Volume 9, Issue 11│March 21, 2025 | | |
IOA CEO Leigh Ann Vanausdoll is pictured with US Rep Mike Bost at a political event.
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Last night, the IOA held a webinar for 4th year optometry students on how to apply for your license and begin the credentialing process after graduation. The webinar was led by IOA members Dr. Eric Botts and Dr. Amanda Gerson. We would like to thank our panelists and attendees.
A recording of the webinar will be available on the IOA website within the next week.
| | The IOA ICO Club hosted a recent event for 1st and 2nd year students on the ICO campus. The event was to highlight practicing in Illinois and the many benefits of the IOA! | | |
The IOA's Young Professionals Mixer went great, thank you to all who participated in a night of great food, drinks, and connections!
Special thank you to our event sponsors MyEyeDr, Glaukos, & MacuHealth!
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IOA member Ansel Johnson, OD was recently invited out to IDOC National Conference.
Congratulations Dr. Johnson!
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Member and ICO faculty Yi Pang, OD, PhD was chosen to receive full funding for her investigator-initiated study focusing on Precision 1 contact lenses in teens. Her $68,000 research funds were granted from Alcon.
Congratulations Dr. Pang!
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We want to hear from YOU!
Do you have a business question or a dilemma we can answer for you? Others may have the same inquiry. Ask away! We will answer your question in an upcoming issue.
(Don't worry, we won't include your name.)
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Report illegal and unsafe contact lens sales to the FDA & FTC
| | The Eyes on Tomorrow Fund, previously known as the Legislative Equity Fund, is a dedicated resource created by and for optometrists to support the Illinois Optometric Association’s (IOA) state-level advocacy efforts. This fund directly empowers optometry’s fight for scope expansion, the regulation of Vision Benefits Managers (VBMs), and other legislative battles crucial to protecting the profession and ensuring patient care. Unlike political action committees (PACs), this fund is not used to support candidates but instead provides critical resources for advancing optometry in Illinois. | | |
MEMBER BENEFIT: Free On-Demand CE!
Courses for the 2024-2026 licensing cycle are now available on the On-Demand CE platform. ODs can take all 18 regular hours of CE online through the On-Demand CE Series. As an Illinois licensed CE provider, all courses taken through IOA will count for an Illinois license renewal.
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IOA Webstore 🛒🖱
Want to sport some IOA gear? You're in luck, the webstore is open and ready for orders. Shop today!
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Report Vision Plan Abuses to the IOA
The IOA recognizes that Vision Care Plan Regulation Act constitutes a significant stride forward for optometry. However, it doesn't signal the conclusion of our efforts to champion fair contracting with vision plans. In the next few years, our members will be renewing and amending their contracts to reflect the changes in the new law. Throughout this process, we will gain valuable insight directly from our members regarding instances of vision plan abuses.
If you encounter vision plan abuses, we ask that you fill out the form below to report abuse. The IOA will collect this information to prevent further vision plan abuses on behalf of our members.
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Illinois Department Streamlines Online Licensing System
Capitol News Illinois | By Jade Aubrey
March 13, 2025
SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation updated lawmakers Wednesday on its new online licensing system to streamline the process and eliminate backlogs.
Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, called for the subject matter hearing in the House Health Care Licensing Committee to discuss the progress IDFPR has made on the system so far, as well as their timeline to implement all license applications online.
“I’ve been around state government for over 15 years now, and I really am hard pressed to think of a turnaround like this,” Morgan said.
One of IDFPR’s main roles as a state agency is to regulate and handle all business licenses in Illinois.
However, the department has struggled to keep up with the influx in both initial licensing and renewals since 2019, as applications were almost entirely submitted on paper via mail. In 2020, the problem was compounded as the COVID-19 pandemic affected the country’s mailing systems.
By late 2023, IDFPR Director Mario Treto, Jr. said applicants were experiencing “historic wait times” and officially called the situation a “crisis.
In December 2023, Illinois lawmakers passed legislation that enabled the department to create an online licensing application process. And in October 2024, IDFPR officially launched its online licensing system — the Comprehensive Online Regulatory Environment, or CORE.
The initial system rollout in October only included three licensing types: clinical psychologists, music therapists and nail technicians.
