to view this issue - Primary Eyecare Network

The Newsletter of
Primary Eyecare Network
focal point
January - March 2012
Special Thanks to Our
PIO 2011 Sponsors

From the Cover
PEN + Vendor Partners = Elite Standard of Education
We would like to take this opportunity to say a very grateful “Thank You” to all the Vendor Partners
that made it possible for PEN to bring you a program of the stature of PIO 2012…
Premier Event Sponsors
Event Sponsors
EHR
freedom to focus
Partnership Advantage
Our success has really been
based on partnerships from the
very beginning. ~ Bill Gates
The start of a new year is a
good time to take stock of your
practice and make plans for
the future. A few of those plans
should include building on of your existing partnerships to
form a strong foundation for success. Here are some ideas
to get you started.
Use your vendor co-op dollars for marketing. Most
vendors set aside a portion of their marketing budget for
co-op advertising. When it comes to getting the most for
your advertising dollar, this can be your most powerful,
revenue-generating opportunity. Yet most practices do
not take advantage of it, making this the largest missed
opportunity in the arena of marketing.
1. Start by calling the 3-4 vendors you use most frequently.
Each company has their own policies and procedures, so
ask for details.
2. Use co-op advertising dollars to help pay for print and
online ads, your practice newsletter, recall postcards, etc.
3. Be creative in tailoring your needs to meet company
guidelines.
Use your vendor co-op dollars for other purposes.
Some companies allow co-op monies to be used for
purposes other than advertising. For instance, Marchon
allows co-op funds to offset the registration fee for PIO,
PEN’s yearly event. ClearVision customers can pay
for PEN Education programs by using co-op funds and
Aspex clients can use co-op dollars towards the cost of a
new website from EyeCarePro.net. Contact your vendors
and ask if they have similar programs.
Take advantage of PEN’s rebate. PEN’s Cooperative
Bonus Program allows you to receive up to 1% of your
total purchases back in an annual live check. The program
is simple: the more you bill through PEN, the more PEN
gives back to you. You only need to bill a minimum $4,000 a
month on average to qualify.
Find out how to maximize your PEN Bonus by
contacting Ellen Barkley (Northern CA) at 925 984 6230 or
Kirk Washington (Southern CA) at 949-285-7878. They
will be happy to perform a financial analysis and suggest
strategies to increase, or help you qualify for, your
PEN Bonus.
Now is the time to take action…
make this your New Year’s Resolution!
Don’t Miss this Important Program!
PIO 2012
Preserving Independent Optometry
Social Media, Technology &
Practice Management
New Date! - August 10 th - 11 th
Portola Hotel & Spa
Monterey, CA
Ask about golf
at Del Monte
Reserve your seat today!
PrimaryEye.net/PIO • 800-444-9230
Primary Eyecare Network • www.PrimaryEye.net • 800-444-9230 1

Primary Eyecare Network Presents
Medicare Billing & Coding 2012
with John A. McGreal, OD
Topics include:
• Correct levels of billing that instantly improve practice profitability.
• Thorough, compliant chart documentation that is simple &
straightforward.
• Proper billing & coding from actual case histories.
• Latest CMS changes in E/M coding, eye coding, fee schedules,
documentation & compliance.
• How to properly charge for services, evaluate fee schedules, document
the medical record and reduce audit risk.
Saturday, January 14 th
Glendale Hilton - Glendale, CA
Sunday, January 15 th
Hilton Irvine Orange County Airport - Irvine, CA
Saturday, January 28 th
Hilton Arden West - Sacramento, CA
Sunday, January 29 th
San Ramon Marriott - San Ramon, CA
Breakfast & Registration 7:30am - 8:00am • Lecture 8:00am - Noon
$160 (Non-Members $195)
COPE Accreditation granted for all parts of this program
Don’t forget to order your 2012 Medicare updates (see reverse)!
Attendees:
1. _______________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________
4. _______________________________________________
PEN# _______ Practice ______________________________________________________ Phone _________________
Email required for event confirmation ________________________________________________________________________
Address ______________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________ Zip ______________
WEB0112
Register Online at www.Primaryeye.net/education
or fax completed form to 925-838-9338
Primary Eyecare Network • 800-444-9230 • www.PrimaryEye.net

