Advocacy News

National Eye Institute Director Michael F. Chiang, MD, visited the Academy’s D.C. office to outline the institute’s priorities and how to achieve our vision research funding goals amid tense budget negotiations in Congress.

The Senate has introduced its own version of an Academy-backed bill that would ban fees on electronic payments from health plans. Congress needs to hear from you.

When the state’s legislative session ended on March 9, a proposal to expand optometric surgery and a proposal to mandate costly pediatric eye exams died in the respective committees without a vote, thanks to the tireless work of the West Virginia Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons to connect with and educate state legislators.

The ophthalmologist and member of the U.S. House of Representatives kicked off the 2024 OPHTHPAC Speaker Series addressing several developing issues affecting healthcare and spoke to the impact Academy advocacy has on advancing ophthalmology's priorities at the federal level.    

In response to pleas from the physician community, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced plans to make advanced payments available for Part B providers and suppliers experiencing claims disruptions because of the Change Healthcare/Optum Payment Disruption issue.

The Academy worked closely with the Utah Ophthalmology Society to inform lawmakers of the risks associated with optometrists performing laser eye surgery without proper medical education and clinical training.

During a virtual roundtable hosted by the American Medical Association, the Academy raised concerns with adopting broad, single specialty MIPS Value Pathways and urged CMS to focus on specific conditions or episodes of care.

Congress has passed a partial government funding bill March 8 that includes policies to address cuts to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) that went into effect on Jan. 1.   

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has signed House Bill 1099, legislature that will expand optometry’s scope of practice to include laser and scalpel surgery.

As the nation gets swept up in the excitement of the March Madness college basketball tournament, we’re introducing a spirited competition of our own to rally states to support OPHTHPAC’s critical role of representing ophthalmology on Capitol Hill.