(PRESS RELEASE) The AOA will continue to advocate for priorities that advance the profession of optometry and preserve the doctor-patient relationship.
Dear colleagues,
Independent doctors and small- to mid-sized health care practices deliver essential care and make our communities healthier every day. Despite this, we too often see—and have to work to defeat—proposals in Washington, D.C., to impose costly new burdens that threaten practices and quality care.
Today’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) public announcement marks the beginning of the government’s once-per-decade update of regulations connected to eye health and vision care. Already, the AOA’s concerns—we have been active on this for months—about harmful new mandates involving pupillary distance, prescription verification and duplicative paperwork have been accepted. These important wins must now be held. At the same time, we immediately see that the agency needs to hear more from our profession about our compliance with prescription release requirements.
Together, with our affiliates and in close consultation with our supporters on Capitol Hill and federal health agencies, the AOA will ensure that doctors of optometry and our patients continue to be listened to and heeded. Stay tuned to aoa.org for updates on our efforts and contact president@aoa.org to join our advocacy movement.
Sincerely,
Robert C. Layman, O.D.
President, American Optometric Association
Ronald L. Benner, O.D.
President-Elect, American Optometric Association
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