Volume 9, Issue 43 │November 14, 2025

ASSOCIATION NEWS

The IOA is gathering insights to strengthen optometry across Illinois. Please fill out the anonymous survey & upon completion you will receive a link for your chance to win a $100 gift card!

Click here to take the survey

Mark your calendars! The IOA Winter CE Series is just around the corner. Registration will open in mid-November, don’t miss it!

2026 membership dues invoices have been sent! 🎉

This year, the 2026 dues contest will be related to making your dues payment via Zelle. Zelle is a direct and fast way to send and receive money that will reduce transaction costs to the Association. Details on making your dues payment via Zelle will be located in your invoice mailing and emails.

If you are planning on retiring before the end of 2025 or in 2026, please reach out to discuss membership options.

The 2025 Standards for Optometric Management of Diabetes: How Optometrists Are Redefining Diabetes Management

By Ansel T. Johnson, OD, Diabetes Care & Education Specialist

Clinical Director, Vision Salon Eye Care Associates; CEO, Healthy Living With a Vision Foundation

Optometrists stand at the forefront of diabetes detection and management. With nearly 38.4 million Americans living with diabetes and an additional 97 million in pre-diabetic range (ADA, 2024; CDC, 2024), the integration of advanced retinal technologies and inter-professional collaboration has never been more vital. The 2025 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Diabetic Retinopathy Preferred Practice Pattern® (PPP) and the latest American Optometric Association (AOA) Clinical Practice Guidelines, and AOA Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists and Ocular Health: Guidance for Optometric Practice mark a pivotal shift—emphasizing functional testing, metabolic monitoring, and team-based prevention.

Full-Field ERG: Now a Core Standard

The American Academy of Ophthalmology’s 2025 Diabetic Retinopathy Preferred Practice Pattern® now includes full-field electroretinography (ERG) as a functional biomarker of retinal health. Devices like the LKC RetEval detect early neural and vascular changes long before visible retinopathy appears, allowing proactive patient counseling and physician collaboration.

OCT-Angiography a Procedure Now Billable

The 2025 CPT update brings a higher reimbursement code for OCT angiography (OCT-A), recognizing its diagnostic value over traditional OCT. This technology reveals retinal capillary flow and foveal avascular zone irregularities, enhancing the optometrist’s ability to detect and monitor early diabetic changes. Some OCT devices provide analytics to enhance tracking of health and changes in retina and macula vasculature.

Extended Color Vision Testing Giving Neuro-Retinal Insight

Digital platforms testing able to reveal subtle color discrimination loss, often the first sign of diabetic stress on the retina. These quick chairside tests engage patients and underscore the link between glucose control and vision quality.

GLP-1 Medications and Coordinated Care

With the rapid rise of GLP-1 medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, optometrists should monitor short-term retinal fluctuations during A1c normalization. The AOA’s 2025 addendum recommends baseline and follow-up OCT/OCT-A imaging within six months of therapy start, promoting safe interdisciplinary management.

Empowering Patients With Prevention

The CDC’s Diabetes Prevention Program shows that lifestyle changes can reduce diabetes risk by over 50%. Optometrists, who often see patients annually or more frequently, can highlight retinal vessel changes linked to obesity and prediabetes—encouraging timely primary-care follow-up and lifestyle modification.

The Big Picture

Optometry continues to evolve as a key primary-care partner in diabetes and obesity management. By integrating technologies such as ERG, OCT-A, widefield imaging, and extended color vision testing, optometrists help patients protect both sight and systemic health. The reimbursements for Full Field ERG, OCT Angiography and Extended Color vision testing provide a great opportunity for practice building as they pay amongst the highest reimbursements in medical eye care for optometrists.

References

MEMBER NEWS

IOA member Dr. Mindy Nguyen recently hosted a girl scout troop. The girls learned about how their eyes work, why regular eye exams matter, and how optometry fits into exciting STEM careers. The troop leader shared that the scouts had a great time and learned so much!

If you are interested in hosting a troop please click the box below for more information.

Vision Patch Awareness Program

The West Suburban Optometric Society hosted a continuing education event this week. Thank you to all who attended and helped make the evening a success!

Thank you to all who joined us for the Fox Valley Optometric Society CE at Clara’s this week! We appreciate everyone who came out to connect and learn together.

IN MEMORIUM

Robert McEwan, OD

Robert Berry McEwan, 73, of Henderson, Illinois, passed away in Houston, Texas, on Sunday, November 2, 2025, while undergoing treatment for thyroid cancer.

