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IOA E-News November | 2022

President's Perspective... by IOA President, Dr. Jeff Neighbors  As I write this, Iowans and Americans are deciding which way the political winds will blow for the next two years. We have a tremendous responsibility and honor to be able to have a say in the way our local and national governments are handled. Hopefully, you all made it to your polling place and exercised this important right. Once the dust has settled from the elections, we as an organization, will be mobilizing to clean up the wording from our practice enhancement from last year. With the addition of local injectable anesthesia we hope to improve the comfort of our patients during procedures that we have been approved to do on and around the eyelids. We want to build relationships with our lawmakers. The grassroots connection that Iowa Optometry has historically build with legislators need to be maintained and strengthened to protect our profession. We will be holding six area legislative meetings (see schedule below) in order to discuss the importance of this correction to our current law and why it is beneficial to our patients. With a minimum of 51 new lawmakers being elected today, it’s critical we get to as many as possible to discuss our issues.    In addition to the area meetings, our annual legislative cookout is scheduled for Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at the Embassy Suites on the River in Des Moines from 5:30PM – 7:30PM. If you haven’t been to this event, it’s one of the largest of the entire legislative session drawing over 150 OD’s & lawmakers. Come and have Gary grill you a steak, he’s really starting to get the hang of it after 20+ years! The Iowa Optometric Association has had an excellent fall so far. We had a wonderful turn-out to our Hawkeye Institute. I want to thank the Education Committee for arranging speakers and always taking into account the CE hours we all need as well as the categories necessary for license renewal each biennium. The Board of Trustees discussed several items during our recent meeting. Topics like doctor recruitment, reimbursement issues, and legislative goals were at the forefront of our conversations. We also dicussed the wins and challenges that members have been experiencing with our new partners Decisely and Principle. As a board, we want to continue to offer new member benefits and provide the most ROI for your membership dollars. As always, I want to thank the Board of Trustees for their tireless work on behalf of our members. I would also like to thank Gary Ellis and Jill Gonder for all the amazing work they do for the IOA. As an association we are so fortunate to have an executive team that cares about this profession as much as our members do.  Best regards, Jeff Neighbors, O.D. OD/Legislative Meetings In light of upcoming legislative issues, the IOA Board decided to bring back area OD/Legislative meetings this year. Below are the scheduled events:   Monday, November 28th - Sioux City Wheelhouse Bar & Grill 4501 Southern Hills Dr., #1 West end of Southern Square Shopping Mall   Tuesday, November 29th - Council Bluffs Tish’s Restaurant 1207 South 35th St.   Thursday, December 1st - West Des Moines West Des Moines Marriott Hotel I-80 & Jordan Creek Pkwy. Exit **6:30PM Start Time**   Tuesday, December 6th - Clear Lake The Other Place 200 US Hwy. 18   Wednesday, December 7th - Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids Marriott Hotel 1200 Collins Rd. NE   Thursday, December 8th - Davenport Thunder Bay Grille 6511 Brady St.   All receptions are from 6PM – 7PM except for the West Des Moines reception starting at 6:30PM to allow extra time for those traveling in for our third injections training course to attend.  We will be discussing three main issues with lawmakers:   Getting injectable anesthesia put into code to properly administer the injections which were passed in 2020. Vision Plan issues/abuses. Student debt coming out of optometry school.   With a minimum of 51 new lawmakers being elected on Tuesday, it’s critical we get to as many as possible to discuss our issues. We do realize having six meetings is not convenient for a lot of members but hope as many as possible can join us for one of these hour long receptions.    In addition to the above receptions, our annual legislative cookout is scheduled for Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at the Embassy Suites on the River in Des Moines from 5:30PM – 7:30PM. If you haven’t been to this event, it’s one of the largest of the entire legislative session drawing over 150 OD’s & lawmakers. Come have a steak on the IOA and chat with your legislators! Board of Directors Jeff Neighbors President Don Furman President Elect Mike Kruger Vice President Keith Schrunk Secretary/Treasurer Randy Johnson Past President Trustees Melissa Billings Jason Maasdam Ben Uhl Molly Walker Jayme Wilhelm Member Resources For issues related to medical record keeping, coding, Medicare, Medicaid, etc. send your questions directly to OBC Billing Specialists at [email protected]. When submitting questions, identify yourself as a member of the IOA. Additional resources: For PQRS questions, email [email protected] For EHR questions, email [email protected] Quick Link: IOA Classifieds MEMBER BENEFIT LEGAL SERVICES The IOA has retained the firm of Skinner & Paschke, PLLC to assist with basic legal advice to members. Skinner & Paschke, PLLC is a full-service law firm located on the west side of the Des Moines Metro area. The primary areas of practice within the firm include employment law, real estate transactions, workers’ compensation, estate planning and administration, and government affairs. Attorney Troy Skinner received his BBA from the University of Iowa in 1992 with an emphasis in finance. He received his Juris Doctorate Degree from Creighton University in 1996. Troy is admitted to practice in the State of Iowa as well as the United States Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa. Attorney Kellie Paschke received her B.A. from Cornell College in 1997, majoring in political science and J.D. from Drake University Law School in 2000, with a focus on corporate/business law. She is admitted to practice in the State of Iowa as well as the United States Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa. To schedule a consultation* with Troy or Kellie, please email [email protected]. Identify yourself as a member of the IOA and explain the issue you are looking for help with. *Services beyond an initial consultation may incur additional fees. Click here to RSVP for OD/Legislative Meetings

