Annual Congressional Advocacy Day provides opportunity to educate legislative leaders about critical health care issues

Washington, D.C. – More than 300 ophthalmologists met with members of Congress in Washington, D.C., April 22-23 as legislators prepare what may be the most significant health care legislation in over a decade. The office visits took place during the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s annual Congressional Advocacy Day to discuss health care issues.

“Health care issues are front and center in Congress this year, which made Advocacy Day especially important,” said David W. Parke II, MD, Academy executive vice president and CEO. “The strong turnout underscores the high level of awareness among ophthalmologists of the need to participate in the national debate on health care issues.”

Ophthalmologists called on Congress to find a permanent solution for reforming Medicare physician payment and halt the scheduled 40 percent pay cuts by rebasing the sustainable growth rate. Legislators were asked to sign on to a letter by Reps. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., and Mark Kirk, R-Ill., that urges House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Republican leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, to take action this year to stop the 21.5 percent Medicare physician payment cut scheduled for 2010 and initiate much-needed payment reforms. House and Senate leaders, with the support of President Obama, are expected to soon unveil a legislative plan to reform the health care system. It is the likely vehicle for many of the Academy’s priorities.

Passage of the Vision Care for Kids Act of 2009 is also among the top priorities discussed with legislators at this year’s Advocacy Day. The bill complements state efforts by providing grants to cover comprehensive eye exams and treatment for children identified through a screening as having a problem and who are either uninsured or whose health plan does not cover vision services.

Another priority during the Academy’s advocacy was a call for adequate funding of the National Eye Institute (NEI). Noting eye disease and vision impairment are a major public health problem growing exponentially, ophthalmologists called on Congress to increase NEI funding by at least 7 percent, to $736 million, in fiscal year 2010. NEI has lost 18 percent of its purchasing power over the past six funding cycles.

In 2008 the Academy, with veterans service organizations, was instrumental in passage of legislation that created the joint Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense Vision Center of Excellence (VCE). The VCE is specifically devoted to the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment and rehabilitation of military eye injuries. Ophthalmologists urged legislators to include $6.8 million for the center in the fiscal year 2010 Defense Appropriations Act.

“Congressional Advocacy Day provides ophthalmologists with a venue to meet face-to-face with their members of Congress and staffs about these and other vision and health care issues,” said Cathy Grealy Cohen, Academy vice president for Governmental Affairs. “The Academy’s Advocacy Day activities spotlight legislation that could make a real difference in quality eye care.”

As part of Congressional Advocacy Day, the Academy welcomed 89 residents and fellows who participated in its Advocacy Ambassador’s Program. This program, now in its sixth year, is a collaborative effort between the Academy, state societies, subspecialties and training programs to include members-in-training in Congressional Advocacy Day.

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About the American Academy of Ophthalmology
The Academy is the world's largest association of eye physicians and surgeons—Eye M.D.s—with more than 27,000 members worldwide.  Eye health care is provided by the three “O’s” – opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists. It is the ophthalmologist, or Eye M.D., who can treat it all: eye diseases and injuries, and perform eye surgery. To find an Eye M.D. in your area, visit the Academy's Web site at www.aao.org.