He was born on April 7th, 1952, in Pasadena, California, to Jack Berry and Betty Jean (Clark) McEwan. Most of his childhood years were spent in Arcadia, California, where he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout and graduated from Arcadia High School. These early years in the sun and ocean fostered a love of the water and waves that stayed with him his entire life. He loved swimming and worked as a lifeguard for Los Angeles County. He learned to surf as a teenager and added on water skiing as an adult. His California surfboard still hangs in his garage in Illinois.

After high school, he served for 2 years as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Pennsylvania, unknowingly serving not too far from his future wife. After returning and enrolling at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, Robert met Sandra Marie Greer and the two were married for time and all eternity on July 22, 1978, in the Los Angeles temple of the Church.

After graduating with a degree in Microbiology, and welcoming the birth of their first child, Michael, the young family moved to Chicago, Illinois where Rob attended the Illinois College of Optometry and received his Doctor of Optometry degree in 1984. In that same year, their second child, Brian, was born and the family moved for a short time to Roy and then Logan, Utah, before returning to Illinois and settling in Henderson.

As a member of the American Optometric Association, Rob provided optometry services in Utah and Illinois for 38 years before retiring in 2022. He served in many positions locally for the Church including Bishoprics and stake councils, and was active in local politics on the board and later as mayor of Henderson for many years. He was also a member of the Monmouth Flying Club for over 30 years and maintained his personal pilot license.

He is survived by his wife of 47 years Sandra Marie McEwan (Henderson, Illinois), mother Betty Jean McEwan (Arcadia, California), brother Lynn and his wife Marla (Lancaster, California), brother Richard and his wife Charlotte (Hong Kong), son Michael and his wife Lea (Glenwood Springs, Colorado), son Brian and his wife Megan (Sale Creek, Tennessee), and grandchildren Claire, Mazy, Jack, Evey, Joseph, Ramsey and Calvin. He was preceded in death by his father, Jack Berry McEwan.

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MEMBER BENEFITS

MEMBER BENEFIT: FREE On-Demand CE!

Don't forget! The IOA offers FREE On-Demand CE, as part of your membership you gain access to a variety of free continuing education courses. 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.

On-Demand CE

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.

Donate here

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. Now more than ever, we need strong, principled leaders who will fight for equal rights, and access to essential services —Will you pitch in today to help us protect our profession and the patients we serve?

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.

Donate here

View PAC Donor List

Medicare Fee Schedules:

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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.)

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.

Resources here

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

If you believe a health insurance company is violating the Vision Care Plan Regulation Act, please file a complaint with the Illinois Department of Insurance by following the link below. If appropriate, please also encourage your patients to file a complaint. Doing so is what drives the Department of Insurance to take action against insurance companies who aren’t following the law. File a complaint with the Department of Insurance at the link below.

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

1/25: IOA Winter CE Series | Effingham, IL (Registration coming soon)

2/22: IOA Winter CE Series | Itasca, IL (Registration coming soon)

3/1: IOA Winter CE Series | Tinley Park, IL (Registration coming soon)

INDUSTRY NEWS

Lens-based Refractive Surgery is Carving Out a Growing Niche

Optometry Times | By Seamus Martin, OD

November 10, 2025

One of the most important communication tasks I have as an OD is to simplify what can be a complex decision-making process for the patient.

Optometrists are often the first to educate patients about refractive surgery, which gives us an extraordinary opportunity and responsibility to ensure that they understand the full spectrum of available options and which ones are best suited for them. Most patients who are open to the idea of refractive surgery are somewhat knowledgeable about LASIK and other corneal-based procedures, such as photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and small incision lenticule extraction. Conversely, few are familiar with the EVO implantable collamer lens (ICL; STAAR Surgical Company), which I am finding to be one of the most exciting and transformative refractive procedures that we have integrated into our comanagement workflow here at ICON Eyecare in Denver, Colorado.

Additive vision correction

One of the most important communication tasks I have as an OD is to simplify what can be a complex decision-making process for the patient. When introducing EVO ICL, I begin by emphasizing the concept of “additive” vision correction. This framing helps patients immediately distinguish it from more familiar procedures that reshape the cornea. I explain that instead of removing any part of their eye’s natural anatomy, EVO ICL adds something to enhance it. Specifically, the EVO lens is placed behind the iris, where it works in harmony with the natural lens to correct vision, most commonly for myopia and astigmatism. It’s invisible to the naked eye, patients typically can’t feel it once implanted, and it doesn’t interfere with normal ocular function. Patients tend to respond well to this easy-to-understand language. I also highlight that, unlike corneal-based surgeries, EVO ICL is removable. This reversibility provides peace of mind, especially to younger patients who may be concerned about the long-term evolution of their vision.

