The American Academy of Ophthalmology issued the following statement in response to yesterday’s vote by the Senate to pass repeal of the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate. The statement is provided by David W. Parke II, M.D., CEO of the Academy.
"The repeal of the antiquated sustainable growth rate formula to determine Medicare physician payment is the outcome of several years of tireless advocacy work by the Academy, its members and other like-minded physician groups. I congratulate all who have been involved in advocating for this legislation. While not perfect, this bill is a meaningful step toward finally achieving stable funding to support continuity of care for a growing population of seniors who rely on long-term, ongoing treatment from their physicians of choice. Lawmakers put aside their party differences to listen and take action to address physicians' concerns. The nation’s eye physicians and surgeons are hopeful that our voices will continue to be heard by Washington in the future as we fight for further legislation to improve medical care for our patients.”
About the American Academy of Ophthalmology
The American Academy of Ophthalmology, headquartered in San Francisco, is the world's largest association of eye physicians and surgeons, serving more than 32,000 members worldwide. The Academy's mission is to advance the lifelong learning and professional interests of ophthalmologists to ensure that the public can obtain the best possible eye care. For more information, visit www.aao.org.
The Academy is also a leading provider of eye care information to the public. The Academy's EyeSmart® program educates the public about the importance of eye health and empowers them to preserve healthy vision. EyeSmart provides the most trusted and medically accurate information about eye diseases, conditions and injuries. OjosSanos™ is the Spanish-language version of the program. Visit www.geteyesmart.org or www.ojossanos.org to learn more.
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