Jan. 18, 2024 — The American Optometric Association (AOA) recently held a virtual town hall where more than 700 attendees discussed perceived abuses by the vision plan industry, received briefings on multiple advocacy initiatives, and participated in a survey regarding industry-wide concerns to shape advocacy planning in the year ahead.

The survey of optometrists revealed “an array of anti-patient, anti-doctor, and anti-competitive abuses by the vision plan industry that [respondents] view as a threat to practices and the delivery of quality eye health in America,” AOA shares. Additionally, the survey found “strong backing for AOA and affiliate efforts throughout 2023 to push for legislation in Washington, D.C., and state capitals to investigate and outlaw plan abuses.”

Here are some key takeaways from the survey:

• Ninety-three percent of respondents believe vision plan policies create barriers to delivering quality care, and 94% believe these policies do not support doctor-patient relationships.
• Of the most immediate reported plan-imposed burdens facing practices today, respondents cited valuation of care as the top concern (55%) followed by tying vision plan participation to medical plan participation (27%), lack of lab choice (9%), and being excluded from certain networks (7%).

To achieve reimbursement and coverage fairness, the AOA and its affiliates detailed their multipronged approach. The efforts include opposing attempts by the vision plan industry’s lobbying group to gain influence over state legislation; directly addressing doctor complaints against plan-imposed barriers to care; launching the Health and Vision Plan Action Report, a day-by-day advocacy tally on resolving doctor complaints about plan abuses and errors; forging additional alliances with other groups, like the ADA and Patients Rising, that support a crackdown on plan abuses; and working together with existing affiliates to update state laws.

For a detailed overview of the town hall, click here.