It is also helpful to mention that the collamer material used in the lens is biocompatible and includes collagen, which enhances its acceptance in the eye. The fact that more than 2 million lenses have been implanted worldwide, with extremely high patient satisfaction, also helps reinforce confidence in the technology.

Identifying ideal candidates

Although LASIK and PRK remain good choices for many, there is a significant cohort of patients who either are not candidates or would benefit more from EVO ICL. My role as a comanaging optometrist is to identify those patients early and educate them on the best available options. Patients with moderate to high myopia (typically –3.00 diopters [D] to –20.00 D) often fall into the sweet spot for EVO ICL. Many of these patients are either not eligible for LASIK due to thin corneas or are uncomfortable with the idea of permanently reshaping their eyes. Others may have large pupils and are concerned about night vision, an area where EVO ICL performs very well.

I have also seen strong interest from patients who are especially concerned about dry eye symptoms, either because they already struggle with ocular surface discomfort or because they have read about the risks of dryness after LASIK. Because EVO ICL does not disrupt the corneal nerves, it has a far lower incidence of postoperative dry eye, making it ideal for this subgroup.

Younger adults, especially those in their 20s and early 30s, are increasingly open to EVO ICL as an alternative to LASIK. As long as their refraction has stabilized, I do not hesitate to start the conversation, provided they have realistic expectations and understand that no vision correction procedure is immune to future changes in prescription or the onset of presbyopia. I am comfortable telling patients that if they want to be out of glasses for their entire life going forward, the ICL will set them up for better success than the other available options.

Optometry Applications Reaches All Time High

ASCO | Staff

November 2025

The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) is happy to report that for the second year in a row, its U.S. institutions received the highest number ever of applicants during the 2024-2025 OptomCAS application cycle.

Optometric institutions collectively saw 2,897 applicants; the previous highest number of applicants was 2,868 in the 2023-2024 application cycle.

More noteworthy highlights include:

The average number of applications per applicant was 4.33.
The median age of applicants was 22 years old, with 73% female and 26% male. Less than 1% declined to state gender.
The ethnicity breakdown for applicants was 42% White, 31% Asian, 13% Spanish/Hispanic/Latino/Latina, 5% Black/African-American, 4% Two or More Races, and less than 1% American Indian/Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander. Four percent of applicants did not report a race.
The average overall cumulative GPA for all applicants was 3.45.

“It’s exciting to see record-breaking interest in optometry for the second year in a row,” said ASCO President Dr. Alicia Feis. “Our Optometry Gives Me Life campaign continues to resonate with STEM students, helping them discover the meaningful, balanced, and innovative career that optometry offers. With the launch of our Eye Opener Sessions, we’ve expanded our reach and deepened engagement, creating more opportunities for students to connect directly with passionate optometrists. We encourage more professionals to get involved and share their stories, reminding future applicants of the profound impact we make in our communities and the fulfillment this profession brings. We’re proud to welcome a new generation of talented applicants and look forward to growing the profession with high-quality future optometrists.”

Applicants apply through OptomCAS, the Optometry Centralized Application Service. OptomCAS launched in June for application cycle 2025-2026, and already the results are very positive. All 25 ASCO member schools and colleges in the U.S. participate in OptomCAS.

AOA NEWS

Limited-Time Offer: AOA Members Can Earn Additional $400 Cash Back* on Top of Other Benefits with the AOA Business Card

For a thriving practice, optimizing every dollar spent is a core strategy. With the right business credit card, AOA members can simplify their practice or other business spending, earn valuable rewards, and even earn money back for the purchases they’re already making.

For a limited time, new AOA Business Card members who apply by December 18, 2025 can qualify for a $400 cash back bonus*, on top of the card’s already impressive benefits, including:

· Reimbursement of AOA dues*

· Up to 2% unlimited cash back rewards on all purchases, with no spending caps or categories to track*

· No annual fee*

· Unlimited employee cards at no additional cost, with customizable spending allowances to simplify staff purchasing

· Access vendor offers and discounts

The AOA Business Card is designed specifically for the needs of independent ODs. Its powerful online dashboard streamlines spending tracking, purchase delegation, and informed financial decisions.

Don’t miss the chance to earn an extra $400 cash back*. Apply by December 18, 2025 to take advantage of this limited time offer and start maximizing your practice’s financial efficiency.

Learn more about how the AOA Business card can benefit your practice at aoacard.com.

*Visit about.card.aoa.org for full terms and conditions.

This credit card program is issued by Hatch Bank pursuant to a license from Mastercard. All terms are subject to change.