Following recent settlements of high-profile lawsuits involving ophthalmology practices and optometrists, comanagement is a hot topic. To help avoid improprieties, our friends at CoFi have created an excellent financial platform that enables patients to pay each doctor directly and simultaneously on the day of surgery. In doing so, they have identified four key pillars for effective and compliant comanagement.

1. Patient Choice – Patients need to be informed, and providers should document that comanagement is the patient’s decision, avoiding any type of agreement to refer them back for post-op care automatically.
2. Continuity & Quality of Care – Patient-care communication is crucial with regular note-sharing between the surgeon and optometrist to ensure coordinated care.
3. Fair Market Value (FMV) – Fees should reflect FMV for services rendered. Optometrists can and should set their own rates.
4. Payment Separation – To ensure compliance and transparency, patient payments to providers should be separate, with ophthalmologists not paying referring optometrists.