Hawkeye Institute 2022 Another successful Hawkeye Institute in the books! We are starting to get closer to our pre-COVID attendance with over 260 attendees and 23 exhibitors. We offered 12.5 hours of CE -- in addition to 2 sessions of cryo labs. For the past two years CE has ended at 1:00 PM and our attendees seem to appreciate that! If you haven't joined us in Coralville in the past couple of years, come join us next year! (SAVE THE DATE: October 19th - 20th, 2023) We had fun in the Exhibit Hall visiting with vendors and playing mini golf to benefit IOA PAC. Congratulations to Mark Hansen on winning the mini golf tourney! If you didn't get a change to donate, click on the button below to donate.

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Does your malpractice insurance cover you for these 5 common procedures? When choosing a malpractice insurance policy, it is essential for a doctor of optometry to ensure that the policy they choose matches the treatment they provide. Even if the scope of practice of an OD’s state permits a particular procedure, it is possible the procedure may not be covered under some malpractice insurance policies. Most malpractice insurance policies contain exclusions, which outline instances in which a patient might file a claim that the insurance provider would not provide coverage. Common exclusions might include intentional violation of a law, libel or slander, or services provided under the name of an organization that is not named in the policy as a covered insured. Some malpractice insurance policies, however, may contain exclusions that can be left open to interpretation, and some policies, such as those that bundle business and liability insurance, might contain a surgical exclusion. Procedures associated with the following ICD-10 codes can often fall within a surgical exclusion: 65205 – Removal of a foreign body, Conjunctiva 65222 – Removal of corneal foreign body, Cornea 65435 – Adjust tissue, Corneal debridement 66984 – Ophthalmology co-management 68761 – Punctal plugs, Closure of puncta ODs must take the time to audit their malpractice insurance policies to identify any potential gaps in coverage. As an added member benefit, AOA members can submit their current malpractice insurance policy from any insurance provider for a complimentary malpractice insurance policy review from AOAExcel’s endorsed malpractice insurance provider, Lockton Affinity, to help identify exclusions that do not allow for them to practice to their state’s full scope. Visit AOAExcel for more information and to learn how to get a quick quote on malpractice insurance that is guaranteed to expand to cover your state’s full scope of practice. This content was provided by Lockton Affinity, AOAExcel's strategic partner. Available insurance products include professional liability, cyber liability, business owners' insurance, employment practices liability insurance, and much more. To learn more, visit AOAInsuranceAlliance.com or contact Lockton Affinity at [email protected].

