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Advocacy News

News and views on the regulatory, legislative, and political issues impacting ophthalmology in Washington, D.C., and around the United States

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New Hampshire State House
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Featured News

For the third straight year, New Hampshire ophthalmologists have successfully defended safe eye surgery.

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Advocacy Issues
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March 12, 2025
House Moves Funding Bill, Punts on Medicare Pay Fix
The chances of a Medicare fix in the funding bill are dimming, but the Academy and physicians in Congress will continue to push for an urgent solution.
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March 9, 2025
Act Now: Tell Lawmakers Not to Punt on Physician Payment

The House of Representatives plans to vote on legislation that would fund the government for the rest of 2025 but ignores the Medicare cuts that took effect on Jan. 1.

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Members of the Academy Health Policy Committee sit at a conference table
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March 5, 2025
Academy Health Policy Committee Sets Strategy for 2025 Key Advocacy Priorities

The Academy’s Health Policy Committee consulted with Academy staff on many of the top advocacy issues arising from the January 2025 Federal Secretariat meeting.

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February 26, 2025
Veterans Groups Urge Congress to Maintain Current VA Eye Surgery Standards
The heads of national veterans service organizations urged congressional action to protect veterans from unsafe surgical policies in two hearings this week.
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February 26, 2025
Academy Pushes Against Humana Downcoding Higher-Level Claims
Responding to members’ request for assistance, the Academy is fighting policies that assign lower reimbursement for certain high-level services.
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February 19, 2025
Academy, ASRS Fight Dual Administration Claim Denials
We acted following member reports of claim denials for dual administration of geographic atrophy and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs.
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February 19, 2025
Our Role in Protecting Safe Surgery 
It starts with making connections. Our new Surgical Scope Fund Committee Chair K. David Epley, MD, calls on every ophthalmologist to introduce themselves to their state lawmakers.
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February 12, 2025
Ophthalmologists Are Defending Laser Surgery in New Mexico
Stay updated with the latest information on threats to safe eye surgery in New Mexico. All New Mexico ophthalmologists are urged to contact your state representative using the Academy’s grassroots system.
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Advocacy
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February 10, 2025
Stronger Together

Lee Snyder, MD, discusses her time chairing the Academy's Surgical Scope Fund Committee and why all ophthalmologists should support the fund's campaign to protect surgery by surgeons.

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February 5, 2025
Automatic MIPS Exceptions for Practices Affected by California Wildfires

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will apply the automatic extreme and uncontrollable circumstances (EUC) policy to eligible physicians in Federal Emergency Management Agency-designated counties in California.