Volume 10, Issue 2 │January 16, 2026

License renewals are now OPEN!



The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) has officially opened the renewal cycle. If you’re ready to renew your license, please click the link below to log in and access resources on renewing through IDFPR.

Attention: Illinois Controlled Substance License Holders!

Please be aware that when renewing an Illinois controlled substance license, IDFPR has the previous requirement of 3 hours of continuing education listed as a condition of renewal. This was changed on 1/1/2025 to 1 hour of continuing education. Only one hour of CE on safe opioid prescribing is required per state law.

Third Party Committee Update: 2026 Medicare Allowables now available!

The IOA Third Party Committee has updated the list of 2026 Medicare allowables for Illinois, available for download below. They can be downloaded in Microsoft Excel or Adobe PDF format. For a list of localities and the counties included, please reference the chart below.

Medicare Allowables:

Locality 12 - Excel or PDF

Locality 15 - Excel or PDF

Locality 16 - Excel or PDF

Locality 99 - Excel or PDF

Locality & County Information

12: Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Randolph, St. Clair, Washington

15: DuPage, Kane, Lake, Will

16: Cook

99: All other counties

Do you have all 12 hours of tested CE for license renewal? Check out these CE events below to get tested hours!

January 25, 2026

Location: Thelma Keller Convention Center // Effingham, IL

Speaker: Larissa Krenk, OD & Anna Bedwell, OD

Course: "From Normal to Urgent: Mastering Retinal Imaging and Medical Emergencies"

Hours: 6 TQ

February 22, 2026

Location: Westin Chicago Northwest // Itasca, IL

Speaker: James Fanelli, OD

Course: "Oral Medications with Real Life Considerations, Maximizing Your OCT Utilization in Glaucoma, The Papilledema vs PseudoPapilledema Conundrum: Using Your OCT to Make the Call"

Hours: 6 TQ

March 1, 2026

Location: Tinley Park Convention Center // Tinley Park, IL

Speaker: Jeffry Gerson, OD

Course: "Retina in Focus: Systemic Connections, Diabetes Care, and AMD Nutrition for Today’s Optometrist"

Hours: 6 TQ

January is National Eye Care Month & National Glaucoma Awareness Month!

Here are some ways to spread awareness during National Eye Care Month:



• Encourage the scheduling of comprehensive eye exams annually, many eye diseases show no early symptoms.
• Highlight children’s eye health matters. Vision problems can affect learning and development—don’t wait for symptoms.
• Promote digital eye care. Follow the 20-20-20 rule to reduce eye strain from screens.
• Remind the public that eye health reflects overall health. Eye exams can reveal signs of diabetes, high blood pressure, and autoimmune conditions.
• Emphasize updated prescription. Outdated glasses or contacts can cause headaches, fatigue, and blurred vision.

Here are some ways to spread awareness during Glaucoma Awareness Month:



• Share educational posts throughout January highlighting that glaucoma often has no early symptoms.
• Encourage patients to schedule annual comprehensive eye exams, especially those at higher risk.
• Display glaucoma awareness posters and brochures in your office.
• Talk with patients about glaucoma risk factors during routine visits.
• Use your practice social media, website, and emails to share glaucoma facts and prevention tips.
• Partner with local community organizations or senior centers to share educational materials.
• Remind patients that early detection can help preserve vision.

Do you provide home visits? Eye exams in Spanish? Aviation vision? Update your doctor profile today!



Every week patients use the doctor lookup feature on the IOA/AOA website or call the IOA looking for an OD in their area. Oftentimes they are looking for services such as home visits or optometrists who speak a certain language. Update your IOA/AOA profile so patients can easily find you by logging into your profile at the link below.

2026 Dues Contest! 📣 Win A FREE Annual Meeting registration.

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



Pay membership dues in full by 1/31/2026 via Zelle and be entered into a drawing to win FREE registration to the 2025 IOA Annual Meeting in Springfield, Illinois! This includes your registration for the meeting and all CE testing fees associated with your registration but does not include hotel reservations.

If you are planning on retiring in 2026, please reach out to discuss membership options as soon as possible.

