participate right on the website. The more doctors who sign up, the stronger the program will be. The more representation we have across the state, the greater the ability we will have to work with other third-party payers in collaborative efforts to provide care to the diabetic patient.

I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone that as licensed health care professionals in Pennsylvania, we are now required to obtain two hours of State Board-approved continuing education in child abuse recognition and reporting requirements as a condition of our license renewal, known as ACT 31. If you have not fulfilled this requirement yet, the POA is again offering you the opportunity on Saturday, March 12 at our 2016 Spring Contact Lens Symposium, which will be held at the Toftrees Resort in State College. There is still time to sign up. Please also check out the great contact lens education that will be provided on Sunday, March 13.

The POA Board of Directors and I look forward to seeing you soon at a local society meeting or continuing education event. Please mark your calendars for the POA Annual Congress which will take place May 13 to 15 at the Radisson Hotel in Camp Hill. This is “the members’ meeting,” when the House of Delegates will convene to conduct the business of our association. Please urge your local society representatives to attend so that your voice may be heard. Your local society participation is vital to ensure a strong and united POA!

Sincerely,

Mark M. Margolies
Markod59@gmail.com