Meet your IOA Board Member Keith Schrunk We are starting a series where we introduce you to your IOA Board Members. Practice: Vision Care Clinic, P.C. - Moville, Mapleton, Onawa + Sioux City Optometry School: Southern College of Optometry IOA Member since 1999 Why did you decide to become an optometrist? I wanted to help people and after researching the professionand and job shadowing, it secured my decision. Why did you join the IOA? Organized optometry is important to maintain and continue to advance our scope of practice and profession. What do you enjoy the most about volunteering? Helping to improve our profession, association and members. And learning other people's perspectives. Did you or do you have a mentor? I have had many mentors in different areas: Clinical - Wing Hsieh Patient approach + community service - Steve Brownmiller Running a practice + Human Resources - Scott Bowker Keeping me young :) - Alex Benner What's one thing - either industry related or not - you learned in the last month? Presbyopia is NOT fun!! What's something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know? I love to drive side-by-sides. What's the last book you read? Kingpin What's the first concert you ever attended? A country band at the Clay County Fair. If you had to eat one meal every day for the rest of your life, what would it be? Surf n' Turf, baked potato (+ fixings for loaded!), peas (frozen or fresh) and pecan pie for dessert. Water, coffee and wine to drink.

NEW IOA MEMBER BENEFIT QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE Self-employed and looking for coverage for you and your family? Need affordable group insurance for yourself and your staff? We got you covered! We are proud to announce the Iowa Optometric Benefits Center, the newest and most valuable benefit of your membership in the Iowa Optometric Association. The Iowa Optometric Benefits Center provides practices and individual members exclusive access to affordable, quality healthcare options. And with a range of plans and rates to best suit your needs, The Benefits Center has something for everyone.  Take a few minutes to see these new plans work for you - it will be worth your time. Want to learn more? Iowa Optometric Benefits Center,

Join MSG Payment Systems to learn 7 payment tools that help elevate optometrist offices to be the modern experience patients expect. The 15-minute webinar is Wednesday, November 16th at 12:15 p.m. CT and is free for IOA members. Register at msgpay.com/ioa or contact Michelle Hemping to schedule a personal demo: [email protected] 888-967-8831

Advanced Procedures Course + Botox Northeastern State University is providing our 3rd Advanced Procedures Course + Botox. There are a few spots left! it is being held December 2nd - 3rd in West Des Moines. Click here for the schedule. Register now!

New IOA Members

Kyle Anderson - Boone Dianna Elrod - Chariton Phillip Fitch - Waterloo Connor Haugen - Marshalltown Travis Jones - Atlantic Cade Milliken - Fairfield Peyton Myers - Robins Megan Petersen - Webster City Drew Schwartz - Decorah

Important dates 2022 December 2 - 3 - Advanced Procedures Course + Botox III, Marriott West Des Moines, West Des Moines 2023 January 24 - Legislative Steak Fry, The Embassy Suites on the River, Des Moines March 24 - 26 - Annual Congress, Des Moines Marriott Downtown July 14 - 15 - IOA Summer CE 2023, Omaha Marriott at the Capital District, Omaha, NE October 19 - 20 - Hawkeye Institute, Hyatt Regency Coralville Hotel and Conference Center, Coralville 2024 March 15 - 17 - Annual Congress, Des Moines Marriott Downtown October 17 - 18 - Hawkeye Institute, Hyatt Regency Coralville Hotel and Conference 2025 March 28 - 30 - Annual Congress, Des Moines Marriott Downtown 2026 April 10 - 12 - Annual Congress, Des Moines Marriott Downtown

Thank you to our Gold, Silver and Bronze sponsors!

GOLD: GSRx

SILVER: Wolfe Eye Clinic

BRONZE: Alcon Laboratories, Inc. BRONZE: Doctors Exchange of Iowa BRONZE: Essilor Laboratories

BRONZE: Optometric Architects BRONZE: Principal Financial BRONZE: VSP Vision

BRONZE: Walman Optical

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The mission of the Iowa Optometric Association (IOA) is to improve the quality, availability and accessibility of eye/vision care in Iowa, to represent the optometric profession to government, third parties and the public, and to assist members in conducting their practices successfully in accordance with the highest standards of patient care and efficiency.  The IOA encourages high ethical standards and continued post-graduate level professional education and research. The IOA will utilize its resources to promote and maintain high professional standards of eye care in Iowa.

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