- North Dakota secures telemedicine provisions, ignites grassroots advocacy
- Why you should fight for scope expansion
- Committee spotlight: AOA’s State Government Relations Committee
- How Arkansas’ major VBM law delivers on calls to promote fairness, doctor-patient relationships
- Texas optometrists mount defense in court and legislature of landmark law on vision plan abuses
- The case for expanding scope of optometry
- In rural America, opportunity for optometry amid shortfall of ophthalmologists
- Destination: Scope expansion
- Double duty: Doctors of optometry bring their vision to state legislatures
- 'High value' strategy sessions prep states’ advocacy
- VBM abuses scrutinized by state policy think tank, U.S. Senate opens new investigation
- AOA, affiliates’ foundational advocacy work advancing optometry
- South Carolina judge overrules Visibly challenge to consumer protection law
- Oklahoma secures optometry’s latest win over vision plan abuses
- What kind of impact is optometry making on the nation’s eye health?
- ‘Profits over patients cannot continue’ with VBMs; Texas testifies at health insurance hearing
- Kentucky attorney general holds Warby Parker accountable for its online vision test
- New York assembly bill potentially sows division in health care
- California warily watches ‘not-a-doctor’ wording in Senate bill
- Latest: Texas defends landmark vision plan law
- West Virginia adds optometric surgical procedures
- Florida optometrists quash effort—again—to pass ‘not-a-doctor’ bill
- South Dakota secures scope expansion for injections, optometric laser procedures
- Affiliates, AOA preparing for fresh attacks on optometry: 'Not-a-doctor' bills are back
- Texas vision plan law, now in effect, sees favorable development in federal lawsuit
- Proposal in Utah would restrict contact lens patient choice, disrupt doctor-patient relationship
- Affiliates, AOA share forward-thinking strategies for optometry’s advocates
- Texas’ vision plan law takes effect, court challenge continues
- Doctors of optometry in New Hampshire earn authorization to provide vaccines to public
- New Texas law halts vision plans’ anti-competitive, monopolistic behaviors
- YAG procedures by doctors of optometry, after cataract surgery, better for patients’ care and convenience, AOA survey says
- Affiliates’ advocacy teams prepare to convene for meeting of the minds
- Doctors of optometry in Texas and Nevada build bulwark against vision plan abuses
- DeSantis decision delivers historic win for Florida optometrists and patients
- AOA and state affiliates rally to decry and defeat discriminatory ‘not-a-doctor’ bills
- Optometry’s scope wins draw new attacks from medical and ophthalmology groups
- Regional Advocacy Meetings prime states’ advocates for 2023 battles and beyond
- Hubble Contacts fined for deceptive trade practices in Texas
- Scope victory for Colorado
- Regional Advocacy Meetings strengthen states advocacy
- Virginia scope advancement
- 1-800 Contacts’ attempt to undermine law thwarted by Georgia doctors yet again
- MOA rebuff insurers reprisals against Mississippi eye care providers
- New York gains oral medication prescribing authority
- California amends optometry’s approved treatments, medications and testing
- Kansas Insurance Department puts vision plans on notice
- State advocates fighting to defend and advance our profession
- The scope of success
- State Advocacy Summit amplifies lessons from year of historic scope victories
- Texas scope expansion gains doctors oral meds, glaucoma authority
- Wyoming expands scope to include contemporary laser-excision procedures
- Mississippi scope progresses, other states seeing early successes
- 7 states authorize doctors of optometry for COVID-19 vaccinations
- Massachusetts scope win adds glaucoma authority
- Going further-expanding advocacy efforts and educational and professional development efforts
- Pennsylvania and Iowa earn big victories to expand scope of practice
- Optometry patients win in Arkansas as ballot challenge to expanded practice law is invalidated
- VSP policy change may violate states patient protection laws
- Court-appointed official deems signatures at heart of Arkansas scope saga invalid
- Arkansas scope saga necessitates urgent action
- Scope expansion to save Americans billions annually
- State Government Relations Center presenting at Republican Attorneys General Association
- Arkansas secures expanded scope of practice
- Maryland expands scope of practice
- AOA state affiliates blaze path for optometry’s future
- Optometry can contribute high-quality health care at affordable prices
- AOA president Driving change
- NJ Vision Plan Bill 2018
- Massachusetts seeks glaucoma care expansion
- Alaska-Georgia legislative victories
- South Carolina legislators override veto safeguard patients vision health
- Georgia Nebraska advance patient centered legislation
- Indiana navigates telehealth bill exempts ophthalmic devices
- FTC DOJ weigh in on Massachusetts glaucoma care expansion
- Arizona No on contact lens prescription extension
- Kentucky heralds third party triumph in new law
- State association challenges mobile refractive service
- Texas doctor successfully challenges Aetna’s policy on panels
- Proposed state legislation doesnt address patient safety
- AOA steps up fight against 1 800 Contacts anti patient legislation
- Louisiana Governor Jindal signs expanded scope of practice bill
How to build productive relationships with legislators
March 26, 2025
AOA members share how solid relationships made all the difference in their scope battles.
Tag(s): Advocacy, State Advocacy
Excerpted from page 16 of the Winter 2024 edition of AOA Focus.
Virginia has passed a laser bill that allows optometrists to perform YAG capsulotomy, SLT, and YAG PI, thanks to the leadership and members of the Virginia Optometric Association (VOA). But, despite the win, this is no time to get complacent, warns Lisa Gontarek, O.D., who was president of VOA when the bill was passed.
In fact, there is never a time to get complacent.
“You want to be ahead of the game,” Dr. Gontarek says. “In Virginia, the amazing staff in the VOA are monitoring legislation all the time, and they see exactly what’s being proposed and what may be something that would affect us. We’re finding out in early stages, so we can be proactive rather than reactive. And that all comes down to educating the legislators.”
For example, many states are now looking at so-called “not-a-doctor” bills that deny optometrists the right to call themselves doctors and/or physicians. However, the issues can crop up at the federal level as well as the local. The only way to fight this overreach is to be organized and stay connected to legislators at all levels, adds Dr. Gontarek.
Making connections with legislators is key
A big part of effecting change is having those relationships with legislative leadership. The Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians (OAOP) was key in getting passed one of the most comprehensive and enforceable vision plan regulation bills in the country. It was the group’s relationships with legislators that made it happen.
“The legislation passed the House and the Senate, but the governor vetoed the bill,” says Jeff Edwards, O.D., OAOP president. “However, because of our relationships with leadership, we were able to get that veto overridden within 48 hours.”
5 ways to connect with legislators
1) Start early!
“Our younger optometrists are less aware of these battles that we’ve been through and the necessity for these relationships. They are able to practice optometry to the fullest because of things that have happened in the past; they may not know what it means to establish those relationships,” explains Dr. Edwards.
To that end, the OAOP has a leadership optometry program that educates young optometrists on this process. “We host a reception for first-year optometry students to start that process of educating them on the importance of our association,” Dr. Edwards says. “They may not be aware of how much of what they can do now is due to the advocacy of previous generations of optometrists.”
2) Mentor new optometrists
The OAOP leadership also mentors new optometrists by taking them along when they visit the Capitol. They introduce new recruits to legislators and show them how it’s done.
3) Reach out before there is an issue
You want to have your relationships in place before there is a problem. Even if there is nothing to fight or promote, connect with legislators to cement a relationship—you never know when you will need it. From a grassroots perspective, every optometrist should introduce themselves to their local and federal legislators and invite them into the office. “I say, ‘Come by the office, we’ll show you the equipment and the techniques we use,’” says Ken Lawson, O.D., Florida Optometric Association legislative chair.
Dr. Edwards adds that it is also important to go where the legislators are. “They typically will go to town hall or Chamber of Commerce meetings, or speak at the Lions Club, things like that. It is important that you be there and make yourself known. Give them a card, let them know who you are, and that gives you an opportunity to invite them to your office.”
4) Donate and fundraise
Most state-level optometrist groups have a political action committee to donate money to legislators’ campaigns. Many individual optometrists donate as well. “We have a process by which we meet with candidates to discuss issues,” Dr. Lawson says.
5) Be part of a powerful advocacy network
“What this all boils down to is the importance of membership,” Dr. Gontarek says. “Being a member of your local, state and national organization is really the only way that you can stay truly informed about what’s happening and know what you can do to help continue to move the profession forward.”
The AOA provides access to optometric-specific tools and resources to inform policymakers, health care professionals, patients and the public. Find research-based materials to assist with scope expansion legislation.
Save the date!
If AOA state affiliates are interested in elevating advocacy in their states, save these dates for the AOA State Government Relations Center (SGRC) Regional Advocacy Meetings in 2025.
Aug 15-16 in Chicago, Illinois
Oct. 24-25 in Phoenix, Arizona
Registration will open soon, and additional details will come.