Advocacy News

We underscored our opposition to the new requirements in the finalized Eyeglass Rule and urged the commission to extend the implementation deadline to Jan. 1, 2025.

Although the Federal Trade Commission did not scrap the proposal, Academy advocacy resulted in meaningful flexibility for meeting new requirements.

Eligible clinicians can preview their 2023 Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) final performance scores now that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has opened them for review. Final scores determine clinicians’ 2025 payment adjustments.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a final rule which includes a significant penalty on Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) for providers found to knowingly commit information blocking.

Pediatric ophthalmologists working in medically underserved areas with student loan debts have until July 9 to apply for loan relief through the Health Resource and Services Administration Pediatric Specialty Loan Repayment Program, which provides up to $100,000 in assistance. 

Academy member physicians presented coverage recommendations this week to medical directors for the CGS, NGS, and Palmetto Medicare jurisdictions for both minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) and medical botulinum toxin injections.

Responding to the Senate Finance committee’s ideas for reforming how physicians are paid by Medicare, the Academy offered detailed solutions that would both improve physician payment and protect patient access to specialty care medicine.

Granite State ophthalmologists stayed engaged to successfully defend patient safety from relentless efforts to pass an aggressive bill that would have made New Hampshire the first New England state authorizing optometrists to perform eye surgery, making it the ninth state this year to deliver a win for safe eye surgery.

Urge your legislators to cosponsor and pass the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act today.

Blurb: Regional Medicare contractor WPS released a new draft policy for cataract procedure alongside last week’s proposals for MIGS coverage. The Academy is working with ASCRS to ensure that ophthalmologists’ perspective is reflected in the final policy.