Volume 9, Issue 19│May 16, 2025

Please disregard all previous versions of the May 16, 2025 issue of InSight. This is the revised edition.

New Member Benefit! ER Triage Course & Children's Vision Form



Public Health Director, Brigette Colley, OD

The Public Health Committee and ER Taskforce are excited to share two projects targeting outreach to other healthcare professionals. I’d like to thank both groups for their hard work over the last several months to make these projects a reality.

The ER Eyecare Triage Course webpage was born out of a workshop organized by Drs. Chelsey Moore and Angela Oberreiter. They hosted a course with Springfield area emergency medicine providers, reviewing the most common ocular conditions that would present to an ER or Urgent Care setting. Due to the great reception and feedback this course received, the IOA formed a taskforce to create online educational materials for common ocular emergencies. The site contains 5 separate 15-20 minute mini lectures, covering the following topics: Recommend Equipment, Corneal Conditions, Conjunctivitis, Flashes and Floaters, Double Vision and Vision loss. The course content is accessible for any healthcare provider, including physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners, on the IOA’s website. We encourage members to share the website with their local healthcare providers to promote interdisciplinary, cooperative care. Letting other providers know about our knowledge, training, and skillset also allows those providers to have local optometric physician to refer patients to for ongoing care.

The Children’s Vision Form expands upon the idea that vision care is an essential part of annual comprehensive care for a child. The form required by the State of Illinois for kindergarten eye exams, while helpful, does not provide a full scope picture of the pediatric services optometrists provide. The Public Health Committee wanted to develop an efficient way to communicate examination findings to pediatricians and pediatric nurse practitioners. The form contains treatment options and plans that are more relevant to modern pediatric optometry practice. To make it user friendly, we have both a printable option and fillable PDF available for use. We want to encourage all IOA members that see pediatric patients to consider sending this form, even with normal examination findings. This lets local providers know that a member not only sees pediatric patients but will also share information about ongoing care and treatment plans. If you are regularly communicating with local pediatric providers, it is more likely for them to consider your practice as a referral source for their patients.

Volunteers Needed for Special Olympics Lions Club International Opening Eyes Program Coming June 20 & 21, ISU Campus Normal, IL! 🚩

Volunteers Needed

Last year was the twenty-first year that optometry was represented at the Illinois State Special Olympic Games held in Bloomington/Normal in June. 248 athletes were appraised at the event, and 127 pieces of eyewear were prescribed, whether it be an everyday Rx, or a sports goggle. The event was a great success for both the athletes who participated and the volunteers who made it run so smoothly!!

This year we will be doing it again, and we need your help! We had 15 optometrists, 4 opticians/ophthalmic techs, and students from both the Illinois College of Optometry and the Chicago College of Optometry. We also had a great turn-out of LIONS club volunteers along with many friends and family members. This year we need you! Of particular need are volunteers for Saturday, since it is a full day of screening. Bring your family, friends, and staff and make it a group activity!! We are always in need of opticians and optical technicians as well!

The Special Olympics is an international program of year-round sports and athletic competitions for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. All of the athletes must be at least eight years old to participate. The goal of the Special Olympics Lions Club International Opening Eyes Program is to bring quality vision care to this special population. Our vision appraisal consists of visual acuity testing, cover test, extraocular motility testing, pupils, color vision, stereopsis, non-contact tonometry, slit lamp evaluation, and ophthalmoscopy. If the athlete is determined to need glasses, they are given a full refraction with subjective testing. Afterwards all athletes are referred to their local optometrists for full vision examinations, including dilations.

This year’s event will take place on the Illinois State College Campus in Bloomington/Normal on Friday, June 20 from 12:00 – 4:00 pm, and Saturday, June 21 from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. Friends, family, and optometric staff (especially opticians) are encouraged to participate. Please help us in making this year’s SOOE program as successful as the past twenty-one years have been!! 