Click below if you would like to pay your dues online.

Congratulations to the 2026 AOA Leadership Institute participants for Illinois!

The Illinois Optometric Association is proud to congratulate the four Illinois optometrists selected to participate in the AOA Leadership Institute Class of 2026. This competitive program recognizes emerging leaders who have demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing the profession and serving their colleagues.

Over the next six months these participants will engage in an immersive leadership development experience focused on strengthening skills in leadership branding, negotiation, leading change, and public speaking. Selection to this program reflects both professional excellence and a dedication to shaping the future of optometry.

Please join the Southern Illinois Optometric Society and the IOA in supporting State Rep Paul Jacobs, O.D., in his race for the Illinois Senate!

An IOA member Rep. Jacobs is currently running for the Illinois Senate in the 59th district to replace retiring Senator Dale Fowler. Join your fellow optometrists in supporting the ONLY optometrist in the Illinois General Assembly. Your contribution will help support the campaign for State Rep. Paul Jacobs, O.D. as he runs for the Illinois Senate.

Contributions may be made to the campaign via check.

About Rep. Paul Jacobs, O.D.

Representative Paul Jacobs has been an optometrist for over 45 years, practicing in several communities throughout Southern Illinois. He currently serves in the 118th district as the elected representative for all of Alexander, Pulaski, and Union Counties and portions of Jackson and Williamson Counties. Some of his committee assignments include Appropriations-Higher Education, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, & IT, Health Care Licenses, Higher Education, Veterans' Affairs, and Higher Ed-Degree Conferral. 

Dr. Jacobs has been a strong advocate for the Illinois Optometric Association, supporting their efforts to enable optometrists to practice to the full scope of their license in VA hospitals, ensuring that our nation's veterans receive essential eye care. 

Representative Jacobs also sponsored SB764, known as the Vision Care Plan Regulation Act, which introduced reforms to ensure fairness and transparency in contracts with vision plans. A key provision of this legislation prohibits vision care plans from limiting an eye care provider's freedom to choose their suppliers, materials, or labs, or from requiring them to purchase materials from a source owned by the entity that issued the vision care plan. SB764 also mandates that eye care providers post a notice to patients if they do not accept the fee schedule set by the insurer for vision plans. 

MEMBER BENEFIT: Vision Awareness Patch Program

Here’s a unique community outreach opportunity that you can easily incorporate into your practice! There are thousands of participants in scouting programs across our state, with involvement starting at the kindergarten level. Many children remain involved up to and through high school.



This outreach is also an opportunity to introduce careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), most importantly the profession of optometry.

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.

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.

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.

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

Fraud Notice from IDFPR

IDFPR | Email Notice

January 14, 2025

Attention Licensees!

The Department has received reports of a scam email targeting licensees. The fraudulent message asks recipients to confirm receipt of documents and claims that additional details will be shared once confirmation is provided. This is a common phishing tactic designed to elicit a reply and potentially obtain personal identification information.

Key indicators this email is a scam:

• Suspicious email address: While the display name may appear official, the actual reply-to address is unusual and unrelated to the State. For example, the scam email begins with an Illinois.gov email address but uses reply to domain like illinois.gov.atlantcwoodcraft.com which is not an official Illinois government domain.
• Impersonation of Department staff: The sender claims to be “Sharon L. Keppler, Compliance Department” This individual is not affiliated with the Department.
• Unverified contact details: The phone numbers provided in the email do not belong to the Department.
• Unusual request: Asking you to confirm receipt before sharing further details is a red flag for phishing attempts.

Please note:

• The Department only sends emails from official Illinois.gov addresses.
• We will never ask you to confirm receipt of documents in this manner.

If you receive such an email, do not respond and do not click any links. Report suspicious messages to FPR.Comms@Illinois.gov

Thank you for your vigilance in protecting your information!

 01/09/2026 - Provider Notice - Important Updates on the Medicare Medicaid Alignment Initiative (MMAI) transition to Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP)

HFS | Provider Notice

January 9, 2025

This notice provides updates regarding the transition of the Illinois Medicare-Medicaid Alignment Initiative (MMAI) program to fully integrated dual eligible special needs plans (FIDE SNPs) and the process for verifying FIDE SNP enrollment.