PEN Education
With all the professionals
recommending social media,
Facebook, Twitter or blogs, there is
a lot to think about. Who has the
time Is it really worth it Will my
patients care What is the benefit
to my practice
Let’s look at some of the numbers:
• 3.5 billion pieces of content are
shared on Facebook each WEEK!
• 53% of people on Twitter
recommend companies and
products to others.
• 200 million Facebook users access
the service from a mobile phone.
People are “talking”; they are just not
using snail-mail, e-mail or face-to-face
conversations to do it. The days of
relying only on ads, brochures or
flyers are over. If you want your
practice to be seen, you’ve got to
go where the people are gathering
and the best method is to send your
messages online.
Here are a few suggestions
for incorporating social media
marketing into your practice:
1
Ask your staff what they think
of social media; they are
the ones most likely to be using it.
Consider allowing a staff member to
be in charge of social media outreach.
You trust them to fit your patients
with complicated ophthalmic lens
technology or provide information
on the latest instrument utilized in
your office. They can handle social
media too. Involving your team in
coming up with ideas for a fan page
is a wonderful, morale boosting
exercise as well as a fabulous way
to market yourself.
Social Media Marketing -
Who Has the Time
By Mary E Schmidt, PEN Instructor,
President of EyeSystems Consulting
2 Providing data or offering
self-promotions are not going
to cut it in social media. You’ve got
to stand out as different, interesting
and unique. What do you need to
do to create this image Why would
someone follow your practice on
social media Would you keep patients
updated on technology Could you let
them know about the latest trends
Are you offering something that
nobody else is
3 Assign a staff member to
manage the content on these
sites. They will be enthusiastic and
really enjoy it. Make sure you approve
of all uploads but don’t bog down the
process, it’s got to be timely.
4 Have a staff member regularly
check to ensure that your online
reputation is accurate. If it isn’t, you can
quickly respond and correct it.
Create a contest within the
5
practice and reward the staff
members that comes up with the best
content to post. Give everyone an
assignment to bring something to staff
meetings that can be posted. Make it
exciting and fun.
How often should you post
6
something No one likes the
person who posts all day, everyday
about mundane things. Have your staff
member start with a weekly posting
and gauge your patients’ response.
Increase or decrease as interesting
information becomes available.
Remember to post items that will be
of interest or benefit to those reading
your information and not just provide
news that is self-serving to your
practice.
(Continue on next page)
2
Upcoming Classes
www.PrimaryEye.net/education
Doctor Seminars
JANUARY
Medicare Billing & Coding 2012
John A. McGreal, O.D.
Glendale, CA........................................Sat, Jan 14 th
Irvine, CA.............................................Sun, Jan 15 th
Sacramento, CA..................................Sat, Jan 28 th
San Ramon, CA..................................Sun, Jan 29 th
MARCH
Staff Seminars
JANUARY
8:00am - Noon
Marketing Your Practice Series:
Defining Your Practice Personality
Michael Rothschild, O.D.
Webinar............................................Wed, Mar 28 th
5:30pm - 6:30pm PST
Opening Communication with Your Staff
Mary E. Schmidt
Webinar.............................................Wed, Jan 25 th
12:30pm - 1:30pm PST
FEBRUARY
Frame Adjusting (AM) & Frame Styling (PM)
Mary E. Schmidt
San Ramon, CA.............................. Thurs, Feb 16 th
9:00am - Noon & 1:15pm - 4:15pm
Eyecare Terminology
Jill Luebbert, CPOT, ABOC
Webinar................................................Fri, Feb 24 th
12:30pm - 1:30pm PST
Leadership Series: Fundamentals of Staff
Management - Embracing Change
Mary E. Schmidt
Walnut Creek, CA.............................Wed, Feb 29 th
MARCH
9:00am - 5:00pm
Employment Law for the Optometric Office
Ronald Goldman, Esq.
San Diego, CA......................................Sun, Mar 4 th
10:00am - 1:00pm
“I Just Want to Get Contacts”
Jill Luebbert, CPOT, ABOC
Webinar................................................. Fri, Mar 9 th
12:30pm - 1:30pm PST
Frame Adjusting (AM) & Frame Styling (PM)
Mary E. Schmidt
Irvine, CA.........................................Thurs, Mar 15 th
9:00am - Noon & 1:15pm - 4:15pm
Primary Eyecare Network • www.PrimaryEye.net • 800-444-9230

