AOA cites EyeMed as a barrier to care and demands changes

This week, the AOA Board of Trustees sent a letter to EyeMed, calling for the company to change course and join a “solutions-focused dialog” around the vision benefit middleman’s (VBM) harmful impact on patients and practices, as well as a detailed list of anti-patient, anti-doctor tactics that have been reported. 

“It is deeply regrettable that EyeMed has chosen to put itself on a path toward being recognized nationwide as a significant and growing barrier to the delivery of essential health and vision care services,” the letter states. “We call on all responsible leaders connected to the company to change course and commit to a solutions-focused dialog.”  

Letter summarizes anti-patient, anti-doctor tactics 

Following months-long refusals to follow up on replies and commitments made by EyeMed, as well as 40% of doctors reporting their view of EyeMed as the most significant barrier to providing high-quality patient care, the letter outlines in detail several areas of immediate concern. They include: 

• A campaign of devaluation of eye health and vision benefits and beneficiaries. 
• Unjustified “clawbacks” targeting small and mid-sized independent practices.  
• Involvement in defamatory attacks on the profession and practice of optometry. 
• Misrepresentations concerning optometry’s public standing and role in health care. 
• Shifting explanations of compliance/noncompliance regarding state laws.  
• A rejectionist approach to contracting transparency basics. 
• Seeming indifference to address patient and doctor complaints escalated by the AOA—specifically eligibility clawbacks, tying of participation and streamlining refraction-only claims. 
• A near daily accumulation of acts of bad faith vis a vis the AOA regarding matters of public policy, as well as steady reports to the AOA of complaints about EyeMed actions from both patients and doctors. 
• An unprecedented legal and lobbyist warfare targeting state associations, state association leaders and activists and the AOA.    

“These are troubling matters,” the letter adds. “They are considered reflective of a disregard for the public and patients and an entire community of dedicated doctors and independent health care practices.”

According to the AOA Board, “Months-long refusals to follow-up on replies and commitments made, as well as increasingly harsh and belligerent rhetoric from company officials, including regarding internal perceptions of 'wins and losses,' are not acceptable.”

AOA multi-pronged approach to vision plan and VBM reforms  

Even before the letter, the AOA’s VBM advocacy had reached a critical mass. The AOA is championing VBM reforms through:   

1. Federal legislation. The AOA supports both H.R. 1521, the Dental and Optometric Care (DOC) Access Act, as well as S. 1716, the Vision Lab Choice Act. Both bills look to outlaw VBMs’ controlling, care-limiting policies.   
2. Federal investigations. No fewer than three Congressional investigations into VBMs, their policies and market actions have been launched by the U.S. House Oversight Committee, House Energy & Commerce Committee and U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee.   
3. Direct plan advocacy. Doctors can email stopplanabuses@aoa.org with a health or vision plan challenge, and the AOA will help fight on their behalf. This direct advocacy has already had an effect, driving over $7.5 million back into optometry practices. Additionally, the AOA offers resources to empower doctors in these issues, including responding to automatic downcoding programs.   
     
   Access the 2025 AOA VBM Abuses Fact Sheet to see the latest information on these efforts.