AOA Unleashes Army of ODs and Students on Capitol Hill at Key Moment in Health Care Debate
March 16, 2010
AOA Federal Keyperson Audie Teague, O.D. and fellow members of the Arkansas delegation present Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.) with the 2010 AOA Health Care Leadership Award. Rep. Ross authored the AOA-backed patient access safeguard / provider non-discrimination amendment to the House health care reform bill that would prevent health insurers from gaining new ability to restrict patient access to optometric care.
As hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent by special interests seeking to influence the Washington, DC debate over national health care reform, the AOA has kept its focus on the profession’s historic strengths – grassroots advocacy leaders and a proven pro-patient access message. This month, nearly 400 ODs and students traveled to the nation’s capital to participate in the AOA Congressional Advocacy Conference and put this strategy into action at the most pivotal point in the year-long legislative process.
In the days leading up to the conference, AOA-backed patient access legislation and the hard-won, four-year $288 million Medicare pay hike for ODs faced renewed attacks by anti-optometry groups. Then, just as doctors and students were receiving their last-minute issue briefings, President Obama and his allies in Congress officially launched a final push for their plans for national health care reform. At the same time, work on Capitol Hill to block a massive 21% cut in Medicare reimbursement was stalling due to a dispute over procedure.
Immediate-Past AOA President Peter Kehoe, O.D. and Illinois College of Optometry President Arol Augsburger, O.D. present Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) with the 2010 AOA Health Care Leadership Award.
Instead of labeling their job as “Mission: Impossible X 3,” optometry’s grassroots leaders demostrated they were up to the challenge of spotlighting the profession’s priority issues and delivering a rapid response to the recent attacks on ODs. AOA delegations from every state held meetings across Capitol Hill and secured new support for the year-long effort to make provider non-discrimination safeguards a foundation of health care reform and AOA-backed bills now before Congress.
In the days since, Congress has approved an emergency 30-day Medicare physician payment fix negating any cut and is now on track to pass a further 7-month “patch,” supported by the AOA in the absence of consensus on long-term payment reform. AOA-backed amendments – including one sponsored by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) to establish a Federal patient access / provider non-discrimination law – remain under consideration as the health care reform endgame heads toward a final vote, possibly this week.
Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO) is presented with the 2010 AOA Health Care Leadership Award by leading Missouri optometrists and optometry students, including his AOA Federal Keyperson Tom Cullinane, O.D.
To support the work of Optometry’s grassroots army of concerned doctors and students and join the final push for the profession’s health care overhaul priorities, contact the AOA Washington office at ImpactWashingtonDC@aoa.org.
To view more conference photos or to add your own, please visit the AOA Advocacy Group Facebook Page – America’s Vision, Optometry’s Future – by clicking on: http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=8973357253