PEN Education
Two New Education Series for 2012
Leadership Series
Presented by Mary E. Schmidt
There was such a positive response to
the topic of “Building a World Class
Staff” at PIO 2011 that PEN has decided
to continue the focus into 2012 by creating a Leadership
Series to help develop the skills of your office managers
and office leaders.
Attendees of the Leadership Series will learn how to set
achievable goals, develop systems for performance reviews
and evaluations, create a positive work atmosphere, get
the best performance from staff, and much more.
This series will help you sharpen your skills as
an office manager or office leader!
Feb 29 th
Apr 4 th
May 9 th
June 13 th
Fundamentals of Staff
Management - Embracing Change
HR Essentials
Harnessing the Potential in Your Practice
Turning Problems into Solutions
9:00am-5:00pm in Walnut Creek
$150 (Non-Members $180) per class
Entire Series: $480 (Non-Member $576) - Save 20%
Marketing Your Practice
Webinar Series
Presented by Michael Rothschild, O.D.
Those of you who attended PIO 2011
will remember Dr. Michael Rothschild
as one of the favorite speakers at the event. He will be
presenting PEN’s new Marketing Your Practice Webinar
Series and we are excited to bring him back.
Dr. Rothschild focuses on offering a variety of ideas as
opposed to saying “you should do this or that.” His process
allows doctors to find the combination of marketing tactics
that will work for their practice. As Dr. Rothschild says,
“Consistent marketing is one of the basic fundamentals of
a successful optometry practice.”
Don’t be left behind in this fast-changing
world of marketing!
Mar 28 th
May 16 th
July 25 th
Defining the Personality of Your Practice
Finding Balance in Your Marketing
Building Loyalty with Internal Marketing
5:30pm-6:30pm PST
$50 (Non-Members $65) per webinar
Entire Series: $120 (Non-Member $156) - Save 20%
Time to Make Your Education Resolution for 2012!
To register online, visit PrimaryEye.net/education. Call 800-444-9230 for more information or to register.
(Continued from page 2)
Social Media Marketing - Who Has the Time
7 Start strong! The old cliché, “you only get one chance
to make a good first impression”, holds true for social
media too. Seek out professional guidance before you
launch. Attend social media workshops to learn what works
and what to avoid. Look over other sites to determine what
you like or what you have to offer that would make your
practice stand out.
8
Consider hiring a professional to post for the
practice. Just make sure they create an image that
enables your practice to stand out to your patients. Again,
your enthusiastic staff member can be the best liaison
between patient, doctor and the professional.
Are you aware that, under HIPAA regulations, you are not
allowed to use your patients’ protected health information,
including their mailing address, to send them marketing
materials No trunk show notices, special events or
promotional flyers, and no sale postcards can be mailed
to your patients. So social media marketing is the perfect
avenue to reach your patients and keep them loyal to your
practice. They can choose to “friend you” on Facebook or
Twitter which allows you to offer any information you think
will be of interest to them.
Remember as long as your content is interesting, amusing,
thought provoking or even a little weird, people will enjoy
your posts.
I’ll be happy to “friend” you but
only if I know you’re out there!
Primary Eyecare Network • www.PrimaryEye.net • 800-444-9230 3

Vendor Highlights
New Vendor
Committed to quality, detail, and fit.
Looks to suit any style and any price range.
20% Discount on Frames
4% Off Your Administration Fee
Contact: 800-612-4108 or www.europaeye.com
for a full list of Europa brands.
Breast Cancer Awareness...
You Can Help!
When you display the beautiful BCBG Strength
frame from ClearVision Optical, you will be
supporting this very worthy cause.
To see the frame, visit:
www.cvoptical.com/strength/see.html
PEN Members, your
Essilor
discount
is 30%!
Click here to take
advantage and save!
4
Primary Eyecare Network • www.PrimaryEye.net • 800-444-9230

