The 59th Annual Meeting of the Pittsburgh Ophthalmology Society (POS), orchestrated under the guidance of Dr. Pamela P. Rath, took place alongside the 44th Annual Meeting for Ophthalmic Personnel on March 8th. Held at the Omni William Penn hotel, the event drew over 85 physicians, 140 ophthalmic personnel, and 34 exhibitors, fostering a conducive environment for learning and collaboration.

The highlight of the event was the 43rd annual Harvey E. Thorpe Lecture, delivered by Dr. Daniel F. Martin, MD, Chair of the Cole Eye Institute at Cleveland Clinic. Accompanied by esteemed guest faculty including Dr. Jane C. Edmond (Austin, TX), Dr. Mark A. Rolain (Sterling Heights, MI), and Dr. Joshua Stein (Ann Arbor, MI), the program featured insightful lectures that captivated attendees. Their expertise and willingness to share insights contributed to the overall success of the event, as echoed by positive feedback from participants.

Dr. Martin's lectures, in particular, resonated with the audience, showcasing his profound knowledge and expertise in the field. Attendees lauded all speakers for their excellence in content delivery and engagement. Read more

Photos below: (left to right): Pamela P. Rath, MD, President; Daniel F. Martin, MD (43rd annual Harvey E. Thorpe Lecturer); Jane Edmond, MD (Guest Faculty); Joshua Stein, MD, MS, Guest Faculty. Daniel Martin, MD accepting the Thorpe Scroll from Pamela P. Rath, MD. Attendees gather in the lecture room at the 44th Annual Meeting. 

IMPORTANT  INFORMATION and RESOURCES

Members Affected by Change HealthCare Ransomware Shutdown

The POS will continually update this site as information and resources become available. 

ARTICLE | THE NEW YORK TIMES 

With Cyberattack Fix Weeks Away, Health Providers Slam United

Includes an overview and a few ideas of when things may be fixed from the attack.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/08/health/united-healthcare-cyberattack.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

CENTERS FOR MEDICARE (CMS) and MEDICAID SERVICES | RESOURCES

On Saturday, March 9, Centers for Medicare (CMS) and Medicaid Services announced a new opportunity for physicians impacted by the cyberattack and resulting disruptions with Change Healthcare to request advanced Medicare payments to help with cash flow disruptions.

  The details of the program, terms, and the steps needed to apply can be found in the links below.

Fact Sheet – https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/change-healthcare/optum-payment-disruption-chopd-accelerated-payments-part-providers-and-advance

CMS Statement – https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-statement-continued-action-respond-cyberattack-change-healthcare

ALLEGHENY COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY | BLOG POST (Updated as information becomes available) 

https://www.acms.org/resources-following-change-healthcare-cyberattack/

Highmark Advanced Payment online form! (3.14.2024)

To complete the form, you will need the # of days you have cash on hand, the weekly Highmark payment amount from all Highmark entities, # of weeks you are requesting. At the end of the form, it says to allow 10 days for processing.

There is a special CMS form to now complete for advanced payment. 

Please read our article (JH, JL) and complete the Request for Healthcare/Optum Payment Disruption (CHOPD) Accelerated Payments to Part A Providers and Advance Payments to Part B Suppliers template to submit your request. Please note:

·  The template must be initialed and signed by the provider's authorized official that is legally able to make financial commitments and assume financial obligations on behalf of the provider (digital signature is acceptable).

·  Providers that are part of a health system may attach a list of Medicare IDs (PTANs) / NPIs with the request. The authorized representative must have authority to sign on behalf of all parties/suppliers included in the list.

For additional information such as eligibility requirements, required acknowledgement of terms, and payment amount, please refer to CMS' CHOPD Accelerated Payments to Part A Providers and Advance Payments to Part B Suppliers Fact Sheet.

How to submit your request:

Please submit the completed request template to our Accelerated and Advance Payments mailbox at AAP@novitas-solutions.com.

"Our priority is to support CMS in their efforts to help our Medicare providers experiencing payment disruptions from this cyber incident. We look forward to receiving your request as soon as possible."

UPMC MERCY: THE NEW LOCATION OF URGENT CARE