The RT News
Newsletter of Division 11
September 2005
AER Rehabilitation Teaching Division
ACTION NEEDED !
IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM ACVREP
REGARDING MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT
Ruling by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS):
Effective July 22, 2005 Medicare will not reimburse therapy services provided “incident to” a visit to a physician’s office unless the therapy services are provided by an OT, PT, or a Speech or Language therapist. THIS IS A MAJOR CHANGE!
Therefore, the services of an ACVREP certificant (CVRT, CLVT, COMS) who is not also an MD, OT, PT, or S&L therapist, may no longer be billed under Medicare for services rendered “incident to” and under the supervision of a physician.
Please note: that this new ruling does not affect the five year Medicare demonstration project, scheduled to begin in October 2005. The demonstration allows vision rehabilitation professionals to provide needed services in vision rehabilitation agencies, in clinics and in the homes and environs under “general” supervision of a physician (MD or OD). Only six sites will be selected for the demonstration project!
Action taken so far: This ruling has wider implications and impacts more than the vision rehabilitation community. In a Texas Federal court, the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) requested a court injunction to stop the CMS Ruling from taking effect. NATA represents athletic trainers who offer services incident to a physician office visit.
The Texas court dismissed the lawsuit because it did not have the jurisdiction to hear the case. The court dismissal was not based on the merits of the case.
NATA intends to either appeal the case to the Court of Appeals or to have the matter reconsidered in the Texas courts.
What does the ruling mean to vision rehabilitation professionals? Most older Americans will no longer be able to receive “incident to” vision rehabilitation services because those services will no longer be reimbursable under Medicare.
It sets back the progress we have made in becoming recognized professionals in the Medicare world, under the Educational Program Memorandum of 2002. Because of that PM, for example, the NYC local carrier had included orientation and mobility specialists, rehabilitation teachers, and low vision therapists as incident to providers. This was the case in other states as well.
The new ruling says that vision rehabilitation professionals are not needed as part of the multi-disciplinary team of vision rehabilitation providers!
What is ACVREP doing?
Collaborating with other groups who are affected by this ruling. * Supporting NATA in its appeal actions. * Working in concert with the National Vision Rehabilitation Association (NVRA) *Have met with ophthalmologists asking for (and receiving) their support and they in turn are working with their legislative lobbyists. * Have spoken with staff at AFB, bringing them up to date and will be speaking with their lobbyists in the very near future. * Have written to CMS in Washington, DC about this issue and it is promising that we will have an appointment with the Director in the very near future.
IS IT TIME TO TAKE AGGRESSIVE ACTION? YES!
What can you do?
Get informed about how Medicare works and why our professionals are not covered.
Get informed about your local Medicare carrier and talk with them about this ruling (effective July 22, 2005). Get their take on the matter an emphasize the importance of vision rehabilitation services for the elderly as a medical service: Americans can continue to function safely and independently and lead productive lives.
Enlist the assistance of your administrators, Let CMS know the effect of this action, either through your local Medicare carrier or by writing to CMS in Washington. Let your legislators know about this action [introduce them to vision rehabilitation if they don’t know about it] stress the importance of insuring the safety of seniors with vision loss.
Inform your local AER chapter and make sure that the chapter takes action to protect our professional as well as our senior citizens. Keep ACVREP informed of your actions so we can coordinate efforts as needed.
We must work together to preserve specialized services for all American who are blind and partially sighted. Please contact ACVREP with any information you may have to help us move forward at 520-887-6816 or by email at smikrut@acvrep.org We need your contact information so that we can keep you informed as well. A teleconference is being planned for the near future and we want you to be in the loop.
Signed: Sharon Mikrut, president ACVREP and Martin S. Yablonski, COMS, ACVREP Board Chair. Reprinted with permission from ACVREP
Your Executive Team: 2004-2006
nansam@peoplepc.com
Mary Beth Harrison, CVRT: CHAIR-ELECT:
marybeth.harrision@med.va.gov
Susan M. Dalton, CVRT: SECY/TREAS:
smdtvp@joltmail.net
Want to sell RT Logo Items at your state conference?
Contact Nancy Paskin. See item list below for availability
RT MARKET PLACE
COMMUTER MUG: Beautiful stainless steel commuter mug. Features the motto "Qualiter Signum" (Whatever Works) in black script. Also features the RT logo and Website address. $10.00
BASEBALL CAP: Stonewashed green cotton cap. Features the RT logo with the motto “Qualiter Signum” (Whatever Works) in black script. Adjustable sizing strap. SALE $5.00
Please add $3.50 for shipping and handling of all orders. Make checks payable to AER Rehabilitation Teaching Division.
Due to items selling out, please also include an email or phone number so we can notify you if a change in our supply may affect your order.
Send your orders to: Nancy Paskin, 3771 Valley View St., Mohegan lake, NY 10547 or email
APH AD: Labels, Labels everywhere. Featuring the Sherlock Talking Label Identifier and Brailiable Labels and Sheets.
