U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to Recognize Optometrists at Physician-Level Pay Table

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published new regulations last week that will include doctors of optometry in the VA’s physician-level pay table, a change the American Optometric Association (AOA) said places them alongside physicians, dentists and podiatrists, in a “major win for the profession.” The Federal Register notice, posted on October 24, said the change will take effect on December 28, 2025. The association said it implements a provision of Senator Elizabeth Dole’s 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law January 2, granting the VA greater flexibility to offer higher pay awards, bonuses and annual evaluations.