In Focus: Health Plan Best Practices for the Management of Retinal Diseases

Release Date: January 15, 2026
Expiration Date: July 31, 2027
Estimated Time to Complete Activity: 1.5 hour
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Expert Faculty Presenters


	Ferhina Ali, MD, MPH, FASRS Vitreoretinal Physician and Surgeon Westchester Medical Center/Advanced Physician Services Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology New York Medical College Click here for biography

	Mark Barakat, MD Director of Research Retina Macula Institute of Arizona Medical Director Spectra Eye Institute Click here for biography

	Steven Kheloussi, PharmD, MBA, FAMCP Principal Consultant Kheloussi Consulting, LLC Click here for biography

	Michael Shannon, MD Endocrinologist Summit Pacific Medical Center Medical Director Ventegra Click here for biography

	Jeremy Wigginton, MD, MBA, FAAFP Chief Medical Officer Capital Blue Cross Click here for biography

Target Audience

This activity is designed to meet the educational needs of managed care pharmacy directors, registered nurses, clinical pharmacists, quality directors and medical directors.

Statement of Need/Program Overview

While the choice of treatment for retinal diseases is largely based on the experience and preference of the treating retinal specialist and patient preferences, payers are key stakeholders in impacting treatment selection through formulary placement, step therapy, and site-of-care policies which can affect member access. This on-demand webcast will educate on how to apply health plan best practices to improve retinal disease management.

Educational Objectives
After completing this activity, the participant should be better able to:

Evaluate new evidence-based approaches aimed at improving patient outcomes in AMD and DR/DME through timely interventions
Recommend recent AMD and DR/DME clinical updates for use in managed care strategies and treatment protocols for improved care delivery
Analyze patient perspectives on care access, quality, and outcomes in AMD, DR/DME, and retinal vein occlusion (RVO)
Outline the successful implementation of payer best practice strategies in AMD, DR/DME, and RVO to improve patient outcomes

Accreditation Information

Joint Accreditation Statement
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Medical Education Resources (MER) and Impact Education, LLC. MER is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physician Continuing Medical Education
Medical Education Resources designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Continuing Pharmacy Education
Medical Education Resources designates this continuing education activity for 1.5 contact hour(s) (0.15 CEUs) of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.

UAN: Coming Soon
Activity Type: Knowledge-based

Continuing Nursing Credit
Medical Education Resources designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 1.5 ANCC nursing contact hours. Nurses will be awarded contact hours upon successful completion of the activity.

Medical Education Resources is a provider of continuing nursing education by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider #CEP 12299, for 1.5 contact hours.

Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships
Medical Education Resources ensures balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all our educational activities. In accordance with this policy, MER identifies all relevant financial relationships with its instructors, content managers, and other individuals who are in a position to control the content of an activity. Reported financial relationships are mitigated by MER to ensure that all scientific research referred to, reported, or used in a CE activity conforms to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection, and analysis. MER is committed to providing learners with high-quality CE activities that promote improvements or quality in health care and not the business interest of an ineligible company.

The faculty reported the following financial relationships with ineligible companies whose products or services may be mentioned in this activity:

*Name of Working Group Members/Planners*	*Reported Financial Relationship*
Ferhina Ali, MD, MPH, FASRS	Consulting Fees (ex. ad boards): 4DMT, Alkeus, Allergan, Apellis, Astellas, EyePoint, Genentech, OcuTerra, Optomed, Ocuphire, Ocular Theraputix, Orasis, Outlook Therapeutics, and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Speakers’ Bureau: Apellis, Astellas
Mark Barakat, MD	Grants/Research Support: 4DMT, Adverum Biotech, Annexon Biosciences, Boehringer Ingelheim, CalciMedica, Clearside Biomedical, EyeBio, EyePoint Pharma, Gemini Therapeutics, Genentech, Gyroscope Therapeutics, Kanghong/Vanotech, Kodiak Sciences, Novartis, Ocular Therapeutix, Oculis, Opthea, Oxular, Oxurion, Perceive Bio, Perfuse, Regeneron, RegenxBio, ReNeuron, Ribomic, Roche, Stealth Biotherapeutics, Unity Biotechnology Consulting Fees (ex. ad boards): AbbVie Inc, Adverum Biotech, Alcon, Alimera, Alkeus, Allegro, Allergan, ANI Pharmaceuticals, Annexon, Apellis, Arctic Vision, Astellas, Bausch and Lomb, Biocryst, Biogen, Boehringer Ingelheim, CalciMedica, Celltrion, Cencora, Clearside Biomedical, Coherus Biosciences, EyePoint Pharma, Genentech, Kodiak Sciences, Harrow, Janssen, Neurotech, Novartis, Ocular Therapeutix, Oculis, Opthea, Outlook Therapeutics, Palatin Technologies, Regeneron, RegenxBio, RevOpsis Therapeutics, Roche, Sanofi, Stealth Biotherapeutics, Surrozen Speakers’ Bureau: Alcon, ANI Pharmaceuticals, Apellis, Astellas, Bausch and Lomb, Genentech, Novartis, Regeneron Stock Options: RevOpsis Therapeutics
Steven Kheloussi, PharmD, MBA, FAMCP	No financial relationships to disclose
Michael Shannon, MD	Consulting Fees (ex. ad boards): Ventegra
Jeremy Wigginton, MD, MBA, FAAFP	No financial relationships to disclose

The content managers reported the following financial relationships with ineligible companies whose products or services may be mentioned in this activity:

*Name of Content Managers*	*Reported Financial Relationship*
Impact Education, LLC.	No financial relationships to disclose
Planners at Medical Education Resources	No financial relationships to disclose

DISCLOSURE OF UNLABELED USE
This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. The planners of this activity do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications.

The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of the planners. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.

DISCLAIMER
The content and views presented in this educational activity are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Medical Education Resources, Impact Education, LLC, and/or Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The authors have disclosed if there is any discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA in their presentations. Before prescribing any medicine, primary references and full prescribing information should be consulted. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed or suggested in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of their patient’s conditions and possible contraindications on dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management.

FEE INFORMATION
There is no fee for this educational activity.