Volume 9, Issue 42 │November 7, 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 are being prepared and will be sent out by the start of November, so be on the lookout! 🎉

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.

MEMBER NEWS

IOA member Dr. Natalie Glebiv was recently featured in Women in Optometry! The article highlights how the location and design of her practice plays a key role in her success. Conveniently located just 10 minutes from her home and near two local schools.

Read here

IOA member Dr. Raman Bhakhri of the Illinois College of Optometry, recently delivered a Rapid Fire presentation for Optometry Times on inherited retinal diseases. Dr. Bhakhri highlighted how symptoms commonly associated with retinal detachment or posterior vitreous detachment such as flashes and floaters can sometimes indicate rarer underlying conditions.

View here

MEMBER BENEFITS

MEMBER BENEFIT: Have a Billing and Coding Question?

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

Submission form

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:

Email Your Question Here

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

11/11: Fox Valley Optometric Society Meeting

11/12: West Suburban Optometric Society Meeting

INDUSTRY NEWS

Interventional Glaucoma: Redefining the Optometrist’s Role in Modern Glaucoma Management

Optometry Times | By Khanh Hoang, OD

November 6, 2025

Glaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible blindness globally, has traditionally been managed through a combination of topical medications, laser procedures, and incisional surgeries. The advent of interventional glaucoma, a treatment paradigm emphasizing earlier, proactive, and often minimally invasive procedures, has transformed how clinicians approach this chronic disease. This article explores the principles of interventional glaucoma and emphasizes the critical and evolving role optometrists play within this model. From early diagnosis and patient education to collaborative care for lasers and minimally invasive procedures, optometrists are uniquely positioned to lead this proactive approach to glaucoma care.

Glaucoma is often described as the silent thief of sight due to its insidious progression and asymptomatic early stages.¹ Historically, treatment followed a stepwise, conservative approach, starting with pharmacological therapy and escalating to laser or surgical interventions only when medications failed.² However, the limitations of this reactive strategy, particularly in patient adherence and delayed surgical referrals, have prompted a reevaluation of treatment protocols.

Enter interventional glaucoma, a modern proactive treatment paradigm that seeks to intervene earlier in the disease course with procedures that are effective yet less invasive than filtration surgeries.³ This shift not only improves disease control but also reduces the burden of long-term medication use.³ In this context, optometrists are increasingly becoming pivotal figures, both as primary eye care providers and as integral partners in multidisciplinary glaucoma care teams.

The evolution of glaucoma treatment

In traditional glaucoma management, treatment focused on lowering IOP using a stepwise model:

Topical medications, often starting with prostaglandin analogues²
Laser trabeculoplasty (typically selective laser trabeculoplasty [SLT]) introduced after medication failure²
Filtration surgeries (eg, trabeculectomy or tube shunts), reserved for advanced or refractory cases²

Although this model is effective for some patients, it has several shortcomings. These include poor adherence and financial obligations to lifelong eye drops, delayed escalation of therapy, increased disease progression, significant adverse effects from medications and invasive surgeries, and a reactive (rather than preventive) clinical approach.

The interventional glaucoma paradigm reevaluates this progression, advocating for earlier use of laser, minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries (MIGS), and sustained-release procedural pharmaceuticals.³ The goal is to intervene sooner, preserve optic nerve function, and minimize long-term medication dependence.

Defining interventional glaucoma

Interventional glaucoma is not defined by a specific procedure but rather by its proactive treatment philosophy. Key features include the following:

Individualized care that balances IOP control, patient lifestyle, and long-term prognosis⁴
Early diagnosis using advanced imaging, such as optical coherence tomography (OCT), pachymetry, and visual field analysis⁵
Lower thresholds for initiating laser therapy, such as first-line SLT
Timely referral or collaborative care for MIGS procedures

Rather than waiting for disease progression or medication failure, this model empowers clinicians to offer safe, minimally invasive procedures earlier, when they are most effective.³

The expanding role of optometrists

As frontline providers in eye care, optometrists are ideally positioned to drive the interventional glaucoma model. Their role has evolved beyond screening and referral. Today, professionals are active participants in the diagnosis, treatment, collaborative care, and ongoing monitoring of glaucoma.

