Advocacy News

The Academy is opposing the Department of Veterans Affairs recently modified eye care guidelines for treatment at community care facilities, which will jeopardize patient safety by allowing optometrists in certain states to perform some surgical procedures.

In a major victory for patient safety, California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed optometrists to perform complex eye surgeries with little to no training.

Several of the Academy’s congressional champions and Visionary Award winners want you to tell them how Congress can protect physician payments.

In a 50-plus-page letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator, we urged the agency to engage with Congress to ensure appropriate physician reimbursement and reform of the Medicare payment system.

We raised concerns about how these delays in treatment exacerbate health care disparities.

The Academy will raise scope concerns over CMS’ plan to create a combined new ophthalmology and optometry specialty set under the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System, a concept the agency unveiled in its 2023 proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.    

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed rule for Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System includes a 2.7% payment boost for 2023.  

Member stories powered the Academy’s successful advocacy against prior authorization.    

The Academy is urgently meeting with Humana regarding the insurer’s newly announced policy to require prior authorization for Medicare Advantage members in Georgia for cataract procedures.

Aetna has announced that starting July 1 it will stop requiring prior authorization for most cataract surgeries.