News from the AOA's Blog

AOA Fully Engaged Throughout Congress’s Extended “Lame Duck” Session

The AOA – through the efforts of affiliate leaders and staff, Federal Keypersons, AOA-PAC and the Washington Office team – has been active on Capitol Hill during Congress’s post-election “lame duck” session , which stretched from mid-November until just before Christmas Eve.

As the departing 111th Congress was putting its final imprint on a number of health care policy, tax and other issues, Optometry’s message was being delivered directly to the offices of U.S. Senators, House members and Obama administration officials right until the moment the final gavel came down. Here are some key results:

 1-year, $19 billion Medicare Physician Payment Fix – The AOA helped lead a national coalition of physician and patient groups that successfully convinced Congress and the Obama administration to block massive cuts in Medicare payments that were due to begin in December and continue into the new year. Although the AOA is backing long-term Medicare physician payment reform, the one-year extension of existing payment levels, which will run through December 31, 2011, provides immediate stability to the system following a year in which Congress and the President could only come up with six separate short-term payment “patches.”

Permanent Exemption from Burdensome Red Flags Rule – At the urging of AOA and others, Congress gave final approval to a measure that exempts specific businesses – including optometry practices – from having to comply with the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) burdensome Red Flags Rule. Under the legislation, the Red Flags Rule will now only apply to businesses that engage in one of three practices: 1) using credit reports in the ordinary course of business; 2) furnishing information to credit reporting companies; or 3) loaning money. In taking steps to implement the 2003 legislation which created the Red Flags Rule, the FTC wrongly classified health professionals, including optometrists, as “creditors” and sought to apply its requirements to their practices. The AOA protested this action, helped secure four administrative enforcement delays stretching for more than two years and built support on Capitol Hill for a permanent legislative fix that included optometrists.

Safeguarding Direct Access to Comprehensive Eye Exams – After helping to ensure that Congress and the President officially designated children’s vision as an “essential health benefit” earlier in the year, the AOA stood up to special interests who wanted to use the lame duck session to fast-track legislation aimed at promoting unproven vision screenings over expanded direct access to comprehensive eye exams. In the end, two separate pro-screening schemes were uncovered and stopped cold on Capitol Hill as the AOA continues to be the lead national organization urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services make an annual comprehensive eye exam and follow-up care the foundation of the new healthy vision benefit for America’s children that’s due to take effect in 2014

Medicine-backed Sullivan Bill Defeated For 3rd Time – Late in the session, with the support of the AMA and other medical groups, Rep. John Sullivan of Oklahoma re-introduced a bill he’s named “the Health Care Truth and Transparency Act,” which was designated HR 5295. HR 5295 seeks to give the Federal government new powers to single out ODs and certain other health professionals and assert control over critical aspects of how they can practice and provide patient care. Once again however, the bill’s flawed approach was exposed and it did not advance in Congress. Since the first version was introduced in 2006, Rep. Sullivan’s bills have been linked to the AMA’s Scope of Practice Partnership, a national public relations campaign that has targeted optometry and sought to roll back patient choice and other access to care laws. It is unclear whether Rep. Sullivan, who was re-elected, will offer the measure for a fourth time when the new Congress meets in January.

Bi-Partisan Tax Bill Approved

The President and bi-partisan majorities in the Senate and House also came together on an $858 billion tax package that extends the so called “Bush tax cuts,” cuts payroll taxes, creates business investment incentives and adjusts eligibility for unemployment benefits. Here’s a summary of key provisions:

Extension of the 2001/2003 Income-Tax Rates – The legislation resolves a months-long impasse in Washington, DC over tax rates by extending the 2001/2003 income tax rates for two years and reforming the Alternative Minimum Tax.

Payroll Tax Break for Workers – The measure includes a nearly 2 percent, employee-side payroll tax cut for over 155 million workers – providing tax relief of $112 billion next year. This provision seeks to increase take-home pay for workers and is projected to boost economic activity.

100 Percent Expensing for Businesses – In what is being called the largest temporary investment incentive in American history, the bill includes a provision to temporarily allow businesses to expense all of their investments in 2011.

The White House has posted an overview of the full legislation at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/101210-tax-relief.pdf.

The Internal Revenue Service has also released instructions to help employers implement the 2011 cut in payroll taxes, which can be found at: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=232590,00.html.

Dr. John Boozman to Take U.S. Senate Oath on January 5th

One longtime AOA member has been in the spotlight a great deal in Washington, DC throughout the Congressional lame duck session as he moves his office from one side of the U.S. Capitol to the other.

On January 5th, the day the new 112th Congress meets for the first time, John Boozman, O.D. (R-AR) will officially take his years of training and experience as a private practice optometrist and highly respected record of accomplishment in the U.S. House over the last decade to the United States Senate, where he will become the first O.D. ever to serve.

After defeating incumbent senator Blanche Lincoln (D) in November, Dr. Boozman has been going through an intensive orientation program, meeting with Senate leaders, seeking important committee assignments and organizing his Capitol Hill and home state offices.

Well before election day, AOA-PAC sponsored a radio ad in support of Dr. Boozman’s campaign that was heard on radio stations across Arkansas. To listen to this ad, which features Dr. Joe Ellis, president of the AOA, please click here.

To view Dr. Boozman’s election night remarks, click on this link — http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/296369-2.

 AOA Website Has Latest Info on National Health Care Overhaul Law

Visit the AOA’s Health Care Reform resources page — http://www.aoa.org/x16106.xml

For AOA members with questions concerning these issues, the changes that will occur in Washington when the new 112th Congress takes office on January 5th or to find out how to become more involved in Optometry’s Federal advocacy efforts as an AOA Keyperson or AOA-PAC Investor, please contact the AOA Washington office directly at 800-365-2219 or ImpactWashingtonDC@AOA.ORG.