Vision coverage abuses threaten eye care in US, AOA survey says
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Key takeaways:
- Abuses in vision plan policies have created barriers to quality care and patient-doctor relationships.
- The majority of survey respondents believe valuation of care is at risk because of plan-imposed burdens.
A survey conducted after the Jan. 4 American Optometric Association’s virtual townhall highlights optometrists’ concerns about anti-patient, anti-doctor and anti-competitive abuses in the vision plan industry.
“Given the serious situation we’re facing, it’s essential to open the new year listening closely to colleagues and discussing the ways our AOA and affiliates are fighting back in the policy advocacy arena against plan policies designed to work against us, our practices and patients,” AOA President Ronald L. Benner, OD, said after the event, according to an association press release.
The townhall included more than 700 participants — the largest virtual AOA forum since the #AskAOA webinar series’ launch during the COVID-19 pandemic — who raised concerns about in the industry’s devaluation of care, plan-imposed barriers and marketing tactics, among others.
According to the release, the survey found that 93% of respondents believe that vision plan policies create barriers to quality care, and 94% believe these policies do not support patient-doctor relationships.
In addition, 55% of respondents believe the most immediate plan-imposed burden for practitioners is valuation of care, while 27% report that tying vision plan participation to medical plan participation is the greatest burden. Lack of lab choice (9%) and exclusion from select networks (7%) rounded out respondent concerns.
The event also included updates on advocacy initiatives, including recent vision plan reform legislation in Texas, Nevada, Georgia and Illinois, as well as the Dental and Optometric Care Access Act, championed by Georgia Rep. Buddy Carter.
“We’ve got to work together on this,” Carter told attendees. “We are stronger together than we are individually, and that’s why it’s extremely important that we support the American Optometric Association in the important work that it’s doing on Capitol Hill.”
The AOA will continue to advocate for reimbursement and coverage fairness in 2024, the release stated, through a multipronged approach of lobbying efforts, working with affiliates to update state law and creating alliances with organizations like the ADA and Patients Rising.
“Every colleague can take action right now and help build support for our AOA and state affiliate priorities to fight back against plan abuses,” Brenner said in the release.
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