Advocacy News

In response to pleas from the physician community, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced plans to make advanced payments available for Part B providers and suppliers experiencing claims disruptions because of the Change Healthcare/Optum Payment Disruption issue.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has signed House Bill 1099, legislature that will expand optometry’s scope of practice to include laser and scalpel surgery.

The Academy worked closely with the Utah Ophthalmology Society to inform lawmakers of the risks associated with optometrists performing laser eye surgery without proper medical education and clinical training.

During a virtual roundtable hosted by the American Medical Association, the Academy raised concerns with adopting broad, single specialty MIPS Value Pathways and urged CMS to focus on specific conditions or episodes of care.

Congress has passed a partial government funding bill March 8 that includes policies to address cuts to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) that went into effect on Jan. 1.   

As the nation gets swept up in the excitement of the March Madness college basketball tournament, we’re introducing a spirited competition of our own to rally states to support OPHTHPAC’s critical role of representing ophthalmology on Capitol Hill.

The Academy has focused on reducing drug waste and promoting patient and physician access to ophthalmic drugs.

Humana now offers separate reimbursement for diagnostic testing for ocular surface diseases following written comments from the Academy in late 2023.

The agency seeks stakeholder feedback on a proposal to implement prior authorization in ambulatory surgical centers for five procedures in 10 states. The Academy will forcefully object to this policy in our written comments.

In a letter to Secretary Denis McDonough, the Academy and 29 other physician groups called out inconsistencies in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ development of national standards of practice and urged more transparency and physician involvement in the process.