If you have any questions, please contact Christine Allison, O.D. via email at callison@ico.edu  

IOA Member Ingryd Lorenzana, OD shares how lifelong struggles with learning and focus—once attributed to language barriers—were actually caused by hidden vision problems from a childhood concussion. This discovery shaped her empathetic, holistic approach to care. Now, she’s stepping beyond her clinic to raise awareness, especially for parents who may not realize vision issues could be behind their child’s learning or behavioral challenges.

Dr. Lorenzana is co-hosting a FREE 25-minute webinar with pediatric and neuro-optometrist Dr. Ronald Gall:

"Protecting Your Child’s Vision – Today and for the Future"

Register here: https://lnkd.in/gJJ54rch

The PAC (Political Action Committee) is a group organized to promote its members' views on selected issues, usually through raising money that is contributed to the campaign funds of candidates who support the group's position to keep our friends in office.

Contributions to the IOA PAC can be made as a One-Time Donation or as Recurring Monthly Donation and deducted automatically from donor's bank account or charged to their credit card. Selecting to contribute a set amount on a monthly basis is a painless and effortless way to contribute to and support the IOA PAC. Contributions to the IOA PAC fund are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.

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.

5/28- North Suburban & West Suburban Optometric Society Meeting

6/9- Southwestern IL Optometric Society Meeting

6/10- IL Valley Optometric Society Meeting

6/11- Fox Valley Optometric Society Meeting

7/8- IVOS Meeting

MEMBER BENEFIT: Have a Billing and Coding Question?

Submit it to the experts at OBC Insurance Billing Specialists! Click here to submit your questions.

Eye care practitioners should report all violations of the FCLCA, including instances in which contact lens sellers fail to comply with the prescription verification provisions of the law.

Filing a complaint? Use the resources below to get started.

Vision Plans & Insurance Companies:

Dept of Insurance Complaint Submission - How to File a Complaint

Office of the Illinois Attorney General - File a Complaint

Report illegal and unsafe contact lens sales to the FDA & FTC:

Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act compliance and safety | AOA

IDFPR:

IDFPR | File a Complaint

Medicaid Managed Care Complaint Portal:

Managed Care Provider Resolution Portal | HFS

State on Track to End Health Coverage Program for Immigrant Adults

— State-run program set to end July 1 while Congress considers wider Medicaid cuts

Capitol News Illinois | By Peter Hancock

May 13, 2025

SPRINGFIELD — State officials are on track to shut down a program at the end of June that provides publicly funded health care coverage to more than 30,000 non-U.S. citizens in Illinois, including many who are in the country without legal authorization.

A legislative oversight committee took no action Tuesday on a set of administrative rules the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services adopted in March that will end the program, effective July 1 — the first day of the next fiscal year.

Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago, cochair of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, said the lack of action Tuesday means nothing has changed about the plans to bring the program to an end.

“It (the rule) is in place now. It’s phasing out. JCAR hasn’t taken any action on it,” Cunningham said in an interview after Tuesday’s meeting. “I don’t think there’s anything to read into it beyond that.”

The Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program, or HBIA, was launched in 2021. It covers qualifying individuals aged 42-64. The program came about as a companion to a program that began the year before, Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors, or HBIS, which covers about 8,900 individuals aged 65 and over.

Both programs were intended to provide health coverage to a segment of the population that was ineligible for coverage under Medicaid solely because of their immigration status. The programs cover those who are not lawfully present in the United States as well as legal permanent residents who have not been in the country long enough to receive Medicaid benefits.

However, the two programs have far exceeded their original cost estimates. According to an auditor general’s report released in February, the total cost of both programs from Fiscal Year 2021 through Fiscal Year 2024 was more than $1.6 billion.

And because the programs cover individuals who are not eligible for traditional Medicaid – the public health insurance program for low-income individuals that is jointly funded with state and federal funds – nearly all the cost of those programs came exclusively from state dollars.

With the state facing flattening revenues and a projected budget deficit in the coming fiscal year, Gov. JB Pritzker proposed ending the HBIA program effective July 1.