Department Enrollment Systems

***UPDATE: Until further notice, if the Department’s enrollment file (e.g. MEDI) lists a FIDE SNP in the Medicare Advantage section and a Health Choice Illinois (HCI) plan in the Managed Care Organization section, the FIDE SNP is the correct plan.  See MEDI screen print below as an example.  Please note that FIDE SNP enrollment may change monthly because members can switch monthly. Providers should submit claims to the FIDE SNP and not the HCI plan listed.

*Please note that the special information listed under the Managed Care Organization is incorrect if the member is enrolled in a FIDE SNP.

As stated in Provider Notice issued 12/24/2025, FIDE SNPs will appear as follows in MEDI:

• Aetna Medicare FIDE (HMO D-SNP): Contract Number: H9771001, Health Plan Name Displayed in Medi: AETNA BETTER HEALTH SNP
• Humana Dual Fully Integrated (HMO D-SNP): Contract Number: H4329001, Health Plan Name Displayed in Medi: HUMANA HEALTH PLAN INC SNP
• Molina Medicare Complete Care Plus (HMO D-SNP)
• Contract Number: H3093001,Health Plan Name Displayed in Medi: MOLINA HEALTHCARE OF ILLINOIS: Service area includes these counties in Illinois (Region 1 – Northwestern): Boone, Bureau, Carroll, DeKalb, Fulton, Henderson, Henry, Jo Daviess, Knox, La Salle, Lee, Marshall, Mercer, Ogle, Peoria, Putnam, Rock Island, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Warren, Whiteside, Winnebago, and Woodford.
• Contract Number: H3093002, Health Plan Name Displayed in Medi: MOLINA HEALTHCARE OF ILLINOIS: Service area includes these counties in Illinois (Region 2 – Central counties): Adams, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Coles, Cumberland, De Witt, Douglas, Edgar, Ford, Greene, Hancock, Iroquois, Jersey, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Mason, McDonough, McLean, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Piatt, Pike, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, and Vermilion.
• Contract Number: H3093003, Health Plan Name Displayed in Medi: MOLINA HEALTHCARE OF ILLINOIS: Service area includes these counties in Illinois (Region 3 – Southern counties): Alexander, Bond, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Massac, Monroe, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Richland, Saline, St. Clair, Union, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, White, and Williamson.
• Contract Number: H3093004, Health Plan Name Displayed in Medi: MOLINA HEALTHCARE OF ILLINOIS: Service area includes these counties in Illinois (Region 4 – Cook county): Cook.
• Contract Number: H3093005, Health Plan Name Displayed in Medi: MOLINA HEALTHCARE OF ILLINOIS: Service area includes these counties in Illinois (Region 5 – Collar counties): DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Will.
• Wellcare Meridian Dual Align (HMO D-SNP): Contract Number: H6971001, Health Plan Name Displayed in Medi: MERIDIAN HEALTH PLA INC SNP

Per Provider Notice issued 12/24/2025, FIDE SNPs have the most accurate enrollment information. The reason is that the health plans, not HFS, enroll members in the FIDE SNP program.  The Department encourages all stakeholders to verify enrollment information with the FIDE SNPs.  For detailed instructions on how to contact the FIDE SNPs to verify enrollment, please refer to the Provider Notice issued 12/24/2025.

The Department is working on a manual reconciliation process to correct the inaccurate HCI plan enrollment information. When the reconciliation process is finalized, the Department will issue an updated provider notice. 



Please email any questions to HFS.DSNPInquiries@Illinois.gov.

Get Covered Illinois Gives Residents More Time to Enroll in Health Insurance, Deadline Now January 31

Get Covered Illinois | Press Release

January 12, 2025

CHICAGO — Get Covered Illinois announced today that it is giving residents an additional 16 days to enroll in health insurance through the state’s official marketplace. Customers now have until January 31 to apply for and enroll in coverage.

