• Clearwave Go Live
  • Today is the launch of the new Clearwave kiosk check-in system within the main clinic. We are excited to introduce new technology that will improve the overall patient experience through streamlining the check-in process, reducing paperwork, and allowing our staff more time to focus on patient checkout, scheduling appointments, and assisting patients in need.
• Elimination of Sales Tax on Prescriptive Eyewear
  • Through the efforts of the Ohio Optometric Association to promote passage of Senate Bill 8 in 2017, beginning July 1 visual devices that require a prescription will no longer be subject to state sales tax. This new law is estimated to save Ohio taxpayers $29 million annually. The law is fairly straightforward. Any visual correcting device that requires a written prescription will be exempt from sales tax. Such examples include:
    • Prescriptive eyewear, including frame and lenses
    • Repair or replacement parts for a frame with prescriptive lenses
    • Prescription sunglasses
    • Reading glasses prescribed by a doctor and made specifically for an individual patient
    • Contact lenses
  • Some examples of non-prescription items that will still be subject to sales tax include:
    • Plano sunwear
    • Over the counter reading glasses
    • Low vision devices
    • Vision therapy equipment
    • Any over the counter products such as: dry eye masks, artificial tears, contact lens solution, nutritional supplements.
  • One issue that is less clear is when a patient buys a frame only. If that patient purchases a frame only with the intent of placing prescription lenses in it at a later date (such as a frame only purchase during a frame expo), then that item is also exempt. However, in that instance, it is required that we complete an Ohio Department of Taxation Sales Tax Exemption Certificate and have the patient sign it. Exemption forms can be found on the OOA website at: https://www.ooa.org/aws/OOA/asset_manager/get_file/303344?ver=104.
• Fiscal Year 2020 Clinic Fee Schedule
  • July 1, 2019 marks the beginning of the new fiscal year and the effective date of our new clinic fee schedule. While individual services will have changes to specific items within their services, fee changes that will impact all clinic services are listed below. A list of all clinic fee changes will be sent to clinic staff in a future correspondence.
    • 92014: Established Patient Comprehensive Exam including refraction: $140
    • 92004: New Patient Comprehensive Exam including refraction: $150
    • 92015: Refraction: $44
• Updates to Compulink Appointment Scheduler:
  • Beginning autumn semester 2019 all clinic schedules in Compulink will be assigned by interns instead of generic provider IDs (i.e. NL1, NL2, NL3, or CM1, P01, etc.). This will match the way some clinic services currently schedule with interns listed as the provider (i.e. AOC, LL, and UA). This clinic-wide change is a requirement for our next Compulink upgrade.
  • PVC will function the same despite individual patients being listed with the intern’s names on the schedules. PVC will still assign patients to interns through the Ohio State Clinic Scheduler and not based on pre-assignment in Compulink.
  • An additional unintended consequence is that intern/attending pairings will not be obvious by viewing the schedule. Therefore, use of the intern/attending assignments that are distributed to each clinic will be necessary to determine which schedule is specific to a particular attending.

We are currently working with Compulink to navigate a solution to address this unintended impact on our scheduling. If you have any questions about this please reach out to Ashley Hill or Dr. Greg Nixon.