Senior Editor
AMELIA ISLAND, Fla.--The National Association of Vision Care Plans (NAVCP) hosted a record attendance of 99 at its annual meeting here last month. During the meeting, the group elected new officers and directors, discussed the ongoing issue of developing a consistent industry message encouraging consumers to get regular eyecare and heard a key player in the profession of optometry discuss ODs’ view of managed vision care.
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| AOA president-elect Peter Kehoe, OD (c), checks out a membership plaque presented to him by the NAVCP’s outgoing president, Rick Corbett, and incoming president, Liz DiGiandomenico. |
Newly elected NAVCP president is Liz DiGiandomenico, senior vice president and general manager of EyeMed Vision Care; she succeeds former president Rick Corbett, chief executive officer and president of Superior Vision Services, who is now the association’s VP of marketing.
Named first VP was Steve Brewer, senior VP, network development and strategic partners, for OptumHealth Vision. Re-elected as the NAVCP’s secretary-treasurer was Jason Harrold, president of OptiCare Health Systems.
Three new directors were named to the NAVCP board: Richard Sanchez, president and CEO of Advantica EyeCare, is now VP-legislative affairs; Aspasia Shappet, CEO of MESVision, was elected VP-provider relations; and Pat Huot, business manager, managed vision care, for Transitions Optical, is now the NAVCP’s VP-membership.
Looking ahead, DiGiandomenico said priorities for the association include continuing to work to influence public policy on eye health and vision issues, and recognition of the growing issue of vision wellness as related to overall health.
“When our clients talk about disease management and eye health, we’re taking it to the next level,” she said. “Health carriers today want to integrate vision with their health management systems.”
The meeting included a look by Peter Kehoe, OD, president-elect of the American Optometric Association (AOA), at the challenges facing optometry in the coming years. The AOA recently joined the NAVCP as an allied member.
Noting that 63 percent of the nation’s ODs are AOA members, Kehoe said the profession’s goal is to “improve the overall health of our society.” Like the NAVCP’s members, AOA members are focusing on wellness and prevention, he noted: “We’re leaving the ‘fix-it’ mode, and are now into a public health and wellness mode.”
Kehoe said some ODs are still uncertain of the value managed vision brings to their practices, citing a survey indicating that 67.3 percent of ODs felt managed vision increased patient traffic in their practices, while just 38.3 percent said it increased the practice’s net income.
As the Baby Boomers age and demand for eyecare increases, “doctors will become very selective about their plan participation,” Kehoe declared. “And optometrists will expect to earn a living from any plan.”
The question of the eyecare industry, including the NAVCP’s members, developing a unified message to encourage consumers toward regular eyecare came up several times during the meeting, with some disagreement about what “regular” care entails. Noted Ed Greene, chief executive officer of The Vision Council, “We need to find some industry statement we can all buy into, including the professions.”
Next year’s NAVCP meeting has been scheduled for April 15 to 17, 2009, at the Omni La Mansion del Rio in San Antonio. nn AOA president-elect Peter Kehoe, OD (c), checks out a membership plaque presented to him by the NAVCP’s outgoing president, Rick Corbett, and incoming president, Liz DiGiandomenico. ■
