The FSO Clarity Report - Summer 2025
President's Message
Raquel Goldhardt, MD, FACS
President, Florida Society of Ophthalmology
It is June, which means it’s time for one of the very best state society meetings in the country: your Florida Society of Ophthalmology- Masters in Ophthalmology 2025 meeting! There is still time to register. Don’t delay, register TODAY!
The FSO worked tirelessly on two of our most important missions the last several months. First, protecting our patients from the dangerous HB 449—which mislead patients into thinking optometrists are physicians and capable of performing eye procedures. Second, planning yet another exceptional scientific meeting, Masters in Ophthalmology 2025 meeting!
Masters in Ophthalmology 2025: The Can't-Miss Event of the Year!
We’re thrilled to host our meeting at the the Waldorf Astoria Orlando for Florida’s premier ophthalmology meeting, renowned nationwide for its stellar faculty, world-class education, and incredible networking.
What’s in Store This Year?
Elite Faculty Lineup: Learn from top experts including Drs. Jeff Pettey, Jane C. Edmond, Jennifer Lim, Evan Black, and Davinder Grover.
CME-Certified Sessions: Earn up to 12 CME credits while gaining cutting-edge insights.
Subspecialty Breakout Sessions: Stay up to date in every ophthalmic subspecialty. This year we have six breakout sessions to choose from: Cornea, Glaucoma, Global Ophthalmology, Oculoplastics, Pediatric Ophthalmology and Retina-Vitreous.
Young Ophthalmologist Program: Get tips on career development and building resilience. Learn how to advocate for patients and get tips for work-life balance.
Vendor & Sponsor Engagement: Explore new technologies and connect with industry leaders.
Pro Tip: Bring your family and enjoy a fun, relaxing, and educational weekend at one of Florida’s most luxurious resorts! We have a special family friendly reception planning for Saturday evening. Join us for the reception before heading out for dinner.
This is YOUR society, and we are here to support YOU. Don’t miss out—register now if you haven’t yet and renew your membership at the same time!
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: Defending Excellence in Eye Care
The Florida Legislature is still in session, but I am happy to report that HB 449, the optometry scope of practice bill is officially dead. Your FSO has been on the front lines to ensure Florida patients continue to receive the highest standard of eye care. Our expert team—lobbyists, attorneys, communicators, and dedicated staff—worked around the clock to safeguard our profession and patient safety. Although the bill is dead now, we have an extremely tough uphill battle from here on out. We need ALL ophthalmologists to get engaged. Your profession and patient safety are on the line!!
How Can YOU Help?
- Contribute a minimum of $1,000 to FOCUS, the FSO’s political committee.
- Donate to the Safe Ocular Surgery Fund (SOS) to protect surgical safety in Florida. Donations to SOS are anonymous!
- Join the President’s Leadership Circle—when called upon, pledge to contribute $1,000 directly to candidates who support ophthalmology.
- Renew your membership or join FSO today!
Together, we can protect our patients and the future of ophthalmology in Florida. Thank you for being part of the FSO family—together, we are stronger!
Masters 2025 Meeting Sponsors
The Florida Society of Ophthalmology appreciates the support from many industry partners as they play an important part in ensuring our meeting has a fantastic turn out. Thank you to the following companies who are signed up to exhibit at Masters in Ophthalmology 2025:
AbbVie
Alcon
Alivi Health
Amgen
ANI Pharmaceuticals
Apellis Pharmaceuticals
Astellas Pharma US
Bausch + Lomb
Cadence Collaborative
Cardinal Health
CorneaGen
Dompe
Essilor Instruments USA
EyeMD EMR Healthcare Systems Inc.
For Eye Care Foundation
Genentech-A Member of the Roche Group
Glaukos
Global Vision Inc.
Harrow Inc.
Heidelberg Engineering
Kedrion BioPharma
Lumibird Medical
Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals
ModMed
New World Medical
Nextech
Ocular Therapeutix
Ophthalmic Mutual Insurance Company
Optos Inc.
Regeneron
RxSight
Samsara Vision
ScienceBased Health
SunPharma
Tarsus Pharmaceuticals
Topcon Healthcare
Viatris Eye care Division
Virtual Vision Health
Legislative Update
Monica Rodriguez
Legislative Consultant, Ballard Partners
As we write this update, we are still in an extended Session that may last through June. With a few exceptions, all bills that did not pass by the last day of the Regular 60-day Session were removed from consideration, and the Legislature is expected to focus on budget negotiations when it returns.
To read more, please log in to your FSO profile and download the report at the bottom of this page.
To support our efforts, please consider donating to one of our advocacy groups:
For Eye Care Foundation Report
Laura B. Sims, MD
Chair, For Eye Care Foundation
The For Eye Care Foundation (FECF) of the Florida Society of Ophthalmology (FSO), is committed to promoting early pediatric vision screening and supporting educational outreach in Florida. With our dedicated volunteers and partners, we are raising awareness about Amblyopia and the profound impact of early diagnosis in improving vision. If not addressed, Amblyopia may lead to permanent visual impairment.