Early detection and risk stratification. Routine eye exams with patients present a prime opportunity for early detection. With access to advanced diagnostic tools such as OCT, visual field testing, gonioscopy, pachymetry, and corneal hysteresis, optometrists can identify glaucoma suspects and initiate risk stratification early.⁵ By closely monitoring ocular hypertension and subtle nerve fiber layer changes, optometrists play a vital role in determining when to escalate care.⁵
Initiation of treatment. Recent studies, such as the LiGHT trial, have shown that SLT is a more effective first-line therapy than medications, with a superior adverse effect profile and improved adherence.⁶ As of now, optometrists in 14 states are authorized to perform SLT, and that number continues to grow yearly.⁷Additionally, optometrists manage pharmacological therapy by tailoring medication regimens, educating patients on administration, and mitigating adverse effects. As early intervention becomes standard, optometrists will increasingly be responsible for initiating or recommending nonpharmacologic therapies.
Collaborative care for laser and surgical procedures. With the rise of MIGS (eg, iStent [Glaukos] and OMNI Surgical System [Sight Sciences]) and sustained-release procedural pharmaceuticals (eg, bimatoprost intracameral implant [Durysta; AbbVie] and iDose [Glaukos]),³ optometrists have embraced a critical collaborative care role. They are involved in preoperative counseling and selection of procedural candidates; postprocedure follow-ups to monitor wound healing, IOP trends, and complications; and adjusting therapy in response to procedural outcomes. This collaborative framework enhances continuity of care and allows glaucoma specialists to focus on surgical cases.
Patient education and adherence support. Optometrists are uniquely trusted providers who often have long-standing relationships with their patients. This continuity fosters better communication around disease progression and treatment options, improves adherence to prescribed regimens, and reinforces the benefits of early interventional approaches. As interventional glaucoma emphasizes preventive action, the optometrist’s ability to counsel and motivate patients becomes increasingly valuable.

Barriers and opportunities

Despite the advantages of interventional glaucoma, challenges remain, including the following:

Patients and clinicians may be hesitant to adopt new treatment modalities or unaware of the evidence supporting them.
Access to equipment like SLT lasers or OCT imaging can be a barrier in smaller practices.
Interprofessional collaboration still needs improvement to ensure smooth referral and collaborative care communication.

However, these challenges also present opportunities, such as the following:

Optometrists can play a central role in educating patients and clinicians about the robust evidence supporting interventional glaucoma therapies.
Collaborative care models can improve patient access and reduce specialist wait times.
Continuing education and certification programs can enhance optometric proficiency in glaucoma care.

Conclusion

Interventional glaucoma represents a transformative shift in the treatment of a historically undertreated disease. By embracing early, minimally invasive therapies, this model seeks to prevent irreversible vision loss before it occurs. In this new paradigm, optometrists are not only gatekeepers but leaders orchestrating early detection, initiating evidence-based treatment, comanaging procedural cases, and providing lifelong support to patients.

As technology advances and collaborative care models evolve, the role of optometrists in glaucoma management will only continue to grow. Positioned at the intersection of access, expertise, and continuity of care, optometrists are indispensable allies in the fight against glaucoma-related blindness.

Sources

AOA NEWS

AOA Addresses Eyebot Technology

When Eyebot kiosks first popped up in late 2024 in New England, the AOA immediately mobilized to assess the technology.

The standalone kiosks promise 90-second “vision tests” and doctor-reviewed eyeglass prescriptions. Found in shopping malls, the kiosks promise easy access to quick prescriptions. Through a partnership with Zenni Optical, the kiosks also offer the vision test and prescription for free with the purchase of a pair of glasses priced at $49 or more.

In a joint letter to the Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Food and Drug Administration, then-AOA President Steven T. Reed, O.D., and David Metsch, O.D., president of the Massachusetts Society of Optometrists, encouraged further assessment to safeguard patient health and privacy, as well as the relationship between Eyebot and Zenni Optical.

“We believe that the technology needs to be assessed to ensure compliance with federal rules and immediate attention is warranted to address misinformation regarding the capabilities and accuracy of this product,” the letter states.

In addition, AOA raised concerns with a potential violation of PART 456—OPHTHALMIC PRACTICE RULES (EYEGLASS RULE) section 456.2, separation of examination and dispensing. The regulations indicate it is an unfair act or practice for an ophthalmologist or optometrist to fail to provide to the patient one copy of the patient's prescription immediately after the refractive eye examination is completed and before offering to sell the patient ophthalmic goods, whether or not the prescription is requested by the patient.

Eyebot and Zenni’s offering to patients inherently ties the purchase of prescription eyewear to the release of the prescription, and those who choose not to purchase from Zenni are forced to pay for the prescription and vision test if they choose not to purchase from Zenni.

In addition to these federal concerns, further advocacy is underway at the state level with AOA collaboration.

AOA prioritizes patient safety

Eyebot presents an interesting question: are patients getting an eye exam or a vision test? For Deanna Alexander, O.D., chair of the AOA Federal Relations and Advocacy Action Committee, this language is problematic.

