VisionWeb is pleased to welcome 3 new labs to our network of industry suppliers:

• Classic Optical – Youngstown, OH
• Enzo Performance Lens Lab – Warrensburg, NY
• Interstate Optical – Mansfield, OH

With the addition of these new suppliers, we hope to make your experience with us even more convenient and valuable.

Adding a supplier is easy. Log in and select the “My Account” tab to get started. Click “Supplier Accounts” to add a supplier.

Employment, Products, Supplies and Equipment

Please contact Heather McCoy at hmccoy@visionweb.com or (512) 241-8653 for more information, and to place a classified ad.

Reduce Administrative Time with Group Level Access

Want to modify your users' access to a certain supplier? VisionWeb allows you to change access settings for all users at once. This time saver can really help when setting up new supplier accounts that your staff uses regularly. Here's how:

1. Log in to www.visionweb.com and click on "My Account"
2. Select "Group Level Access"
3. Select the appropriate action from the drop-down menu to "Add" or "Remove" access, then choose the supplier account
4. Use the drop-down list to change access for a group; otherwise, select the check boxes of all users you wish to affect
5. Click on the "Apply & Update" button

In the past, ODs have had to rely on manufacturers’ claims, patient feedback and anecdotal information when it comes to fitting PALS. In our feature article, “A Scientific Approach to PAL Options,” Dr. Glasser offers the findings of a series of studies of by James E. Sheedy, OD, PhD, dean of Pacific University College of Optometry.

Check out these two excerpts:

“Progressive addition lenses (PALs) are one of optometry’s mainstay workhorses. Patients generally prefer them to segmented multifocals, and they generate healthy growth for most practices. Still, there is plenty of room for improvement in how we prescribe these lenses, especially for patients who work on computers for prolonged periods… What we have lacked is peer-reviewed scientific data.

“Currently, there is no such thing as a perfect PAL, which would offer large distance, intermediate and near zones; a short corridor from distance to near; and minimal or no peripheral astigmatism. Lens technology has not advanced to the point at which all these are possible. When one optical characteristic is enhanced, another is diminished.

There is an almost unlimited number of ways to design a progressive lens. Dr. Sheedy and his colleagues measured 28 lens designs, using a Rotlex Class Plus lens analyzer to assess horizontal cross sections in 1mm vertical steps with respect to the fitting cross.”

To find out more, log onto www.visionweb.com, go to News & Info, and under the heading of "News Desk," click on Spectacle Lenses, where you will find this article posted.

From VisionWeb’s Coding Consulting Service
Earn Extra Cash, Monitor Time Between Visits

Don’t miss out on extra cash by incorrectly coding a new patient as an “established” patient. When a patient has not seen you, or another provider in your practice that is of the same specialty, within the last 3 years, he or she is considered a "new" patient. This is important because new patients generate higher reimbursement rates than established patients. Ensure that your staff monitors the amount of time that passes between patient visits, and then make sure that they bill the insurance carrier with the correct patient status so you receive the compensation you deserve.

Looking For More Help?
VisionWeb now offers a Coding Consulting Service to help your practice identify areas of opportunity to maximize claim reimbursement rates! Click here to learn more or contact a coding consultant at (866) 630-2036 or coding@visionweb.com.

Dear VisionWeb Members,

VisionWeb is having a great year, and having the chance to meet some of our members at Vision Expo East made it even better! We heard from many of you at the show and I was thrilled to find out that so many of you are taking advantage of the conveniences that VisionWeb services provide.

I hope that you too have incorporated VisionWeb’s ordering and insurance services in your daily office procedures. Doing so will certainly streamline and simplify your procedures and keep you successful.

As VisionWeb grows, we offer more services, more practice management integrations, and more connected suppliers, making VisionWeb more useful for you. I encourage you to visit www.visionweb.com and take a look around the site, you can learn about all that we have to offer, ensuring that you are making the most of your VisionWeb membership.

It is my hope that if there are additional ways in which we can help you to streamline and simplify your practice, you will let us know. Being close to you, our customers, and exceeding your expectations are how we intend to successfully continue growing VisionWeb.

Stanley J. Yamane, O.D., F.A.A.O.
Vice President of Professional Relations
VisionWeb

Contact Stan J. Yamane at: syamane@visionweb.com

Sponsored by Prevent Blindness
More Women Losing Sight to Eye Disease than Men

Prevent Blindness America Urges Women to Help Protect their Vision with a Dilated Eye Exam

More women in America suffer from sight-stealing eye disease than men. According to an updated study from Prevent Blindness America and the National Eye Institute, more women will be diagnosed with cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, the four leading causes of vision loss and blindness. 

Fortunately, vision loss can be minimized through early detection and treatment of eye diseases. Prevent Blindness America has designated April as Women’s Eye Health and Safety month in an effort to encourage women to make their eye health a priority today to save their sight for tomorrow.

For more information on eye disease or a listing of Prevent Blindness America services in your state, please visit www.preventblindness.org or call 1-800-331-2020.

Click here to view the entire article.