Eyeworld

30 | EYEWORLD | JULY 2021 ASCRS NEWS grassroots effort, the legislation, which eliminat- ed remedies against physicians for infringement of a medical procedure patent with a few excep- tions, overwhelmingly passed and was signed into law with the clear message that physicians do not "invent" procedures or incisions; they stand on the shoulders of others before them. "ASCRS went to court to defend the physi- cian who was being sued, and the patent was overturned," Ms. McCann said. Growing the department and its use for members In addition to representing the membership on Capitol Hill and with the administration, Ms. McCann and ASCRS Government Relations strove to provide members with up-to-date, accurate information by creating Washington Watch Weekly and to be available to answer their questions to improve the success of their practices. She also encouraged involvement with ASOA and practice administrators, those responsible for implementation of many government regulations and reimbursement measures. The administrators running the prac- tices understand the impact that Medicare and reimbursement rules and regulations have on their practice, she said. "Ophthalmology relies on Medicare reimbursement more than any other specialty," she said. While it's important for members to under- stand issues that may impact their individual practices and patients, Ms. McCann said it's also important for them to understand how they can make a difference by getting and staying involved. Moving forward The difficult situation of the COVID-19 pandem- ic made advocating and working on legislation and regulatory issues all the more challenging. In her 28 years, Ms. McCann said she hasn't seen anything that compares to the past year. Cataract surgery in particular was one of the most impacted elective procedures, she said. Spending on ophthalmic services was down sig- nificantly in the past year, more than any other specialty. The shutdown of elective surgery for many weeks created a backlog of cases, while at the same time, many patients were reluctant to come back. While reimbursement was quite different when she started, Ms. McCann said that an emphasis that remains today is explaining that protecting eyesight is key to Medicare benefi- ciaries maintaining their independence, which actually saves money for the Medicare program. "When I first started, we used data to show how cataract surgery has a positive impact on the quality of life," she said, including how cataract surgery saves money to the Medicare program because Medicare beneficiaries maintain their independence. "We've been successful in a lot of differ- ent areas on the legislative and regulatory fronts through the years," she said. "I think it's important to continue the advocacy going forward because we are a large subspecialty that is recognized. Many of the larger umbrel- la medical specialty organizations represent a broad sector. This gives us an opportunity to be focused on our advocacy and on the anterior segment surgeon and what impacts the surgeon, the practice, and the patient." continued from page 29 Ms. McCann with David Chang, MD, during a cataract surgery mission trip. Source: Nancey McCann Contact McCann: nmccann@ASCRS.org

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