Registration Opens for May 12 Virtual Advocacy Day

Academy members across the United States have an important opportunity to advocate for their practice and patients during the Academy’s first-ever virtual advocacy day, May 12.

Registration has closed.

This event replaces the Congressional Advocacy Day, which was canceled along with Mid-Year Forum 2020.

• If you would have attended Congressional Advocacy Day this month, the virtual event ensures you can still discuss your patients’ and the profession’s needs with your federal legislators.
• If you wouldn’t have attended, the virtual format makes it easier to share your story.

Legislative meetings are an important chance to demonstrate ophthalmologists’ — and all physicians’ — unique role in health care, as well as the business realities of operating a practice.

• Amid the widespread economic effects of shutdowns to contain the coronavirus pandemic, legislators may have more meeting requests than usual. 

Our virtual advocacy day will give you an opportunity to share how the COVID-19 outbreak has affected your practice and patients, how Medicare payments cuts scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2021 could impact your practice’s long-term recovery and how prior authorization requirements are impacting your ability to effectively treat your patients.

The Academy will schedule all meetings and provide training materials to prepare you for a successful call. Most meetings will likely take place by phone. However, if you’re familiar using Zoom or similar services, and your legislator wishes to use the same, we may try to schedule a video call.

For questions about the virtual advocacy day, contact Academy grassroots coordinator Dash Delan at ddelan@aao.org.