WASHINGTON—Eye physicians and surgeons representing the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) met with members of Congress this week to discuss many of the primary issues they believe are affecting medical and surgical eyecare. During the meetings with members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, ophthalmologists presented their perspective on these “critical issues that impact the quality of care their patients receive,” according to an AAO statement.

“Our nation’s health care system is facing one of the most critical inflection points in our history,” AAO chief executive officer David W. Parke II, MD, said in a statement. “The delivery of health care in this country is indeed complex and expensive. As our elected leaders continue to debate its future, the ophthalmology community remains committed to working toward solutions that provide patients with the care they require, when they need it.”

In conjunction with the annual trip to Capitol Hill, AAO also recognized nine members of Congress for their efforts to help to preserve patient access to quality medical eye care, according to a separate announcement. AAO presented its 2017 Visionary Awards to Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) and Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.).

AAO noted that during its meetings with members of Congress, the Academy made the following points to help the members “guide their legislative and regulatory decisions:”

• Making the treatment of eye disease available and affordable for all Americans;
• Requiring insurance plans to have adequate provider networks to ensure patient access to covered specialty and subspecialty services;
• Reducing regulatory burdens that detract from patient care, interfere with the patient-physician relationship, introduce inefficiencies or increase costs;
• Providing greater cost transparency and promoting economic efficiency throughout the health care system;
• Ensuring timely access to treatments that are proven to be effective in patient care, while preserving physicians’ ability to determine what is appropriate for their patients;
• Improving quality and safety by encouraging initiatives and technology that provide a verifiable mechanism to validate clinically relevant improvements in patient outcomes;
• Ensuring that policies reflect the diversity of provider practices, including practice size, geography, access to specialized technology and facilities, and special needs of the patient populations they serve; and
• Recognizing that the special needs of patient populations may be based on racial, ethnic, cultural, geographic, health and economic factors.

AAO said it is the world's largest association of eye physicians and surgeons, with a global community of 32,000 medical doctors.