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The Department of Veterans Affairs lifts language that had restricted care from doctors of optometry, opening up access to veterans around the country. Persistent advocacy by AOA, AFOS, the Mississippi Optometric Association and other stakeholders results in greater care delivery.
Medicare physicians can expect a 2% cut on Jan. 1, down from an expected 8.4% cut after Congress’ last-minute omnibus spending bill passed with several AOA-won priorities addressed.
Federal Trade Commission officials just opened the public phase of their process to finalize a 158-page eyeglass rule revision. Thanks to the AOA’s 24/7 advocacy, the concerns of America’s family eye doctors and their patients are already front and center.
Ensuring our nation’s veterans have access to the full range of eye care they need, when and where they need it, has long been a mission for optometry’s advocates. Now, a pair of Veterans Health Administration directives affecting optometry could have far-reaching consequences beyond the nation’s largest integrated health care network.
Access the AOA’s 2022 elections map to see how optometry’s candidates fared and where advocates can get involved to ensure the profession’s priorities remain heard.
Mississippi’s challenge of language recently inserted into Department of Veterans Affairs guidelines barring community doctors of optometry from providing so-called “invasive” eye procedures boosts veteran access to needed care.
An AOA-backed measure before Congress would temporarily increase Medicare physician fee schedule rates to offset some of the statutory cuts now threatening doctors’ pay.
Optometry’s advocates continue to emphasize that eligibility for debt relief programs should not exclude optometry and greater options should be available for debt forgiveness programs.
The second of two Medicare sequester cuts took effect July 1 with up to 2.75% of Medicare physicians’ pay affected in 2022. Even more significant cuts are scheduled in 2023 without Congressional action.
AOA-led effort builds Congressional support for the DOC Access Act, delivering in-person briefings for members of Congress and strong backing from the American Dental Association and national pro-patient groups.