Regulatory/Legislative News

The World Council of Optometry has defined the minimum competencies required for someone to call themselves an optometrist, according to an announcement on the group’s website.

The 2018 mid-term elections provided an opportunity to expand Medicaid programs in several states. The mechanisms for change varied from state to state and there was an overall trend for expansion, but there was no clear direction from a national perspective.

The Trump administration’s latest effort to reduce drug prices met with generally positive reviews from policy analysts, who also noted the difficult path ahead to put the plan into effect.

As election season grows to a close here in America, change again looms on the horizon for the American health care system.

CMS has issued a product-specific J code for Photrexa formulations used in corneal collagen cross-linking, Avedro announced in a press release.

Nearly $30 million for vision research is included in the fiscal year 2019 spending package, minibus HR6157, which was signed by President Donald J. Trump on Sept. 28.

The FDA and Department of Homeland Security are stepping up efforts to protect patients from cybersecurity attacks on medical devices, according to a press release.

The AOA is speaking out on standards of education for optometric degree programs, resulting from a concerning report on graduation rates from the National Board of Examiners in Optometry and Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry, and a trend in proposed schools of optometry.

Thirty-one members of Congress from California have joined other legislators opposing the FTC proposal mandating that contact lens prescribers, including optometrists and ophthalmologists, obtain a signed patient acknowledgment receipt with each new contact lens prescription.

Avedro announced that 50 commercial insurance plans now cover its FDA-approved corneal cross-linking procedure, including Cigna, which covers the Photrexa drug formulations and the KLX System used to treat progressive keratoconus.