By Staff
Wednesday, March 3, 2021 5:14 PM
CORAL SPRINGS, Fla.—ABB Verify is launching an enhancement to its vision care benefits optimization platform from ABB Optical Group. ABB Verify’s new feature allows ECPs who utilize ABB Verify to retrieve medical plan information in addition to the current vision insurance search offering. This will provide ECPs with a centralized location to review both vision and medical eligibility and benefits information. Part of the ABB Business Solutions suite, ABB Verify provides ECPs with a centralized source for gathering vision care eligibility and connecting with their patients to help them maximize benefits.
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By Staff
Wednesday, March 3, 2021 5:11 PM
Many patients with sight-threatening conditions such as AMD and glaucoma lost vision during the COVID-19 pandemic due to missed eye care appointments. In this new era, digital technology is likely to play a major role in patient care. A recent study analyzed the ways COVID-19-related pressures have affected digital technology acceptance in ophthalmology and found that there may be a new precedent for digital innovations in health care. The literature review spanned the use of digital technology during COVID-19 and, in particular, the transformation of medicine, ophthalmology and AMD screening through digitalization.
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By Staff
Wednesday, March 3, 2021 4:29 PM
GLENDORA, N.J.—Lincoln Road Advisors Inc., an investment company operated by optical industry veteran Eric Bertrand, has acquired the holding company Refac Optical Group, which owns the U.S. Vision optical business, from its majority owner ACON Investments. U.S. Vision operates roughly 375 optical locations in licensed retail spaces at J.C. Penney, Meijer, Boscov’s and Optical Center/AAFES Exchange locations. Bertrand, a former chief executive of OptiCare Health Systems of Connecticut and Vision Center at Meijer, confirmed the acquisition by Lincoln Road to
VMAIL earlier today. He is the principal at Lincoln Road, and also manages the digital marketing agency Mod Op.
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By Staff
Wednesday, March 3, 2021 4:26 PM
What are the most common complaints from consumers about their experiences in optical shops? According to an article in Consumers’ Checkbook in April 2020, “complaints usually relate to second-rate customer service—rude salespeople, long waits, indifferent advice—and high prices.” The article continues, “But many things can go wrong when buying glasses: Lenses can be positioned wrong or be defective. Opticians and optometrists must understand a slew of complex matters including matching your lenses to your eyes, fitting frames to your face (the contour of your nose is critical) and knowing what to recommend for people who need big corrections.”
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By Staff
Wednesday, March 3, 2021 3:32 PM
Amid
new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on how to safely reopen K-12 schools for in-person instruction, Americans are increasingly concerned about the effect of virtual learning on academic progress.
Compared with last summer, a higher share of U.S. adults now say the possibility that students will fall behind academically without in-person instruction should be given a lot of consideration as schools decide whether to reopen. And smaller shares now say the health risk to teachers or students should be given a lot of consideration, according to a new
Pew Research Center survey.
At the same time, a majority of U.S. adults (59 percent) say K-12 schools that are not currently open for in-person instruction should wait to reopen until all teachers who want the coronavirus vaccine have received it. By comparison, 40 percent say these schools should reopen as soon as possible, even if many teachers who want the vaccine haven’t received it.
By Staff
Wednesday, March 3, 2021 11:26 AM
What does it really mean when reports say that the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine has an
efficacy of 72 percent? It's actually not as straightforward as it might sound, and can be a little tricky to calculate, but the bottom line is that all three vaccines authorized in the U.S. greatly reduce the risk of getting COVID-19. Head over to
The New York Times for a deeper dive into how efficacy percentages are calculated and what they mean.
By Staff
Wednesday, March 3, 2021 12:24 AM
NEW YORK—All optical sales categories recovered last week (Feb. 22-28) following the previous week’s steep declines resulting from historically severe winter weather, according to Jobson’s Practice Performance Tracker. This restores national optical sales to the levels of four weeks ago (Jan. 25-31) when the most recent month-long optical sales declines began. This also coincides with a six-week downward trend in coronavirus cases in the U.S., according to the
CDC COVID Data Tracker. Over the course of last week (Feb. 22-28), all regional optical sales regained losses experienced during the past few weeks.
Click here to view the complete Jobson COVID-19 Performance Tracker
By Staff
Wednesday, March 3, 2021 12:18 AM
LONGARONE, Italy—
De Rigo and
Fila have announced the renewal of their licensing agreement for the design, production and distribution of Fila-branded prescription frames in the EMEA, the Americas, Australia and New Zealand.
By Staff
Wednesday, March 3, 2021 12:15 AM
NORTH CHICAGO, Ill.—Allergan, an
AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) company, has announced that it submitted a New Drug Application to the Food and Drug Administration for investigational AGN-190584 (pilocarpine 1.25%) ophthalmic solution for the treatment of presbyopia.
By Staff
Wednesday, March 3, 2021 12:02 AM
Fedon has established an exclusive agreement for its eyewear sector with Colors, a company that develops innovative technologies and distributes products worldwide, for the development of an antimicrobial disinfectant spray with ViralOff technology.
By Staff
Wednesday, March 3, 2021 12:01 AM
If we end up with a hierarchy that says all rich White people get Pfizer, and all poor Black people get J&J, that would be a problem.