CONGRATULATIONS 2005 to date Certified and Recertified CVRTs
Michele R. Budde
Jianna Y. Cho
Joyce A. Mahoney
Diane M. McMillan
Donna Marie Penny
Lachelle Erica Smith
Jane Albrecht
Susan M. Dalton
Patricia Monahan
Anne K. Studley
Stacey Renee Stephens
RECERTIFIED:
Julie A. Brantley
Virginia Bonagura
Ruth Elaine Boykin
Janet S. Connor
Ann Louise Estabrook
Kendra R. Farrow
Hamida B. Ghafoor
David Goodman
Sheryl C. Guthrie
Mary Beth Harrison
Debra P. Helms
Joyce L. Hildreth
Christina Kendall
Kathy V. Konow
George M. McCann
Sharon Miller Murry
June R. Richardson
Susan Smith
Deborah Sokol-Mckay
Maureen Strainge
Janice Van Horn
Michelle I. Visscher
Danelle R. Volk
Carolyn Adcox
Deborah R. Austin
David Baioni
Beverly J. Benjamin
Chelsea D. Bridges
Sharon Michelle Bosley
Jane M. Bush
Robin Dinerstine
Nancy Dunbar Sogan
James Fowler
Charlene M. Gordon
Vanessa Gordon
Laurie Ann Walsh Hallman
Dennis L. Helms
Marjorie Hinds
Sharon Hudson
Christopher Jarosz
Kelli M. Jarosz
Kara D. Mahan
Joy McGraw
Anne Morrison
Susan Ponchillia
Paul Ponchillia
Michelle Powers
Dickson Rodriguez
Genie Tobias-Salzverg
Jacqueline Smith Trigg
Patricia Ann Wagner
Patricia Young
YOUR OPINION COUNTS
Having said this, we want to know what you currently use as reference books for RT techniques, especially home management, personal management and daily living skills. What do you reference for consumers with special needs? And finally, what do you feel are the gaps in our current literature? What do we need? Thank you for your response.
This page is designed as a TEAR–OUT page. You can fill in your answers and fold the page in half, tape it, add a stamp and mail it back to us.
Books, reference materials, I currently use in my work :
Gaps that I feel exist in books, reference materials, or techniques for rehabilitation teachers to use:
TO: Nancy Paskin, CVRT
3771 Valley View St.
Mohegan Lake, NY
10547
AWARDS
Its time to identify your colleagues who deserve to be recognized in 2006 with an AWARD !
Rising Star Award
Given to a new teacher who has worked in the field 3 years or less & has already been spectacular.
Meritorious Achievement
Given to a VRT who has contributed to field and to their consumers in some key way.
Bruce McKenzie Award
Our Lifetime Achievement Award. Given to VRT who exemplify the best of the best of us.
Nominate deserving colleagues NOW. Send names and contact info to Mary Beth Harrison.
DIVISION OFFICERS CRITERIA
QUALIFICATIONS: Voting member in good standing of the Rehabilitation Teaching Division. TERM: Serves for six (6) years in total: Chair-elect for two (2) years; Chairperson for two (2) years; and Immediate Past Chairperson for two (2) years. Succeeds to the office of Chairperson. Term commences after the final board meeting at biennial conference.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Serves as member of the Board and Executive Committee.
Serves as assistant to the Chairperson and, in the absence of the Chairperson, shall preside at meetings of the Board and the membership.
Serves as chair of the Division’s Program Committee for the biennial conference.
Serves on AER’s Council of Division Chairpersons.
Works with the AER Program Committee in planning, coordinating , and presenting general and division programming at the AER biennial conference.
Collects papers referred to the Division by the AER Program Committee.
Serves as chair of Awards Committee. Seeks nominations for awards from Division membership.
Keeps Division Chairperson informed of all activities and decisions of the AER and Division Program Committee.
Tentative Division programming shall be submitted to and approved by the Division’s Executive Committee.
Serves as Chair of the In-Service Committee and reports activities to the Division’s Executive Committee.
Serves as Chair of the Marketing Committee and reports activities to the Division’s Executive Committee.
Have such authority and perform such duties in the management of the Division as may be proved by the Board, Bylaws Board Policies and, to the extent not so provided, as generally pertain to the office of Chairperson-Elect.
JOB DESCRIPTION: SECRETARY-TREASUER
QUALIFICATIONS: Voting member in good standing of Rehabilitation Teaching Division. TERM: Two (2) years. Term commences after final board meeting at biennial conference.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Serves as member of the Board and Executive Committee.
Records, prepares and disseminates the minutes of all meetings of the Board and membership meetings.
Corrects previous meetings as required.
Conducts routine correspondence for the Board as directed by the Chairperson.
Assists the Chairperson in preparing a budget for the Division.
Maintains financial records of the Division. Prepares Treasurer’s Report and reports on the financial status of the financial status of the Division at Board an Membership meetings.
Maintains a ledger of bills submitted and paid.
Maintains communication with AER Central Office finance officer and reconciles the Division’s financial records.
Submits all appropriate records to the Archives for cataloging. 10. Carry out duties as stated in Bylaws.
JOIN THE TEAM
Chair-elect:
Secretary/Treasurer:
Chair will be MaryBeth Harrision
Past-chair will be Nancy Paskin
Job descriptions of the two open positions to the left. Send your nominations to Nancy Paskin. Be a part of the action. Round out the team!! Be Active !!
Division Membership Facts:
94 of our members do NOT have or have not shared their email addresses.
116 people are newly listed members, not found in the 2004-2005 Directory.
198 people who were listed in the 2004-2005 Directory have left the Division.
Of the 116 new members of the Division, only 10% do not have or have not shared their email addresses with AER or the Division.
The Division is studying the means of sending the newsletter out in the future via email. To do this, we need to know your email address.
Please send your current email address to our secretary and/or Central Office. Susan Dalton: smdtvp@joltmail.net. Only if your email has recently changed or if you have not to date informed the Division or AER.
Welcome Back from your summer.
End of September 2005 issue of the RT News.