Advocacy News

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.

Regional Medicare administrators CGS, NGS, Noridian, Palmetto, and WPS today proposed new MIGS coverage policies, which build upon last year’s intense advocacy campaign for patient access The Academy is working with AGS, ASCRS, and OOSS to ensure that Ophthalmology’s perspective is reflected in the final policies.

Regional Medicare administrators CGS, NGS, Noridian, Palmetto, and WPS today proposed new coverage policies for medical Botox injections, including injections for treatment of blepharospasm, strabismus, and hemifacial spasm. We are deeply concerned about the proposal to put impractical dosing guidelines on treating blepharospasm with Botox. The Academy is working with ASOPRS and NANOS to ensure patient access to medically necessary treatments.

The Academy’s clinical data registry again helped our profession deliver quality care and avoid payment penalties.

Advocacy efforts in Minnesota and Missouri to protect patient safety were successful at blocking optometric scope of practice expansion bills from becoming law. These states represent ophthalmology's seventh and eighth wins for patient safety this year.

After hearing from members that they continue to face challenges from the Change Healthcare cyber-attack, the Academy wrote to UnitedHealth Group again this week urging ongoing and expanded support for physician practices.

For the third time in five years, the Vermont Ophthalmological Society, with support from the Academy, defeated a bill that would have granted surgical authority to optometrists. This is the sixth time this year that ophthalmology has successfully defended patient safety and maintained high quality standards for surgical eye care.

Practices facing difficulties meeting MIPS program requirements due to circumstances outside of their control, such as the Change Healthcare cyberattack, can now apply for a hardship exception for 2024.

The Academy supports the Early Detection of Vision Impairments for Children (EDVI) Act of 2024, a bipartisan initiative that would create the first federally funded program to address children’s vision and eye health. Urge your representative to support this critical legislation today.

The Academy is amplifying efforts to promote innovative treatments for amblyopia by urging insurers to cover the use of digital binocular therapy devices.