“We are seeing record numbers of customers finding more affordable coverage by taking the time to shop for and compare plans” said Morgan Winters, Director of Get Covered Illinois. “As a state-based marketplace, not only do we now have the authority to offer this special enrollment extension, but we also have more resources to support our customers in finding affordable health coverage options.”

Illinois invested nearly $7 million dollars into navigator grants that provide enrollment support to residents and has built a strong certified broker network. Brokers are critical enrollment partners who both help customers navigate the application and enrollment process and provide individual plan recommendations. These services are free to Illinois residents.

“There are more than 140 navigators and 9,000 brokers located around the state who stand ready to help our customers apply for and enroll in quality health coverage,” said Ezra Watland, Chief Operating Officer at Get Covered Illinois. “I recommend anyone needing health coverage or who hasn’t taken the time to compare their options, use this additional time to reach out to a broker or navigator.”

Illinois residents can connect with navigators and brokers by using the Get Covered Illinois online directory.

The deadline for enrolling in coverage starting February 1, 2026 is January 31. Visit GetCoveredIllinois.gov to apply and enroll or call our Customer Assistance Center at 1-866-311- 1119 (TTY: 711). Our Customer Assistance Center is offering extended hours through January 31.

Get Covered Illinois is the state's official health insurance marketplace and a division of the Illinois Department of Insurance. We help residents shop, compare, and enroll in quality, affordable health coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Free, one-on-one enrollment help is available statewide from trained navigators and licensed brokers—in person, by phone, and online—with support in multiple languages. For more information or free assistance, visit GetCoveredIllinois.gov or call 1-866-311-1119 (TTY: 711).

VA Optometrists Achieve Pay Parity Under Executive Order

— Historic change follows years of advocacy by AFOS and AOA leaders

Review of Optometric Business | By Staff

January 9, 2025

Pay rates for doctors of optometry working in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are finally on par with physicians’ rates. An executive order published in late December 2025 sets the base and longevity pay schedule for optometrists—along with their physician, podiatrist and dentist colleagues—at $124,308 minimum to $182,324 maximum.

The new rates became effective on the first day of the first applicable pay period on or after Jan. 1, 2026. This comes after the VA, in October, published new regulations implementing physician-level recognition for VA doctors of optometry, a major win for the profession. The VA notice specifically called attention to optometry’s placement in the annual pay table to “enhance the flexibility of the Department to recruit, develop and retain the most highly qualified optometrists to serve our nation’s veterans and maintain a standard of excellence in the VA health care system.”

AFOS and AOA Advocacy

This achievement is the direct result of persistent advocacy and collaboration by dedicated volunteers and leaders from the Association of Armed Forces and Federal Optometric Services (AFOS) and the American Optometric Association (AOA), says Adam Preston, OD, AFOS president.

“Their continued engagement—including recent in-person meetings with congressional leaders in Washington, D.C.—helped generate the visibility and support necessary to move this long-delayed process forward,” he says.

On Jan. 2, former President Joe Biden signed into law the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act. The reform bill included a sweeping list of VA policies, such as adding optometry to the physician pay scale and giving the department the latitude to offer increased pay awards, bonuses and annual evaluations.

Vision and eye health care is the third-most requested service by veterans—behind only primary care and mental health care—with VA doctors of optometry providing roughly 70% of essential primary and medical eye care services. Often the only licensed independent eye care practitioner available at their site, VA optometrists:

• Practice at 95% of VA sites where eye care is offered.
• Provide 73% of the 2.5 million selected ophthalmic procedures.
• Provide 99% of services in low-vision clinics and blind rehabilitation centers.

Yet despite the key role that optometry plays in the delivery of VA health care nationwide, VA optometrists were included in the general schedule (GS) pay scale, which has gone largely unchanged since 1976.

When 2004 legislation created a new pay scale for allopathic and osteopathic physicians to remain competitive with private-sector opportunities, dentists, podiatrists and optometrists were initially left out.

Over time, dentists and podiatrists were added to the physician pay scale, but optometry remained in the GS pay scale with a pay cap far below that of the private sector in many regions. The unfortunate consequence meant numerous vacant optometry positions at VA facilities went unfilled, a problem magnified by the fact that over 20% of the VA optometry workforce is at or near retirement with many having reached the legislative pay cap.

This latest change marks a significant milestone in the VA’s recognition of the essential role doctors of optometry play in providing critical eye and vision care to veterans, says Lindsay Wright, OD, AFOS executive director.

“It serves as a powerful acknowledgment of the value, expertise and commitment that federal service optometrists bring to the VA and the veterans they are honored to serve,” says Dr. Wright. “While additional work remains to ensure consistent and equitable implementation across all VA facilities, this progress represents a major step forward.”

ACA Sign-Ups Fall as Higher Premiums Push People Off Plans

NBC Health News | By Berkeley Lovelace Jr.

January 12, 2025

As open enrollment for Affordable Care Act insurance comes to an end, people are moving to cheaper plans or dropping their coverage entirely, according to state and federal data.

Last year, Congress failed to extend enhanced tax credits for Obamacare customers. The result was soaring monthly premiums across the U.S.

“People are saying: ‘I just can’t make the math work. I cannot afford this. I’m going to just have to roll the dice and hope I don’t have any health issues this year,’” said Audrey Morse Gasteier, executive director of the Massachusetts Health Connector, the state’s ACA marketplace.

NBC News reached out to the 20 states, plus Washington, D.C., that run their own ACA exchanges about changes in sign-ups for 2026. Ten state health officials responded with their latest numbers. In the 30 states that NBC did not ask, people purchase their ACA insurance through HealthCare.gov, run by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

On Monday, the agency released data showing that nationally, sign-ups are down more than 800,000 from last year. Fewer new enrollees are signing up and fewer people are renewing their coverage.

In three states, Idaho, Massachusetts and Virginia, state health officials say roughly twice as many people have dropped their coverage for 2026 compared with the same point last year. In Pennsylvania, terminations have more than tripled, to above 70,000, officials say, and are still growing.

Other states, California, Kentucky and New York, report that new sign-ups are down and that more enrollees are shifting to bronze plans, the lowest-tier option, which come with high deductibles. Three other states, Colorado, Minnesota and New Mexico, say overall sign-ups are flat or higher.

State officials and health policy experts caution that the sign-up totals do not necessarily reflect how many people will ultimately have health insurance this year. The open enrollment period ends Jan. 15 in most states, meaning there is still a chance for people to sign up.



State data also offers only a partial picture, and final nationwide enrollment figures from the federal government are still likely to be weeks away.

Check out the newest IOA classifieds here!

Chicago:

Optometrist Needed in Chicago (Read more)

Northern IL:

Small Private Practice in Morris, IL Seeking PT Optometrist (Read more)

Chicago Suburbs:

Associate Optometrist – Part-Time with Path to Ownership (Read more)

Great FT or PT Opportunity at Primary Eyecare Center in Rockford, IL (Read more)

Part Time OD Needed at Private Practice in Schaumburg, IL (Read more)

Optometrist – Full Time - Private Practice - Yorkville, IL (Read more)

Excellent Private Practice Opportunity for Part-Time Associate in Northbrook, IL (Read more)

Optometrist Opportunity — Lake Zurich & Grayslake, IL (Read more)

Optometrist Needed in Western Suburbs (Read more)

Full-Time Optometrist Needed at Geneva Eye Clinic in Geneva, IL (Read more)

On-Site OD Needed with Illinois Department of Corrections (Read more)

Optometrist Opportunity in Riverwoods, IL (Read more)

Central IL:

Join the Community Eye Care Family! Full-Time Optometrist – Pana & Taylorville, IL (Read more)

Join the Community Eye Care Family! Full-Time Optometrist – Mt. Zion, IL (Read more)

On-Site Opportunity with IL Dept of Corrections (Read more)

Southern IL:

OD Needed in Greater STL Area & Throughout Southern IL (Read more)

On-Site Opportunity with IL Dept of Corrections (Read more)

Out of State:

Pediatric OD Needed in West Des Moines, IA (Read more)



OD Needed in Waukesha, WI (Read more)

Pediatric Optometrist Needed in West Des Moines, Iowa (Read more)



OD Needed in Jackson Michigan (Read more)

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