A notice on the program’s web page reads: “Due to State Fiscal Year 2026 budgetary constraints, the state had to make the difficult decision to use the limited funding available to continue coverage for eligible noncitizens aged 65+ only.”

In proposing to end the program, Pritzker noted the working-age adults that it covers can get jobs with employer-sponsored health benefits.

Chicago State Lawmaker Launches Bid for Congressional Seat

Fox 32 Chicago | By Alex Ortiz

May 13, 2025

CHICAGO - State Sen. Robert Peters, a Democrat from Chicago, announced his campaign for a U.S. House seat representing parts of the city’s South Side and southern suburbs in the 2026 midterm election.

The seat representing the 2nd Congressional District is currently occupied by U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, a Democrat who recently announced she’s running for an open U.S. Senate seat.

What we know:

Peters, a Chicago South Side native, has served in the state legislature since 2019. His district includes a large portion of the Chicago lakeshore from the city’s downtown area to the far South Side.

He framed his campaign for Congress as a pledge to be "a champion for working people and a fighter against the Trump agenda."

During his time in Springfield, Peters has pushed for criminal justice system reforms like the end of cash bail and limiting the reasons why someone charged with a crime can be held in jail.

The 2nd Congressional District stretches from Chicago’s South Side down to the east central region of the state near Danville.

Multiple Illinois Congressional seats could be open during the 2026 cycle as Kelly and northwest suburban Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi are running for the Senate. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who represents much of the northern suburbs, announced she will retire after this term.

Mayor Daniel Biss Announces Campaign for Congress

Daily Northwestern | By Sophie Backer

May 15, 2025

Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss announced his campaign for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District in a Thursday morning news release. The seat is currently held by U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston), who announced her retirement this month.

The mayor has emphasized countering the Trump administration’s agenda — most recently at the State of the City address Wednesday — and plans to continue that work in a potential congressional term.

“I am running for Congress to stand up to Donald Trump and his MAGA cronies. I’ve never backed down from a fight, and I’ve won some big ones-on LGBTQ+ rights, campaign finance reform, protecting abortion access, defending the environment, and more,” Biss said in the news release. “In Congress, I’ll take on billionaires and corporate power, lower costs for working families, and fight tooth and nail to protect our civil rights.”

State Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview) and content creator Kat Abughazaleh have already announced their candidacies for the seat. Multiple Chicago Democrats, and Rocio Cleveland, an Island Lake Republican, have also filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission and launched campaign websites.

Biss previously served in the Illinois House and state Senate. He ran an unsuccessful gubernatorial bid in 2018. In April, he won reelection for mayor, beating out challenger Jeff Boarini with 63% of the vote. 

Bost to Seek Reelection in 2026

Advantage News | By Mark Ellebracht

May 12, 2025

Illinois U.S. Congressman Mike Bost is seeking reelection. The Republican from Murphysboro represents the 12th Congressional District and is looking to retain the seat he first won in 2014. President Donald Trump has endorsed Bost for the 5th time, calling him a champion for the military, Veterans and will continue to defend 2nd Amendment rights.

In a statement, Bost says President Trump is saving the nation for the second time and is thrilled to work with him on the America First Agenda. Bost officially kicked off his campaign last Thursday at the Monroe County GOP Century Club Dinner.

Bost was a member of the Illinois legislature before being elected to Congress, also serving as a firefighter, small business owner and veteran of the U.S. Marine Corp.

The 12th District covers all of southern and southeast Illinois from near Charleston and Mattoon, south to the Ohio River and to the Metro East including a portion of St. Clair and Monroe Counties.

Optometric Laser Surgery Legalized in Montana, West Virginia

Healio | By Justin Cooper

May 12, 2025

Starting in July, optometrists in Montana and West Virginia will be able to perform laser surgical procedures after the recent passage of scope of practice laws.

Optometrists are now approved to perform laser surgeries in 14 U.S. states.

“The future of optometry and access to critical patient eye health and vision care lies in the ability for doctors of optometry to adapt and expand the profession’s scope of practice, which has long been a key priority for the American Optometric Association and affiliates across the country,” Steven T. Reed, OD, president of the AOA, told Healio. “The AOA is committed to supporting the fight for this important progress across the country.”