“The greatest red flag is that it may not be testing vision accurately, and it’s misleading to the patients,” Dr. Alexander says. “Their eye health is not being checked. If they were having vision issues and went to an in-person exam, their optometrist could detect those markers of silent disease.”

Eyebot kiosks do not advertise themselves as eye exams, but the language is similar enough that patients without prior knowledge may assume they are receiving the full breadth of services they receive during an in-person eye exam. After receiving a prescription for glasses, they may not see the need for testing for glaucoma, cataracts or other common vision-related diagnoses, according to Dr. Alexander.

AOA seeks to embrace trusted technology

Chris Wroten, O.D., chair of the AOA New Technology Committee, says AOA aims to embrace technology, but only that which advances patient health.

“AOA is committed to advocating on behalf of patients and patient safety, and we never want to throttle or prevent new technologies from coming to market just because they’re new or different. We're not about stifling innovation,” Dr. Wroten says. “However, some technologies, whether intentional or unintentional, may endanger patients in the pursuit of profits. As new innovations roll out, there is an opportunity for standards of care to be compromised, so as the primary eye care profession, organized optometry must remain vigilant on behalf of our patients.”

The AOA recently revised its Policy Statement on Telemedicine in Optometry. The new statement specifically refers to technology such as Eyebot. Direct-to-patient technology should not be used as a replacement for a comprehensive eye exam or for diagnostic eye, health or vision conditions.

Telemedicine offers the opportunity for high-value, high-quality eye, health and vision care, expanding access for patients and improving implementation of care. However, important criteria must be met to ensure these services meet the existing standard of care. If new technology contributes to care coordination, protects and promotes the doctor-patient relationship, and meets state and licensure and legal requirements, it will be welcomed into the optometry toolbox.

The AOA is monitoring the Eyebot development and will continue to advocate for the highest standards of patient safety.

Support AOA’s contact lens advocacy: Report suspicious activity

Contact lens retailers’ disregard of federal market laws, such as the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act (FCLCA) and Contact Lens Rule, ultimately endanger Americans’ eye and vision health, which is why AOA takes seriously efforts to keep vendors honest. Although not a regulatory enforcement entity, AOA calls out suspicious business practices in notices to vendors, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

But, AOA needs your help. Better documentation on illegal contact lens sales or complications helps AOA to provide better data to policy makers to keep the public safe. If doctors are aware of an illegal retailer or encounter a patient harmed by illegally procured lenses, here’s how to help:

Report unlawful sales of medical products on the internet.
Report suspicious business practices with the FTC complaint assistant.
Report adverse reactions or problems with contact lenses.
Report suspected FCLCA or Contact Lens Rule violations to AOA via aoa.org/StopIllegalCLs, and direct questions to StopIllegalCLs@aoa.org

For more information on illegal retailer or incident reporting, contact the AOA.

ILLINOIS NEWS

Illinois Launches Get Covered Illinois, the State's Official Health Insurance Marketplace, Beginning November 1, 2025

HFS | Press Release

November 1, 2025

Effective 11/01/2025, Illinois will utilize Get Covered Illinois, the state’s official health insurance marketplace, instead of the Federal Facilitated Marketplace (FFM) to process applications for Affordable Care Act Marketplace (ACA) plans.1 Open Enrollment for Plan Year 2026 is November 1, 2025 – January 15, 2026. This may change in future years.

The website GetCoveredIllinois.gov is where customers who do not get coverage through a job or public programs can shop for a health plan that fits their needs and get financial help (i.e., premium tax credits and cost sharing reductions) to cover the costs of coverage.

If someone applies at Get Covered Illinois and is assessed as eligible for Medicaid instead of Marketplace, their account information will automatically transfer to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services for a full Medicaid determination.

Similarly, if someone applies for Medicaid on the Illinois Application for Benefits Eligibility (ABE) https://abe.illinois.gov/access/ (by phone or paper application; or at a DHS Family Community Resource Center) and found not eligible for Medicaid, their account information will be transferred to Get Covered Illinois to determine Marketplace coverage. Customers will receive a notice from Get Covered Illinois about how to access their Get Covered Illinois account.

For questions about Get Covered Illinois, or anything related to Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace plans, including 1095-A tax forms or premium tax credits, customers should be referred to the Get Covered Illinois Customer Assistance Center ((866) 311- 1119 / TTY – 711).

If someone needs assistance understanding their health coverage options through the Get Covered Illinois marketplace, they can also contact a navigator or broker. They provide free, unbiased services year-round. The Get Covered Illinois navigator and broker directory, where customers can search for a navigator and broker near them, will be available on November 1 here: GetCoveredIllinois.gov/localhelp