During his testimony in the committee meeting Wednesday, Treto said the department has outlined six specific phases in order to fully implement a complete, comprehensive online licensing system. The CORE startup in October completed Phase 1.
Phases 2 and 3 include the continuous rollout of the rest of the license types, which Treto said will come in rollouts of small numbers of license types until all types have been launched online.
In January, the department kicked off both phases when it launched online applications for four more license types: professional midwifes, behavioral analysts, assistant behavior analysts, and behavior analysts continuing education sponsors.
“Rather than waiting to roll out 15 applications all together in one big batch, the department, understanding that our licensed professionals are eager to begin using CORE, has added applications to the system as soon as they are available,” Treto said.
Camile Lindsay, director of IDFPR’s division of professional regulation, said the department hopes to rollout all license types by the end of this summer. This would complete both Phases 2 and 3.
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Corporate Transparency Act: Update
US Dept of Treasury | Press Release
March 2, 2025
Treasury Department Announces Suspension of Enforcement of Corporate Transparency Act Against U.S. Citizens and Domestic Reporting Companies
The Treasury Department is announcing today that, with respect to the Corporate Transparency Act, not only will it not enforce any penalties or fines associated with the beneficial ownership information reporting rule under the existing regulatory deadlines, but it will further not enforce any penalties or fines against U.S. citizens or domestic reporting companies or their beneficial owners after the forthcoming rule changes take effect either. The Treasury Department will further be issuing a proposed rulemaking that will narrow the scope of the rule to foreign reporting companies only. Treasury takes this step in the interest of supporting hard-working American taxpayers and small businesses and ensuring that the rule is appropriately tailored to advance the public interest.
“This is a victory for common sense,” said U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “Today’s action is part of President Trump’s bold agenda to unleash American prosperity by reining in burdensome regulations, in particular for small businesses that are the backbone of the American economy.”
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Corporate Transparency Act No Longer in Effect
Las Vegas RJ | By Barbara Holland
March 17, 2025
On March 2, the U.S. Treasury Department issued a statement regarding enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act.
The official notice says: “Not only will it not enforce any penalties or fines associated with the beneficial ownership information reporting rule under the existing regulatory guidelines, but it will further not enforce any penalties or fines against U.S. citizens or domestic reporting companies or their beneficial owners after the forthcoming rule changes take effect either.”
Further, the department said it will be issuing a proposed rulemaking to narrow the scope of the act to foreign reporting companies only. Treasury stated it is taking this step to support hard-working American taxpayers and small businesses and ensure the law is appropriately tailored to advance the public interest.
This recent action is interpreted to mean the Corporate Transparency Act and its reporting requirements are no longer in effect for U.S. citizens or domestic reporting companies, including all applicable community associations.
The proposed rulemaking narrowing the scope of the act to foreign reporting companies is expected later this month. In the meantime, the suspension of enforcement is clear.
Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent states this decision is intended to “rein in burdensome regulations, in particular for small businesses that are the backbone of the American economy.”
Over the last two years, CAI and its advocates have urged Congress, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and Treasury to exempt community associations or delay implementation of the act. While CAI supports the worthy goals of preventing money laundering and funding schemes for terrorist activity, the Act’s requirements is not good public policy for community associations. CAI believes community associations were unintentionally caught up in the law intended to combat terrorist activity.
CAI also filed a federal lawsuit last year against former U.S. Department of the Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and the director of FinCEN challenging the application of the act on community associations. The suit sought to protect CAI members from the burdensome and unnecessary requirements of the act. The CAI legal team is considering next steps in the lawsuit including the option of dismissal. We will keep members informed on the status of the lawsuit.
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Surveys Say Patient and Doctor Concerns About Health Industry Middlemen on the Rise
AOA | Staff
March 13, 2025
New national research findings validate active policy-based initiatives in Washington, D.C., and state capitals—strongly backed by the AOA and its affiliates—to investigate and crack down on abusive policies of health and vision plans.
According to the 2025 Healthcare Pulse Survey:
- 72% of respondents give the U.S. health care system a C grade or lower.
- Many blame insurance companies (66%) and drug companies (60%) for what’s wrong with the health care system; others blame politicians (42%) and fraud, waste and abuse (34%).
- Only half say they can get the medical care they need when they need it (51%); only half can afford their insurance premiums (51%) or their prescriptions (49%).
