Hosts:

John Kitchens, MD

Scott Krzywonos

Guest:

Shane Dixon, Vice President of Vision, Strategic Advancement & Business Development, Cencora Specialty GPO

Show Summary:

In this episode, John and Scott continue their coverage of the Cencora Vision Exchange meeting with an in-depth conversation about the economic, policy, and operational forces reshaping retina practices. The discussion opens with key takeaways from the meeting’s opening sessions, including a deep dive into drug pricing policy, the downstream impact of federal legislation on how retina practices are reimbursed for care, and the coding and billing changes showcased at the Cencora Vision Exchange meeting.

John then sits down with Shane Dixon, VP at Cencora Specialty GPO, to unpack what a Group Purchasing Organization actually does—and why its role has become increasingly critical. Drawing on his experience as a physician assistant, former Regeneron launch leader for Eylea, practice executive, private equity operator, and now GPO executive, Shane offers a rare, 360-degree view of how drugs move from manufacturer to patient, how contracts are structured, and how practices can survive tightening margins.

Topics Covered:

1. Key takeaways from the Cencora Vision Exchange meeting
2. Federal drug pricing policy and “Most Favored Nation” pricing
3. How government policy is reshaping retina drug economics
4. Coding and billing risk, including increased scrutiny of Modifier 25
5. CMS’s use of AI for claim detection, audits, and recovery
6. Declining surgical reimbursement and its impact on access to care
7. The collapse of the Good Days patient assistance fund and what replaces it
8. What a Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) is and how it works
9. How Cencora’s GPO leverages scale, segmentation, and contracts
10. Differences between private practice and large aggregators

Key Quotes:

1. “The way we get paid for drugs is going to fundamentally change—and it’s going to change fast.” — John Kitchens, MD
2. “We’re not just doing contracts. We’re helping practices think strategically about how they operate.” — Shane Dixon
3. “Documentation isn’t optional anymore. ‘I didn’t know’ is not going to cut it.” — John Kitchens, MD

Credits:

Production & Marketing: Laura Brown

Business Operations: Liz Hogan

Listen and Subscribe:

RetinUp.com | Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube