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- New study adds to growing body of evidence supporting contemporized optometric scope
- AOA expands the Future Practice Initiative to support priority legislative pursuits
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- Louisiana unanimously approves comprehensive VBM regulations
- Virginia expands access to patient care with new dispensing law
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- Regional Advocacy Meetings prime states’ advocates for 2023 battles and beyond
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- Scope victory for Colorado
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- Virginia scope advancement
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- New York gains oral medication prescribing authority
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- Kansas Insurance Department puts vision plans on notice
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- Going further-expanding advocacy efforts and educational and professional development efforts
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- Optometry patients win in Arkansas as ballot challenge to expanded practice law is invalidated
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- Scope expansion to save Americans billions annually
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- Kentucky heralds third party triumph in new law
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- Texas doctor successfully challenges Aetna’s policy on panels
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- Louisiana Governor Jindal signs expanded scope of practice bill
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New California law creates first-ever benchmarks for Medicaid vision care
New California law creates first-ever benchmarks for Medicaid vision care
September 30, 2026
The new law was inspired by an optometry-commissioned report that found more than 4 million children without vision services.
Tag(s): Advocacy, State Advocacy
Key Takeaways
- A report commissioned by the California Optometric Association (COA) found that only 16% of school-age children on the state’s Medicaid plan received any vision services over a two-year period.
- The startling finding was then reported by the Los Angeles Times, whose coverage helped elevate the issue and created momentum for legislative action.
- In response, the “Strengthening Medi-Cal Vision Services Act” requires the state to develop evidence-based utilization benchmarks for eye care.
- Rather than push for a child eye exam mandate that would put the onus on parents, the COA sought legislation requiring the state to measure the problem, report the data and establish benchmarks for vision-care utilization in Medi-Cal.
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