The Impact of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act on the Field of Ophthalmology.

Purpose: To analyze the impact of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) on the field of ophthalmology.

Design: A perspective on the effects of MACRA's Quality Payment Program after analysis of the proposed rule, final rule, and commentary submitted by relevant stakeholders.

Results: Physicians will need to use 1 of 2 payment structures: Merit-Based Incentive Payment Systems (MIPS) or Alternative Payment Models (APMs).

Combined exposure to cigarette smoke and nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae drives development of a COPD phenotype in mice.

Background: Cigarette smoke (CS) is the major etiologic factor of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). CS-exposed mice develop emphysema and mild pulmonary inflammation but no airway obstruction, which is also a prominent feature of COPD. Therefore, CS may interact with other factors, particularly respiratory infections, in the pathogenesis of airway remodeling in COPD.