We are thrilled to share the impact of our latest vision screening which took place at John F. Kennedy Middle School, in North Miami Beach, on April 16, 2025. The event, organized by the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, was very successful. The FECF partnered with volunteers from Florida Heiken Children’s Vision Program as well as Lion Felisa De Kler, President of Delray Beach Lions Club, and Lion Tangala Mays.
Together, we were able to evaluate 307 students using portable SPOT vision screeners. Of the total number of children, 182 passed the vision screening and 125 were referred for further evaluation. Florida Heiken provided the follow-up visual exam and free glasses. Children needing surgical treatment were referred to Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. This event highlights the power of collaboration in delivering essential services to our community.
The FECF would like to thank our volunteers and are grateful to Angela Vazquez, director of Florida Heiken, for the kind invitation to participate.
We also wish to extend our gratitude to all whose generosity is making a lasting impact. Your support helps us reach more families and bring hope to children across Florida.
Our next event is scheduled on June 14, 2025 at Caridad Center, a charitable clinic, in Boynton Beach. We invite our FSO members to join us. Together, we can create a better future.
For more information or to volunteer, please click here.
Third Party Liaison Report
L. Neal Freeman, MD, FACS
Chair, Third Party Liaison
Medicare Risk Inflation
There is evidence that Medicare Advantage plans have been inappropriately inflating the risk scores of patients, which results in increased payment to the insurance companies managing these plans. There are examples of patients in ophthalmology practices where this has occurred.
As a result of this inappropriate inflation, there is less money available to the physicians treating these patients. Congress is aware of this practice and aggressive efforts are in place to stop this practice.
Iris Prosthesis
CPT 66683, Implantation of iris prosthesis, including suture fixation and repair or removal of iris, when performed, has been categorized as unproven and not medically necessary by various private payers including United Healthcare in their Medicare Advantage and Commercial medical policies. There is substantial medical evidence that demonstrates the medical necessity of this service, and payers are being lobbied to change their noncoverage decisions.
Dichoptic digital therapy for amblyopia
Anthem has updated its coverage policy for these services, which are now covered:
CPT 0687T
CPT 0688T
CPT 0704T
CPT 0705T
CPT 0706T
HCPCS A9292
This brings Anthem’s position in conformity with the Amblyopia Preferred Practice Pattern on amblyopia.
Membership Update
Helayna Brown, MD
Chair, Membership/Regional Representatives Committee
Membership & Mentorship Committee Updates – Get Involved!
We are excited to announce the formation of a Membership Committee, which will be a valuable asset to our society. This committee will consist of six (6) representatives, one from each region of the state: Pensacola, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa/Naples, Palm Beach, and Miami. If you are interested in serving on this committee or would like to recommend a colleague, please email membership@mdeye.org. We aim to hold our first committee meeting very soon!
Additionally, the Mentorship Committee has made significant progress in establishing a mentorship program designed to connect trainees with experienced ophthalmologists in the Florida Society of Ophthalmology (FSO). This program will provide invaluable guidance as trainees transition from training to practice. We currently have six (6) dedicated mentors ready to get started, but we need more mentees to take advantage of this opportunity!
Please help us promote this initiative by sharing it with your colleagues. Encourage trainees to participate and benefit from this mentorship experience.
For more details, visit: Mentorship Program | Florida Society of Ophthalmology
Dues Season is Here – Renew Your Membership Today!
If you haven’t renewed your FSO membership yet, we encourage you to do so promptly. Your membership helps sustain our efforts to support and advocate for ophthalmologists across Florida.
While renewing, please consider making a donation to FOCUS, SOS, or For Eye Care Foundation to support our ongoing initiatives and ensure we can continue our important work.
Help Grow Our Membership – Earn $100 Off Your Dues!
As we all know, members are the future of our society. Help us grow by recruiting new members!
For every new member you bring in, you’ll receive $100 off your annual dues. There’s no limit—keep recruiting and keep saving!
Thank you for your support in strengthening our FSO community!
FSO Nominating Committee Recommendations
The Florida Society of Ophthalmology (FSO) nominating committee met on Monday, April 28, 2025 and was chaired by the FSO president, Raquel Goldhardt, MD, FACS.
RECOMMENDATION: THE FSO NOMINATING COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS THE SLATE BELOW FOR THE 2025-2026 TERM.
Officer Nominations:
President-elect: Ahad Mahootchi, MD
Vice President of Advocacy: Mollie Lagrew, MD
Vice President of Education: Ron Adelman, MD
Vice President of Outreach: Basil Williams, MD
Secretary/Treasurer: Zubair Ansari, MD
Note: Zelia Correa, MD, PhD will assume the position of President, Raquel Goldhardt, MD, FACS, will assume the position of Immediate Past-President and David Eichenbaum, MD will move into the Past President role.
Board Nominations:
At Large Members (2025-2028):
Courtney Bovee, MD
Nicholas Farber, MD
Allister Gibbons, MD
Christine Greer, MD
Adam Katz, MD
William Mallon, MD
Richard Ten Hulzen, MD
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