Colleagues met with their lawmakers to champion issues, including robocalls, vision plan abuses, a new Medicare vision benefit, provider nondiscrimination and VA optometry.

Reintroduced in Congress, the bipartisan bills would curb anti-patient, anti-doctor mandates by vision plans and affirm doctor-patient relationship.

The AOA-backed bill recently introduced in Congress would close some egregious loopholes in the problematic verification process, such as automated “robocalls.”

A limited-time, members-only course offers an introduction to professional advocacy as optometry’s advocates gear up for Virtual AOA on Capitol Hill, May 23-25.

Momentum builds on Capitol Hill for a permanent expansion of Medicare telehealth criteria—find out how optometry’s advocates are approaching the conversation.

Although Congressional action staved off an immediate 2% cut to providers’ Medicare payments this year, attention now shifts to additional cuts mandated by federal spending controls.

Even as doctors of optometry receive the much-needed funds, the AOA remains committed to advocating for optometry’s inclusion in federal crisis measures. Reminder: the deadline to apply for relief has been extended to May 31.

Despite yearslong opposition by the AOA, other medical groups and many in Congress, the government’s Contact Lens Rule changes requiring confirmations and recordkeeping for at least three years are in effect. The Federal Trade Commission confirms it has authority to seek fines for noncompliance.

Help AOA advocate for a fix on these issues immediately affecting optometry practices—a 2% Medicare pay cut and taxability of HHS Provider Relief Funds.

The federal recognition of optometry’s utility in current COVID-19 vaccination efforts comes after weeks of AOA advocacy. Here’s how to get started.