Weight Loss Drugs

March 7, 2024

Dear OMIC Insureds:

We bring this topic to your attention due to the rise in the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists which are used for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes and for weight loss. GLP-1 agonists slow down the movement of food from the stomach into the small intestine, which can lead to an increased risk of regurgitation and pulmonary aspiration during surgery. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) consensus-based guidance is to hold GLP-1 agonists the day of the procedure for those patients taking a daily dose and hold for one week for patients taking a weekly dose. The current ASA fasting guidelines have not changed for patients taking this medication. ASA.

The risk management guidance is similar to the recommendations when holding medications prior to surgery when you are not the prescribing provider. For diabetic patients, we recommend you discuss with the prescribing provider and document the discussion and decision concerning the timing of discontinuing GLP-1 agonists pre-procedure to ensure no adverse effects, which could include hyperglycemia. This should also be discussed with the patient, documented, and included in pre-procedure and discharge instructions to ensure understanding of the risks and reasons for your hold recommendations and when to restart of the medication. In addition, rare side effects from these drugs can result in worsening diabetes-related retinopathy. Cleveland Clinic

If you have questions, contact us for confidential risk management advice at riskmanagement@omic.com or call us at 1-800-562-6642 and enter 4 for Risk Management.

Sincerely,

Jeannette Domask, MPH, CPHRM
OMIC Risk Manager

Terminating Patients for Financial Reasons

February 7, 2024

Dear OMIC Insureds:

Hindsight is 20/20. What did we learn this past year? Patients who have high-deductible medical plans or are undergoing expensive treatment, such as intravitreal injections, may incur high unpaid balances due to delayed payments by the patient and third party payers. Some patients delay or avoid medical care altogether rather than resolve their financial obligations. Such delays may result in worsening or even loss of vision.

We’re often asked about the risks of terminating care for financial reasons. OMIC recommends the following:

  • Ensure that acute conditions are stabilized, or that another ophthalmologist has agreed to take over care.
  • Send the patient the 30-day notice warning of termination if payment is not received.
  • Send the letter certified, and by regular mail as well, in case the patient is not home or refuses to sign for the certified letter.

Patients who delay medical care present a specific set of risks. Our risk management recommendations for terminating the physician-patient-relationship provide step-by-step instructions for you and your staff and sample letters to assist in the process.

If you have questions, contact us for confidential risk management advice at riskmanagement@omic.com or call us at 1-800-562-6642 and enter 4 for Risk Management.

Sincerely,

Hans K. Bruhn, MHS
OMIC Risk Manager

Leaving Practice

January 10, 2024

Dear OMIC Insureds:

Ophthalmologists leave practices for many reasons, including illness, retirement, changes in employment status, and personal or family needs. Both the individual ophthalmologist and the practice need to take steps in order to promote continuity of care, prevent allegations of abandonment, and ensure that all involved ophthalmologists have access to the medical records in the event the care is ever called into question.

The leaving practice toolkit addresses the risks posed when an ophthalmologist retires or leaves a practice.

If you have questions, contact us for confidential risk management advice at riskmanagement@omic.com or call us at 1-800-562-6642 and enter 4 for Risk Management.

Sincerely,

Michelle Pineda, MBA
OMIC Risk Management

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This correspondence is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from disclosure. Dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail or the information herein by anyone other than the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify us at riskmanagement@omic.com and destroy the original message and all copies.
______________________________________

 

Izervay™ Sample Consent and Eylea®HD form now available

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November 10, 2023

Dear OMIC Insureds:

We are pleased to announce the release of a consent form for FDA-approved IZERVAY™ (Avacincaptad pegol) Treatment for Geographic Atrophy, a form of Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Additionally, The Intravitreal Injection of Eylea®HD 8mg (aflibercept) form is now available.

If you have questions regarding this information, please contact us. Remember that you may contact the Risk Management Hotline for confidential assistance at riskmanagement@omic.com or call the Risk Management Hotline at 1-800-562-6642 and choose option 4.

Sincerely,

Linda D. Harrison, PhD
Vice President, OMIC Risk Management

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This correspondence is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from disclosure. Dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail or the information herein by anyone other than the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify us at riskmanagement@omic.com and destroy the original message and all copies.
______________________________________________

Revised ROP Conditions of Coverage and New ROP Telemedicine Protocols

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October 31, 2023

Dear Colleague:

We would like to share OMIC’s revised ROP conditions of coverage and new ROP telemedicine protocols.

Contact your underwriter for any questions about coverage. Find my underwriter on OMIC’s webpage can give you the name, email address, and phone number of the underwriting contact for your state.

Remember that you may contact the Risk Management Hotline for confidential assistance by emailing us at riskmanagement@omic.com or calling 800-562-6642, option 4.

Sincerely,

R. Michael Siatkowski, MD
Chair of the OMIC ROP Task Force

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Consistent return of premium.

Publicly-traded insurance companies exist to make profits for shareholders while physician-owned carriers often return profits to their policyholders. Don’t underestimate this benefit; it can add up to tens of thousands of dollars over the course of your career. OMIC has one of the most generous dividend programs for ophthalmologists and has returned more than $90 Million to our members through dividends.

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