Advocacy News

This session highlighted efforts to address disparities in eye care delivery and ophthalmology’s leading role in identifying novel solutions to these challenges.

We’re supporting physician candidates in several congressional races, including two with military service.

On May 1, both the Senate Committee on Finance and House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee held hearings in which they demanded answers from the UnitedHealth Group CEO on what caused the Feb. 21 cyberattack and requested clarification on the loan terms for affected practices.

The Federal Trade Commission released a final rule this week that essentially bans using noncompete agreements for wide segments of the U.S. economy, with implications for small to very large ophthalmic practices.

Advocacy efforts to protect eye care patients in Kansas and Nebraska paid off with optometric scope of practice expansion bills in both states failing to receive votes before the close of their sessions.

Hundreds of ophthalmologists met with members of Congress and their staff last week to build and strengthen the relationships crucial to the Academy’s advocacy efforts, while introducing a new generation of eye surgeons to the important work of engaging on behalf of their patients and profession.

Our joint comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services outlined our opposition to its proposal to pilot a new prior authorization requirement for ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) delivering certain Medicare Part B services.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee sent a detailed letter to UnitedHealth Group seeking answers on the Change Healthcare cyberattack, and the Health Subcommittee held a hearing on the strength of health sector cybersecurity this week.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services outlined its strategy intended to improve patient access to high-quality specialty care, aiming to have 100% traditional Medicare beneficiaries and nearly all Medicaid beneficiaries in accountable care relationships by 2030.

The legislation is part of the Academy’s push to enact “gold card” policies at the state level, to exempt high approval physicians from burdensome prior authorization requirements.