Advocacy News

Georgia House lawmakers passed a nonbinding resolution urging the state’s Departments of Education and Public Health to work together to establish vision and hearing screening programs for school-aged children.

There are more scope bills being considered than ever before, many allowing optometrists to perform surgery after a mere 32-hour training course.  

We acted following member reports of claim denials for dual administration of geographic atrophy and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs.

CMS signaled a willingness to review the request in its Nov. 12 meeting with the Academy and the American Society of Retina Specialists.

The Academy urged large commercial insurers and Medicare Advantage plans to suspend anti-VEGF step therapy requirements in response to Pine Pharmaceuticals discontinuation of repackaged Avastin (bevacizumab).

The Academy is engaging with alternative suppliers and pushing CMS to intervene on Medicare Advantage plan step therapy requirements for Avastin. 

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.

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.

Companion legislation introduced in the state’s House and Senate would allow optometrists to perform a variety of surgeries and grant the Kansas State Board of Examiners in Optometry power to add more procedures in the future.

The Utah legislature is seeking to expand optometric scope to include two laser surgeries, YAG capsulotomy and selective laser trabeculoplasty, in a bill introduced in the state Senate on Feb. 7.