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Get more from your membership: Expert billing & coding support at your fingertips
August 25, 2026
You asked. We listened. The AOA Billing & Coding Help Desk has been optimized to help doctors of optometry build stronger, more successful practices by making trusted coding expertise, support and resources easier to access than ever before.
Key Takeaways
- The AOA Billing & Coding Help Desk is an exclusive member benefit that helps doctors of optometry build stronger, more successful practices.
- The help desk provides expert guidance, trusted coding resources, reimbursement support and education.
- The AOA's volunteer doctor-developed expert guidance and resources can be accessed in one easy-to-use platform online.
- The AOA's direct plan advocacy, challenging problematic downcoding, large-scale coding and editing issues, and other payer impediments, has resulted in more than $12.5 million in reimbursement payments restored to doctors of optometry since 2023.
“AOA members rely on trusted billing and coding support to help navigate the everyday challenges of running a practice,” says Paul M. Barney, O.D., AOA secretary-treasurer.
That's where the AOA Billing & Coding Help Desk™ comes in. This exclusive member benefit helps doctors of optometry build stronger, more successful practices by making trusted coding expertise, reimbursement support and practical resources easier to access than ever before.
We know that AOA members are seeking support when it comes to billing and coding. The AOA's volunteer doctor-developed expert guidance and resources are now in one easy-to-use platform online, where doctors and their billing teams can find the information they need to operate more efficiently and confidently.
Dr. Barney adds: “By making AOA’s longstanding expertise, resources and reimbursement support easier to find and use, the Billing & Coding Help Desk helps members save time, address challenges with confidence and stay focused on their patients. It’s an important part of how the AOA continues to strengthen the value we deliver to members and their practices.”
Trusted guidance from expert peers
The AOA Billing & Coding Help Desk is powered by fellow doctors and experts on the AOA's Coding & Reimbursement Committee—who understand the challenges of running a practice.
"I initially got involved with billing and coding after opening my office and determining that I didn't really know, sitting in the exam lane, what I was actually getting paid for or how I was getting paid for it," says Brittney McWilliams, O.D., member of the AOA Coding & Reimbursement Committee.
"It can be very overwhelming trying to search and find answers, and to have just one place to go to means you don't have to reinvent the wheel every time. Every time I have a question, I can go here first. I can get an expert answer and not have to rely on Google or AI or any of the other things that can give us false answers." -Brittney McWilliams, O.D.
The AOA Coding & Reimbursement Committee supports the AOA’s strategic direction to develop and value procedural (CPT), diagnostic (ICD-10) and supply codes (HCPCS). The committee engages with federal agencies in the development of new codes. Committee members also serve as AOA representatives to the CPT and Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC) processes convened by the American Medical Association (AMA).
- Rebecca Wartman, O.D., committee chair, and Harvey Richman, O.D., represent the AOA on the AMA's CPT® Editorial Panel. Dr. Richman also serves on the CPT Assistant Editorial Board.
- Charles Fitzpatrick, O.D., and Brittney McWilliams, O.D., represent the AOA on the AMA RUC.
Through the guidance and expertise of these committee members, the AOA is afforded an opportunity to engage in both the development and the valuation of the CPT codes that doctors of optometry report. The committee provides education and training for AOA members regarding appropriate coding and the use of AOA Coding Today. The committee supports AOA’s "Ask the Coding Experts" email box, which is a key member benefit to gain access to answers to coding questions. The committee also oversees the annual development of the Codes for Optometry manual. Committee members engage with other AOA committees to address and meet evolving coding needs. The committee also monitors and addresses inaccurate coding guidance and work to ensure that AOA doctors have access to accurate and up to date coding information.
What the AOA Billing & Coding Help Desk offers
- Optometry Coding Guides Library. Download practical guides, documentation and resources to help your practice work more efficiently.
- AOA Coding Today. This comprehensive online database lets you search CPT, ICD-10 and HCPCS codes before submitting claims.
- Ask the Coding Experts. Ask a specific question of AOA's subject-matter experts in billing and coding and receive a personalized response.
- Coding education. Access on-demand billing and coding education in AOA's EyeLearn education platform and read columns written by the AOA's Coding Experts.
- Denials and reimbursement support. Experience a denial, downcoding or credentialing issue? Report your payer challenge directly to the AOA and leverage AOA intervention and support to get a timely resolution.
When payers push back, AOA pushes back—and doctors get paid
The AOA's direct plan advocacy, challenging problematic downcoding, large-scale coding and editing issues, and other payer impediments, has resulted in more than $12.5 million in reimbursement payments restored to doctors of optometry since 2023.
Along with time-intensive records requests, several other actions can create undue financial burdens on providers. Fielding unfair or automated denials by health payers costs $43.84 to fight a single denied claim. Although 97% of claims are eventually paid, providers spend $19.7 billion annually for the administrative labor to make that happen.
▶ Report issues immediately. If you are experiencing an issue, the likelihood is high that other providers are as well. The AOA Third Party Center Committee is ready to investigate and advocate on your behalf. Connect with the Third Party Center Committee.