In Montana, House Bill 218 permits licensed optometrists to perform surgical procedures, including laser procedures, “limited to the anterior segment of the eye and adnexa.” They must complete “the required didactic and clinical training from an accredited optometry school or college” and be certified by the Montana Board of Optometry. The bill was signed by Gov. Greg Gianforte on April 16 and goes into effect on July 1.

“On behalf of patients across Montana who will have better access to eye care because of this law, we are grateful to the governor and the legislature for their support,” Marti L. Wangen, executive director of the Montana Optometric Association, told Healio.

Likewise, the West Virginia law, known as Senate Bill 565, allows licensed optometrists to perform laser procedures after receiving an “ophthalmic laser utilization certificate” from the West Virginia Board of Optometry.

The law outlines a number of approved treatment indications that may be performed by holders of the certificate, with the list being updated “as new treatments, technologies and training become available.” It currently includes posterior capsulotomy, peripheral iridotomy and selective laser trabeculoplasty.

The bill became law on April 30 without the signature of Gov. Patrick Morrisey and is effective on July 9.

“We’re incredibly proud of what this means for our patients,” Laura Suppa, OD, FAAO, president of the West Virginia Association of Optometric Physicians board of directors, said in a press release. “This legislation will allow optometrists to deliver essential care, like managing certain eye conditions and performing minor procedures, without patients having to travel long distances or wait weeks for an appointment. It’s a win for public health and for West Virginia families.”

Artificial Tears, Other Eye Products Recalled; Consumers Urged to Discontinue Use

USA Today | By Taylor Ardrey

May 12, 2025

Over-the-counter ophthalmic products were voluntarily recalled due to a manufacturing deviation discovered during a U.S. Food and Drug Administration audit, a notice says.

Pharmaceutical distributor AvKARE was notified of the consumer level drug recall by the recalling firm, BRS Analytical Services LLC. The recall was issued for several products as a result of manufacturing deviations that "may lead to products of unacceptable quality, and it is not possible to rule out patient risks resulting from use of these products."

The notice warns consumers to stop using the affected products immediately. AvKARE said the FDA is aware of the recall, and the health hazard linked to the items is unknown.

House Commitee proposed Budget Bill With $715B in Medicaid, Other Healthcare Cuts

— States will save money on the bill, staffers say, but healthcare groups disagree

MedPage Today | By Joyce Frieden

May 12, 2025

WASHINGTON -- House Republicans unveiled a budget proposal that includes an estimated $715 billion in cuts to Medicaid and other federal health programs over 10 years, although staff members on the House Energy & Commerce (E&C) Committee argued that states will end up saving money on the measure.

"I think if you look at the whole of this package, this is another false narrative that's being pushed out there that these are policies that are shifting costs to the states," a committee staff member said Monday during a background briefing for reporters. "There are a lot of policies in this bill that will save states money."

The staff member referred in particular to a law enacted during the Biden administration that allowed states to check enrollees' eligibility for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance exchanges only once a year -- a law he said was "an unfunded mandate for states to cover people that they knew were ineligible for the program ... and not be able to disenroll them in the way that states have been doing up until a couple years ago." A provision in the bill would change that timeframe to every 6 months.

Effect on State Budgets

But representatives from healthcare groups told a different story during an online event hosted by Families USA. "This bill actually shifts hundreds of billions of dollars in costs over to the states," said Anthony Wright, Families USA executive director. "Some of these states ... would be thrown into a financial crisis, forced to either raise taxes to the broader population or to make across-the-board cuts to healthcare for the folks in their state."

For example, in New Jersey, Medicaid covers more than 1.8 million residents -- nearly one in five New Jerseyans, noted Laura Waddell, MPA, healthcare program director for New Jersey Citizen Action, a consumer group. "New Jersey's Department of Human Services warned that the proposed cuts could slash between $2 billion to $10 billion a year from our state's Medicaid program, a program with a $24 billion budget ... There is no way the state's program can absorb losses of that magnitude without grave consequences."

