By Donna Buraczewski, O.D.
POA Immediate Past President
Have you ever considered dropping your membership
because of the amount of dues or heard colleagues say they cannot afford the
price of membership? Then this post -- the first
of several analyzing the benefits of membership and why all optometrists
in Pennsylvania should be members -- is for you.
I have been a member of the POA for 30 years. I recently received a memento letter opener
with the POA logo as a recognition award. If I was a “number person," I could tell you exactly how much that membership has “cost” me. But really, it's more important to know how much more the membership has earned me.
Let’s start by looking at history. When I graduated in 1983, optometrists were
not reimbursed for medical services by Medicare and most other third party
payers. Thanks to the efforts of the POA
and AOA, we are now reimbursed for those services.
So when I began my solo private practice in
1986, I was able to bill Medicare and be reimbursed for my services. But how many medical services could I provide
since I was not allowed to prescribe therapeutic agents? In 1996, the POA passed legislation so Pennsylvania optometrists could not only detect
eye diseases, but also treat them. Again
due to the efforts of my fellow members, these privileges were expanded in 2002.
Now how much did you bill in Medicare
services last year? What percentage of
your income was from the treatment of eye diseases, including glaucoma? Last week alone, I billed 39% of my gross revenue to medical third party
payers.
How many of you have received incentive payments from CMS
for EHR implementation? Did you know that optometry was
not initially included for reimbursement? The AOA stepped in and changed that, and optometrists have now received a
substantial amount in payments. Depending how many Medicare services you provide, each optometrist had
the opportunity to receive $44,000 in incentive payments. That more than covers my 30 years of dues.
Do you receive income from the Pennsylvania Medicaid system? Due to the efforts of the POA, optometrists
and other providers in Pennsylvania are paid equally for the same services. Many optometrists also received
reimbursements for past services.
How many children do you examine in your office? The AOA was instrumental in having pediatric
eye care as an Essential Benefit of the Health Care Reform policy. Remember that when you examine a child in
your office.
We sometimes forget that these privileges were not handed to us because some other policy maker thought it was a good idea. POA and AOA advocated on our behalf to be included in these elements of the health care system; individual doctors could not have achieved inclusion on our own. Furthermore, never forget that that these privileges could be removed at any time at the whim of another profession, payer or regulator. The only thing preventing a reversal is your AOA and POA.
Would the POA and AOA accomplish these successes even if I
or you weren’t members? Maybe, but this type of constant vigilance and proactive advocacy require significant human resources, and a small pool of optometrists -- no matter how dedicated -- could not afford it on their own.
And imagine how much more we could accomplish if all optometrists in the
state were members. Share this
information with non-members and encourage them to become members today.
And THANK YOU for your membership.
