'High value' strategy sessions prep states’ advocacy
Consecutive years of hard-fought legislative battles provide all-new lessons for the hundreds of optometry’s advocates examining their statehouse ground games for 2025 and beyond.
The AOA State Government Relations Center (SGRC) Regional Advocacy Meetings convened optometry’s leaders, grassroots advocates and volunteers from 43 affiliates across three workshop-style events, August through October. Designed to share firsthand experiences and lessons from advocates’ recent statehouse battles, the meetings are an opportunity to collaborate and strategize in a 1 ½-day format that was equal parts advocacy primer as it was frontline intel briefing for states’ advocacy initiatives.
“After concluding a third year of SGRC Regional Advocacy Meetings, it amazes me how different the content and interactions are due to this diverse group of panelists and attendees with each event,” remarks Jon Pederson, O.D., AOA SGRC co-chair.
“These meetings are high-value content for groups interested in scope expansion, VBM abuses or concerns about ‘not-a-doctor' bills,” he adds.
Whether a seasoned advocate or new volunteer leader, attendees of the Regional Advocacy Meetings were presented with informational and strategy sessions that helped affiliates outline their own roadmaps to legislative success. In fact, 98% of attendees found the meetings valuable enough to recommend to their colleagues or other advocacy volunteers with panel topics, including:
- What is in your vision plan?
- Deep dive into the AOA’s Future Practice Initiative
- Surviving and advancing
- Defending and protecting your title
Among the presenters of the former panel discussion, Amanda Dellinger, O.D., Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians legislative chair and SGRC member, says she has come full circle with her experience at Regional Advocacy Meetings, having first participated in a 2023 meeting purely as an attendee. In August, Dr. Dellinger presented at the Eastern Regional Advocacy Meeting, discussing her committee’s experience challenging “not-a-doctor" legislation targeting optometry and other professions during the 2024 Tennessee General Assembly.
“These meetings are a great place to share strategies, swap best practices with other states and really build a sense of unity,” Dr. Dellinger says. “States’ advocacy teams have responded so positively, too, appreciating the chance to collaborate and learn from each other. These meetings also give us a space to tackle challenges together and brainstorm creative solutions, which I think has been so important in our collective efforts in advancing optometry’s scope of practice across the country.”
What do attendees say about the SGRC Regional Advocacy Meetings?
- “I left the SGRC meeting more fired up than ever about how to continue our amazing position as optometrists to help our patients. I am really optimistic about our profession’s future.” -Lee Dodge, O.D., Western Regional Advocacy Meeting attendee
- “Every time I attend an SGRC meeting, I leave inspired and motivated. Optometry has so many exceptional people fighting for our profession and our patients. It’s an honor to be able to learn from them and stand up to fight along with them.” -Clint Taylor, Central Regional Advocacy Meeting attendee
- “Excellent meeting. Underscores the importance of and provides the roadmap for individuals to contribute to the health and success of our profession.” -Rich Castillo, O.D., D.O., Eastern Regional Advocacy Meeting attendee
The 2024 regional advocacy meetings were supported by Johnson & Johnson, The Health Care Alliance for Patient Safety, Lumenis and Sight Sciences.
AOA, affiliate collaboration advancing optometry
Every day, optometry’s advocates work to bolster their communities’ access to the full-scope, eye health and vision care services that doctors of optometry are trained, educated and certified to provide—and the AOA stands ready to help.
The AOA Future Practice Initiative, launched in 2018, is an operational partnership alongside affiliates that helps leverage advocacy strengths and challenges historic impediments to optometric care.
In looking back on 2024, affiliates’ advocacy has demonstrated marked successes, ranging from scope of practice advancements to countering VBM abuses. Check out the AOA’s state advocacy reading list from this past year:
- South Carolina judge overrules Visibly challenge to consumer protection law
The 8-year legal saga to protect South Carolinians’ eye health from substandard vision tests marked a favorable development as optometry’s advocates convened at Optometry’s Meeting.
- Oklahoma secures optometry’s latest win over vision plan abuses
A new law in Oklahoma provides a check on abuses by dominant prepaid vision plans (vision benefit managers). Patients and doctors of optometry win.
- ‘Profits over patients cannot continue’ with VBMs; Texas testifies at health insurance hearing
As Texas defends its landmark law curbing vision benefit managers (VBMs), doctors of optometry testify at a hearing on the state’s health insurance market.
- Kentucky attorney general holds Warby Parker accountable for its online vision test
Enduring advocacy by the Kentucky Optometric Association regarding retailer’s online eye test shows results as its state attorney general reaches settlement with Warby Parker that results in a fine announced May 10.
- New York assembly bill potentially sows division in health care
Focus should be on collective care and not burdening doctors of optometry who are providing patients with the benefit of their advanced education, training and care. Organized medicine has opposed the growing scope authority of optometrists around the country and the bill echoes recent efforts to stymie optometry’s effort to provide greater access to care by patients
- California warily watches ‘not-a-doctor' wording in Senate bill
A recently amended California bill tackles who can and can’t be called a doctor in California. The California Optometric Association is on top of the issue, making sure the exclusionary wording does not apply to the state’s doctors of optometry. Not-a-doctor legislation emerged in several states last year, each effort defeated by optometry.
- West Virginia adds optometric surgical procedures
The state board’s legislative rule change, approved by the governor and effective immediately, expands Mountain State doctors’ scope of practice to include eyelid procedures.
- Florida optometrists quash effort—again—to pass ‘not-a-doctor' bill
“Not-a-doctor” bills have resurfaced again during this legislative session, after state affiliates and the AOA defeated similar pushes across the country in 2023. In Florida, on the last day of the legislative session, a bill there to limit the use of specific medical titles failed.
- South Dakota secures scope expansion for injections, optometric laser procedures
South Dakota’s scope victory makes it the twelfth state in the nation to authorize doctors of optometry for ophthalmic lasers, bolstering patients’ access to this level of care.
- Proposal in Utah would restrict contact lens patient choice, disrupt doctor-patient relationship
State legislator authors misguided plan to block contact lens sales by doctors.
VBM abuses scrutinized by state policy think tank, U.S. Senate opens new investigation
The AOA and affiliates’ multi-pronged approach to achieving coverage and reimbursement fairness builds momentum with state legislators’ forums, while the newest Senate investigation brings the total number of federal VBM probes to three.
AOA, affiliates’ foundational advocacy work advancing optometry
States’ advocacy teams will convene across three regional advocacy meetings in the coming months to work toward advancing optometric care in their communities. See what’s on their agenda.
South Carolina judge overrules Visibly challenge to consumer protection law
The 8-year legal saga to protect South Carolinians’ eye health from substandard vision tests marked a favorable development as optometry’s advocates convened at Optometry’s Meeting®.