Resource for Success
A Message from Eric M. White, OD
VSP State Representative and PEN Advisory Board Member
Hi All,
I’d like to take a moment to speak
with you about the benefits of
the VSP Eye Health Management
Program® for you, as well as your
patients and the companies who
employ them.
Did you know that when you report patients’ chronic
conditions to VSP®, you’re providing useful data that
connects your patients’ with a medical care provider VPS
provides HIPAA compliant statistics to your patient’s health
plan or disease management company – which helps to
facilitate them getting the medical care they need.
This simple “check the box” process emphasizes the vital
role optometry has in chronic disease management.
What is the ROI of Your Optical
By Harry Stone, EyeDesigns/VSP Global
The value of your optical space and its return on
investment (ROI) is critical to your practice’s growth. Did
you know, effective merchandising in your optical could
increase your sales up to 30%
The Seven-Second Rule of Merchandising: You only have
seven seconds to make an impression…good or bad.
When a patient enters your office, it should be attractive
and clean. Your logo should be
prominently displayed. Your optical
should have proper lighting.
Your displays should be current,
interesting, and eye catching. Your
patients will instantly determine
“is this office/optical department
where I want to be”
You need to immediately and clearly communicate
your message, product, and service offerings.
Merchandising allows you to say, “We deliver quality
eyecare. We offer current, fashionable styles and
brands. We can be your total eyecare provider.”
The benefit of good merchandising is that it
enhances the patient experience on multiple levels. It
can (1) educate customers on products and services, (2)
avoid any confusion of product mix, (3) upgrade the sale,
(4) encourage multiple sales, (5) bundle products, (6)
maximize productive selling time, (7) highlight new arrivals,
(8) build referrals, (9) differentiate your practice from the
Primary Eyecare Network • www.PrimaryEye.net • 800-444-9230 5
To compensate you for the additional time you spend
treating patients with chronic conditions, VSP pays you for
reporting.
The VSP Eye Health Management Program is a key
differentiator when competing for client contracts. Clients
who receive reports about the prevalent health conditions
affecting their workforce are 50% more likely to renew
their contract with VSP. And when VSP wins contracts, you
win patients!
In the big picture of health care delivery, the Eye Health
Management Program statistically demonstrates the cost
effectiveness and excellence of optometry.
To learn more about the Eye Health Management Program,
go to VSP Online at eyefinity.com. Click on Programs and
choose Eye Health Management.
competition, (10) improve inventory management, and
(11) help your staff be more efficient.
Customers have more choices than ever before and you
want them to choose you. There are some simple questions
you should ask yourself every day. When you walk through
the front door of your practice, are you showcasing your
brand/practice in the best light Are you promoting your
message Do your displays entice customers Are
your images current and fresh Do you highlight
specific products Do you communicate the
brands you carry
If all this seems overwhelming and you need
help, it’s worth your ROI to seek out professional
experts in practice efficiencies,
merchandising, and optical
design.
EyeDesigns has 22 years of
experience helping independent
optometrists continue to
grow their practices. If you are
interested in a professional design, our licensed staff of
planers and interior designers will create complimentary
one and three-dimensional plans of your optical
department. EyeDesigns is part of VSP Global and works
with both small and large multi-doctor practices. Visit
eyedesigns.com for more information or contact Harry
Stone at hstone@eyedesigns.com or 916-952-6055.

Optometric Billing & Consulting Services
Practices Must Use Revised ABN
Medicare revised its Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN) in
March 2011. This revised version, dated “03/11,” must be
used starting 1/1/2012. According to Centers for Medicare
Medicaid (CMS), “Mandatory use of this version begins
on January 1, 2012. All ABNs with the release date of
3/2008 that are issued on or after January 1, 2012, will be
considered invalid.”
Wondering why and when an ABN is necessary
Whenever a Medicare beneficiary is provided with a service
that you know, or could reasonably be expected to know, is
not medically necessary and reasonable (as established by
your local Medicare carrier), you are required to notify the
patient in writing before services are provided. This notice is
called an Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN).
Without a properly signed ABN, a service
that is denied as not medically
necessary and reasonable cannot be
billed to the patient. Also, when billing for
service and an ABN is issued, a GA* modifier should be
included on the items covered in the ABN.
For more information and to download instructions and
the new version of the ABN, visit
http://www.cms.gov/BNI/02_ABN.asp.
*Waiver of liability statement issued, as required
by payer policy.
And the Winners Are…
In the last edition of the Focal Point, we told you about
Optometry Giving Sight, PEN’s philanthropic partner, and
their fifth annual World Sight Day Challenge (WSDC).
Optometry Giving Sight organizes the WSDC each
October to raise funds for projects that provide vision
care, local training, and infrastructure support for people
throughout the word who are blind or vision impaired.
We promised to highlight the PEN practice that raised
the most funds during WSDC and here they are…TADAA!
Top Honors go to Pacific EyeCare Center (Los Angeles,
CA). They raised $660 (or equivalent of 732 eye exams)
by holding a raffle. Kudos as well for the creative
fundraising idea!
We would like to also acknowledge Encino Optometric
Center (Encino, CA) for a very close second place by
raising $583 (or 116 eye exams) during WSDC!
Encino Optometric Center
Thank you to all the PEN practices that
participated in the World Sight Day Challenge!
Transforming lives through the gift of vision
Equipment For Sale
Need equipment for your office This is
your one-stop shop. Orland Vision Center
has several pieces for sale. All equipment is
in good to excellent working condition and
priced to sell. Please contact Dr. Thomas Flynn
at 530-865-9233 or eyeinfo@orlandvision.com.
Congratulations!
Transitions Optical has
just named Dr. Eric White’s
practice, Complete
Family Vision Center
(San Diego, CA), as one
of three finalists for
National Retailer of
the Year.
All of the finalists have made significant
commitments to growing their businesses
with Transitions® lenses over the past
year. They are actively promoting healthy
sight in their local communities and
implementing creative approaches to
achieving success for their businesses,
customers and patients.
The finalists and winners will be recognized
during a special awards ceremony, held
on January 31 during the 16th annual
Transitions Academy.
6
Primary Eyecare Network • www.PrimaryEye.net • 800-444-9230

