This members-only benefit offers something for everyone

Excerpted from page 20 of the Spring 2025 edition of AOA Focus 

Do you use up valuable practice hours stressing over insurance, finances and retirement? Wish you could focus more on patient care and less on administrative tasks? AOAExcel® aims to empower doctors of optometry with the professional tools they need, minus the hassle. 

In a Q&A with AOA Focus, Samuel Pierce, O.D., chair of the AOAExcel board, shares its mission to simplify the business side of practice. 

What is AOAExcel? 

AOAExcel is a member benefit of the AOA that provides doctors of optometry with the resources they need to practice with confidence. We provide many products and services, like malpractice insurance and payment processing, through our carefully vetted business partners. 

What is AOAExcel’s mission? 

AOAExcel’s mission is to make the lives of doctors of optometry easier and provide them with the tools they need to thrive and succeed. We do the research to make the business side of optometry simple so doctors can focus on doing what they enjoy most: patient care. 

What are the most popular benefits that AOAExcel provides to AOA members? 

One of our most popular benefits is the AOAExcel Career Center, where you can find helpful articles and lists as well as search for optometrist jobs across the country. Other benefits include malpractice insurance, term life/disability insurance, and retirement planning. 

What if an AOA member is not sure what benefits they might need? 

If you aren’t sure what you need, we provide access to expert advice completely free of charge. AOA members can submit their malpractice policies or payment processing contracts to be reviewed by experts in the field. We also provide one-on-one specialist consultations on retirement planning and student loan guidance. If you have questions or need help getting to the right place, the AOAExcel staff is always available to help connect you with the resources you need. You can contact AOAExcel directly. 

Does AOAExcel provide tools for employed doctors? 

Absolutely. AOAExcel provides many benefits that any AOA member can use whether you own a practice or not. Carrying a disability insurance policy or retirement plan can be beneficial no matter what environment you practice in. Another example would be if your employer provides malpractice insurance that does not cover the full range of your state’s scope of practice; AOA’s professional liability policies are guaranteed to cover you for practicing at the highest levels. 

How can an optometry student make use of the benefits that AOAExcel provides? 

It’s never too early to research the various tools you will need once you graduate, but the most useful benefit that AOAExcel provides to students is the Career Center. Students can research salary ranges and practice opportunities in their areas of interest, find experienced doctors to network with, and upload their résumé to the database for hiring managers to review when it comes time to search for a job. 

How have you seen AOAExcel benefit the profession of optometry? 

AOAExcel is committed to supporting AOA’s mission of advocacy. Every product, service or tool AOAExcel provides to make life easier for AOA members ultimately results in better care for patients. Every time an AOA member purchases a product or service from an AOAExcel-endorsed business partner, that member is also indirectly advocating for the profession and for the well-being of every patient that doctor sees.