- 35% worry more about the rising cost of health care than the rising cost of eggs, meat and other food staples.
“Patients clearly understand how industry middlemen are working against doctors and quality care, and they are demanding accountability and new safeguards for doctor-patient decision-making,” says AOA President Steven T. Reed, O.D. “That’s why AOA and our affiliates will continue to directly take on an out-of-control industry by restoring unfairly withheld reimbursement and growing support for a nationwide crackdown on plan abuses.”
Additionally, a new research report by The Vision Council exposes key areas needing vision plan attention, raising serious concerns about whether they are truly advancing patient care.
New data confirms AOA findings on doctor of optometry concern with valuation of care and vision plan contracting processes
Finding: On average, only 25% of providers reported being satisfied with existing reimbursement rates and only 20% are satisfied with rate negotiation process.
“While not surprising, docs are not happy with their reimbursement by a three-to-one margin,” says Steven Loomis, O.D., chair of AOA’s Health Policy Institute and a member of the AOA’s Research and Information Resource Team. “It’s huge.”
The data from The Vision Council confirms the findings of AOA’s Reimbursement and Coverage Fairness Town Hall hosted in October 2024. During the town hall, doctors were polled on key issues they face in the industry. Not only did doctors voice concerns with the rate negotiation process, but also 98% of respondents indicated plans create barriers to renegotiating fee schedules.
The AOA has focused advocacy efforts on the need for greater transparency in the contracting process and will continue to prioritize this effort. Recognizing these serious member doctor concerns, the AOA provides resources to support an improved contract negotiation and contract review. This guidance can assist doctors both in contract evaluation and the rate negotiation process.
Patient satisfaction is tied to the doctor-patient relationship
Finding: Eye exam coverage has the highest reported satisfaction among employer-sponsored plan members in 2024, with 88% of respondents being somewhat or extremely satisfied.
This finding shows that patients are happy to have access to their optometrist, Dr. Loomis says. “The vision plan really doesn’t have anything to do with the eye examination experience,” he says. “That’s really between the patient and the doc.”
Finding: Optometrist co-location with an optical store is one of the least important factors to respondents when purchasing prescription eyewear.
While vision plans often encourage optometrists to carry or promote certain brands of frames and lenses, Dr. Loomis says, this finding indicates that access to material products isn’t as significant to the patient as access to their doctor. “Again, it’s clear the important thing is the doctor-patient relationship,” he says.
Finding: Greater engagement with the plan exposes members to more complexities, that alters their perception of their vision insurance plans.
Patients tend to like their vision plan—until they must interact with it, Dr. Loomis says. “A big piece of that, at least in my experience, was about the limitation of what a vision plan provides,” he says.
If a patient is healthy and only needs an annual eye exam and a glasses prescription, the process is likely to be smooth. But that changes when a medical issue is detected and coverage for care gets more complicated. “That’s when the interaction (with the vision plan) becomes complicated,” Dr. Loomis says.
AOA, affiliates’ advocacy for optometry achieving results
Tens of millions of Americans rely on their local doctors of optometry for their comprehensive eye health and vision needs, and even despite historic advancements in optometry’s scope and level of care provided, plans haven’t sufficiently advanced alongside the profession. Toward that end, the AOA and affiliates continue a multi-pronged approach to achieving reimbursement and coverage fairness.
📺WATCH: Patients Rising video on stopping VBM abuses.
In addition to supporting states’ advocacy, the AOA continues to advocate at a federal level, as well as directly with plans on behalf of members. In fact, this direct advocacy is already having an effect: over $2.9 million has been driven back into optometry practices.
Here’s how else the AOA is championing vision benefit manager reforms:
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Federal legislation. The recently reintroduced Dental and Optometric Care Access Act, a bipartisan effort by Reps. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., and Yvette Clark, D-N.Y., would lower vision costs and put decision-making power back into the hands of patients and their doctors by targeting ERISA plans.
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Federal investigations. Three Congressional investigations into VBMs, their policies and market actions, are currently ongoing by the U.S. House Oversight Committee, House Energy & Commerce Committee and U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee.
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Direct plan advocacy. Doctors can email stopplanabuses@aoa.org with a health or vision plan challenge and the AOA will help fight on their behalf. Additionally, the AOA offers resources to empower doctors in these issues, including responding to automatic downcoding programs.
