AOA Rallies on Capitol Hill for Expanded Eyecare Access, Patient Protections

WASHINGTON, D.C.—More than 375 of optometry’s advocates assembled in Washington, D.C., this month from March 15-17 to advance the American Optometric Association's (AOA) federal priorities with national health policy leaders as part of AOA on Capitol Hill – AOA Federal Keyperson Summit, the group announced. The newly envisioned meeting utilized the capacity of AOA’s 500-strong Federal Keyperson Program, whose aim is to have at least one key person, a volunteer, assigned to every member of Congress. Through policy sessions with Capitol Hill leaders, doctors of optometry were briefed on priority issues such as Vision Benefit Middlemen (VBM) reform, meeting veterans’ needs for care, Medicare Advantage pay and patient access reforms, and making the contact lens prescription verification process simpler and safer for patients.