Deadline Extended...Save 25%!
Order your 2012 Medicare billing tools by February 15, 2012 and
SAVE 25% off the regular price.
2012 Common Diagnosis Codes Card: easy-to-use reference that keeps the
most commonly used optometric codes at your fingertips.
2012 Customized Medicare Fee Schedule: practice-customized tool that
eliminates the need to search through the entire Medicare Fee Schedule.
2012 Medicare Billing A-Z Guidebook: optometry-specific information that
takes the frustration out of billing Medicare.
2012 PQRS Quick Reference Card: details of the PQRS measures that apply
to optometrists in a quick-to-find format.
2012 Medicare Quick Reference Card: user-friendly source for commonly
used codes modifiers, and rules that apply to optometry.
PEN’s Medicare billing tools are updated annually in compliance with CMS changes.
Don’t be out-of-date…order your Medicare updates today!
Call 800-444-9230.
Primary Eyecare Network • www.PrimaryEye.net • 800-444-9230 7

PEN’s Best Deal of the Year!
25% off your entire 2012 Medicare update order.
The order must be received by February 15, 2012.
2012 Medicare Updates!
o 2012 Medicare Billing A-Z Guidebook
Includes:
2012 Common Diagnosis Codes Card - Original
2012 Common Diagnosis Codes – Scanning Laser Card
2012 Medicare Quick Reference Card
PEN
Non-Member
$90.00................$118.00
Quantity ____
o 2012 Common Diagnosis Codes Set
Includes:
2012 Common Diagnosis Scanning Laser Card
PEN
Non-Member
1 Set........................................... $15.00.............. $18.00
2-9 Sets (each)........................ $12.00.............. $14.50
10 or more (each)....................$9.75............... $11.50
Quantity ____
o 2012 Medicare Quick Reference Card
PEN
Non-Member
1 card...........................................$8.50............... $10.50
2-9 Cards (each).......................$6.75................ $8.50
10 or more (each)....................$5.25................ $6.50
Quantity ____
o 2012 Evaluation & Management Worksheet
PEN
Non-Member
1 Set.............................................$8.50............... $10.50
2-9 Sets (each)..........................$6.75................ $8.50
10 or more (each)....................$5.25................ $6.50
Quantity ____
o 2012 Customized Medicare Fee Schedule
o Par o Non-Par Zip________
PEN
Non-Member
$18.00..................$28.00
Quantity ____
o 2012 PQRS Quick Reference Card
PEN
Non-Member
1 Card........................................ $11.25.............. $14.00
2-9 Cards (each).......................$9.00............... $11.25
Quantity ____
Total ___________
Practice Information
PEN# ________ Practice ____________________________________________________________ Phone _________________
Email required __________________________________________________________________________________________________
Address _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________ Zip ______________
Fax order form to 925-838-9338
Non-Members please call to complete your credit card payment.
WEB0112
Primary Eyecare Network • 800-444-9230 • www.PrimaryEye.net/publications