According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the measure also would result in an additional 13.7 million Americans becoming uninsured by 2034, including 7.7 million Medicaid recipients and 6 million enrollees in the ACA health insurance exchanges.

CBO Analysis Shows Medicaid Cuts Would Terminate Coverage for Millions, Including People with Medicare

Medicare Rights | By Casey Schwarz

May 8, 2025

This week, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a Congressional agency that conducts independent analyses of economic and budget issues, estimated costs and projected state actions related to five Medicaid policy proposals. CBO did this work at the request of Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ).

CBO’s Projections

The policy options CBO evaluated have all been floated as avenues to cut Medicaid funding. Importantly, while Congressional Republicans have argued that they are not out to harm people with Medicaid coverage, each of the options would take health coverage and access from millions.

• Option 1 would reduce the federal government’s share of responsibility (also called the “FMAP”) for the Medicaid expansion population: 5.5 million people being kicked out of Medicaid, and 2.4 million people going uninsured.
• Option 2 would limit provider taxes that states use to cover portions of their Medicaid funding: 8.6 million people being kicked out of Medicaid, and 3.9 million going uninsured.
• Option 3 would establish limits or caps on federal spending for all people in the state who have health insurance through Medicaid: 5.8 million people being kicked out of Medicaid, and 2.9 million going uninsured.
• Option 4 would establish limits or caps on federal spending for the Medicaid expansion population: 3.3 million people being kicked out of Medicaid, and 1.5 million going uninsured.
• Option 5 would repeal the Medicaid and Medicare Savings Program (MSP) enrollment streamlining rules that reduced barriers to enrolling in the programs: 2.3 million people being kicked out of Medicaid, and 0.6 million going uninsured.

Check out the newest IOA classifieds here!

ODs Wanted:

Northern IL:

Small, Private Practice in Morris, IL seeking Part-Time OD (Read more)

OD Needed for Summer Maternity Leave (Read more)

Pediatric Optometrist Wanted, Full or Part-time (Read more)

Part time OD Needed at Medically Based Practice (Read more)

Chicago:

Optometrist Needed for Maternity Leave Coverage (Read more)

Chicago Suburbs:

Permanent Part-Time Associate OD Needed (Read more)

OD Needed at Naper Grove Vision (Read more)

In Focus Eyecare Part Time, 1-4 Permanent Days or Fill in (Read more)

Optometrist - Part-Time/Full-Time, Private Practice - Chicago Heights (Read more)

Part-time OD Needed at Small Private Practice (Read more)

Full- Time OD Needed Burbank & Willowbrook, IL (Read more)

Part-Time OD Needed in Oak Park (Read more)

Full-Time optometrist Needed at Morrison Eyecare in Chicagoland (Read more)

OD Needed at Northwest Eye Center (Read more)

Looking for extra $$$, OD needed 1-2 days a week (Read more)

Looking for 2 optometrists in Buffalo Grove & Schaumburg offices (Read more)

Central IL:

Mobile Optometrist Needed (Read more)

Part-Time Optometrist Opportunity with Full-Time Potential – Private Practice (Read more)

OD needed in Decatur & Mt. Zion offices (Read more)

Springfield Clinic is seeking additional Optometrists to join its Eye Institute (Read more)

Southern IL:

Full Time Opening in Swansea IL, Metro East 20 minutes from St. Louis (Read more)

Optometrist Needed in Olney, IL (Read more)

OD Needed in Terre Haute (Read more)

Out of State:

Associate OD in Thriving Michigan Practice (Read more)

Immediate Opening for OD in Wisconsin (Read more)

Practices for Sale:

Practice for Sale on the Fox River (Read more)

Practice for Sale in Oak Park (Read more)

Practice for Sale in Rock Island County (Read more)

Northwest Suburb of Chicago Practice for Sale (Read more)

Equipment for Sale:

Selling equipment that is in great condition (Read more)