(PRESS RELEASE) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nearly 600 doctors of optometry, optometry students, and affiliate leaders from across the country convened in Washington, D.C., this week for AOA on Capitol Hill 2025, the American Optometric Association’s (AOA) largest annual advocacy event. Together, they delivered a clear, unified message to federal policymakers: protect Americans’ access to essential eye health and vision care.
This three-day fly-in serves as a powerful reminder of the AOA’s leadership in federal advocacy, directly connecting optometry’s frontline providers with members of Congress to advance critical eye health priorities. During more than 280 in-person meetings with lawmakers and congressional staff, AOA advocates pushed for action on key legislation including the Dental and Optometric Care (DOC) Access Act and the Vision Lab Choice Act, to stop harmful vision benefit manager (VBM) practices that drive up costs, limit patient choice, and disrupt the doctor-patient relationship. Advocates also urged Congress to permanently fix Medicare’s broken reimbursement formula, strengthen access to vision care for veterans, and modernize federal safety standards for contact lens sales.
“This week, optometry’s voice was heard loud and clear in Washington,” said AOA President Jacquie M. Bowen, O.D. “Backed by the unmatched passion of nearly 600 advocates—including more than 230 optometry students representing every school and college—we made it clear that abusive middlemen policies, Medicare underpayment, and barriers to veterans’ care cannot be ignored any longer.”
Elevating Optometry’s Voice in Washington
AOA’s advocacy extended to the White House, where Dr. Bowen, alongside AOA leadership, met with senior presidential staff to emphasize the profession’s essential role in America’s health care system and the urgent need to eliminate barriers that limit patient access to comprehensive eye care services.
AOA also recognized champions of patient care, honoring Members of Congress, veterans’ advocates, and national consumer leaders with the 2025 AOA Health Care Leadership Awards for their efforts to preserve and expand access to quality vision care.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Advocates
A record-setting student turnout this year demonstrated the rising energy and commitment among future leaders of the profession. “By being here in Washington, we’re proactive in shaping the future of our profession and our patients’ care,” said James Chung, president of the American Optometric Student Association (AOSA).
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Driving Policy Change at a Pivotal Moment
This year’s event comes at a critical time, as lawmakers increase scrutiny of middleman-dominated health care markets. With bipartisan momentum building around reforms to pharmacy and vision benefit managers, the AOA’s strong presence helped reinforce congressional support for meaningful, pro-patient policy solutions.
“From Capitol Hill to the White House, we advanced a clear, pro-patient agenda that will deliver lasting results for Americans’ eye health,” Dr. Bowen said. “Our profession’s advocates proved that when we stand together, we are a force for real change.”
The AOA extends its gratitude to the 2025 advocacy partners, including CooperVision, Vision Source, InMode, the Health Care Alliance for Patient Safety, Barti, and Vision HQ, for their generous support of this year’s AOA on Capitol Hill.