Additionally, the AOA continues to review and monitor such plan mandates and challenges alongside anti-trust experts, as well as provide enhanced transparency behind these actions with the AOA’s Health and Vision Plan Action Report. This daily accounting of the AOA’s actions regarding health and vision plans can be found in members’ First Look emails, Monday through Friday.
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New Research Reveals One Million More Glaucoma Cases Than Previously Believed — Glaucoma Research Foundation Urges Early Screening
GlobenNewswire | By Glaucoma Research Foundation
March 17, 2025
SAN FRANCISCO, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Glaucoma Research Foundation (GRF) is launching a national awareness campaign, “Your Eyes Say Thanks,” to educate the public on the importance of preventive steps and early detection in the fight against glaucoma.
New research indicates there are one million more people living with glaucoma than previously believed. Often referred to as the "sneaky thief," the disease can cause irreversible vision loss if left untreated. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical to slowing the progression of glaucoma and preserving vision, yet many individuals at risk are unaware of their status.
The campaign aims to encourage at-risk individuals—particularly those over 50, people of color over 40, and those with a family history of glaucoma—to practice eye self-care and schedule routine, comprehensive eye exams.
"Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness, but the good news is that lifestyle changes and early detection can save sight," said Tom Brunner, President & CEO. "With this campaign, we want to encourage members of the public to take charge of their eye health. Healthy habits and a simple, painless eye exam can mean the difference between protecting vision for a lifetime or facing the loss of sight."
The “Your Eyes Say Thanks” campaign will feature digital outreach, educational resources, and partnerships with healthcare providers to spread the message about routine eye screenings. GRF will also work to provide communities with accessible information on risk factors, symptoms, and available treatments.
The Glaucoma Research Foundation urges everyone—especially those in high-risk groups—to schedule an eye exam and spread the word about the campaign.
For more information about glaucoma and the "Your Eyes Say Thanks" campaign, visit https://glaucoma.org/your-eyes-say-thanks.
About the Glaucoma Research Foundation
Founded in 1978, the Glaucoma Research Foundation is a national non-profit organization dedicated to advancing innovative research and providing education and support to those affected by glaucoma. Through advocacy, research funding, and public awareness campaigns, GRF is committed to protecting vision and improving the lives of people with glaucoma.
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Self-Reported Visual Difficulty Limited as a Measure for Visual Impairment
Healio | By Alex Young
March 17, 2025
Self-reported visual difficulty had a limited ability to identify adults with objectively measured visual impairment, according to an analysis of data from a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries.
In a study published in Ophthalmology, Taylor Potter, of Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee, and colleagues sought to explore the ability of self-reported visual difficulty (VD) to accurately predict which older adults had objective visual impairment (VI).
“The usefulness of self-reported data in assessing VI is based on the assumption that what is reported, or what individuals perceive as their vision status, will align with objective measures to affirm the presence of a visual condition,” Potter and colleague wrote. “However, previous studies have reported discrepancies between objective and subjective measurements of VI.”
The cross-sectional analysis of the 2022 National Health and Aging Trends Study included data from 4,999 adults. Those who reported blindness or difficulties with distance or near vision were characterized as having VD, while objective VI was defined as having a distance or near visual acuity worse than 20/40 or having a contrast sensitivity worse than 1.55 logCS.
Potter and colleagues found that VD achieved an area under the curve of 56 (95% CI; 55.2-56.9) in predicting VI, with sensitivity of 15.8 (95% CI; 14.2-17.5) and specificity of 96.3 (95% CI; 95.5-96.9).
Factors such as Hispanic ethnicity, female gender, higher income, depressive symptoms and having at least four comorbidities were associated with not reporting VD in adults with VI. Hispanic ethnicity, higher income and anxiety symptoms were associated with self-reporting VD without objective VI, according to the study.
Potter and colleagues said that when objective measurements do not line up with personal experience, patients can get frustrated.
“Indeed, in many cases reporting difficulty ‘without’ VI may reflect the presence of conditions such as ocular surface disease, which is more prevalent in those with comorbid disease and those with anxiety/depression,” the authors wrote. “For clinicians, taking patient reports seriously and trying diligently to understand the reason behind subjective/objective discordance remain hallmarks of good care.”
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