• Physician Practice Information Survey
  • Physician Practice Information Survey Frequently Asked Questions
• AOA-PAC
  • Facts About AOA-PAC
  • FAQ's
  • Making a Difference
  • Candidate Support Criteria
    • Victory: 343 Winning Candidates Backed by AOA-PAC
    • Contribution Limits 2011 - 2012
• Federal Government Relations
  • Washington Office Report
  • AOA-Federal Relations Committee
  • AOA-Professional Relations Committee
  • AOA-Federal Legislative Committee
  • National Eye Institute (NEI)
  • Key Government Web Sites
  • 2012 U.S. House of Representatives Schedule
  • 2012 U.S. Senate Schedule
• Legislative Priorities
• Legislative Fact Sheets
  • U.S. Senate Approves AOA-backed Medicare Fee Fix, DMEPOS Accreditation Delay
  • Optometry Wins Key Health Plan Battle in Washington
    • AOA Supports the Collins-Murkowski Amendment to S. 1955
    • S.1955 Bill History
  • Medicare Physician Payment
    • Scheduled Medicare Fee Cuts for Optometrists
    • Preventing Medicare Payment Cuts Fact Sheet
    • Contact your Legislators to Stop Medicare Fee Cuts
  • Optometry Scope of Practice
    • AMA-backed scope of practice bill (HR.5688) would usurp states’ licensing and policing authority
    • HR.5688 Status and Cosponsors
    • H.R. 5688, "Health Care Truth and Transparency Act of 2006" Fact Sheet
  • Children’s Vision
    • AOA Backs S.3685 to Make Children's Vision a Top Federal Priority
    • S.3685 Status and Cosponsors
    • More Cosponsors Needed for AOA Endorsed Children's Vision Legislation
    • S.2238 Status and Cosponsors
    • Children's Eye Exams: AOA Supports H.R. 2238
  • Stop the 10% Cut in Medicare Reimbursement to Optometrists Due to Take Effect on January 1, 2008
  • AOA Supports HR 1884 to End Exclusion of ODs in NHSC and Expand Access to Eye Care in Underserved Communities
  • AOA Supports HR 1983, the Optometric Equity in Medicaid Act
  • Vision Care for Kids Act: AOA Supports H.R. 507/S. 1117 Co-sponsors Needed!
  • AOA Opposes HR 2260, the "Sullivan Bill"
  • Protecting Contact Lens Patients from Abuses by Unscrupulous Internet Sellers
  • Health Care Reform: Expand Access to Essential Optometric Care
  • Support Schakowsky - Hall Optometric Equity in Medicaid Act (HR 2697) to Safeguard Access to Care in Underserved Communities
    • Contact Lens Consumer Protection
      • Press Release from AOA on HR 6117
      • Press Release from Rep. Whitfield's office on HR 6117
      • FTC Conclusions on Contact Lens Distribution
      • Fact Sheet on Key Federal Trade Commission Findings Concerning Limited Distribution Contact Lenses
      • "Contact Lens Consumer Protection Act" (S. 2480) needs increased verification safeguards
      • S. 2480 Talking Points
      • AOA Letter to FTC
      • FTC Warning Letter to 1-800 CONTACTS
      • Report a violation to the FTC
      • Report a violation to AOA
      • Testimony of Dr. Wiley Curtis of Arlington, Texas Before the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection, U.S. House of Representatives Hearing on Contact Lens Sales
    • AOA Supports HR 979, Patients Bill of Rights, to Ensure Access to Care
    • AOA Opposes HR 2260/Sullivan Bill
    • PDF Version
  • Make Preventative Vision Care For Children a Top Health Care Priority (S 259/HR 577)
  • Make Healthy Vision a Top Health Care Priority: Co-Sponsor HR 1884 to Expand Access to Eye and Vision Care
  • InfantSEE®: Establishing a Lifetime of Healthy Vision for Infants
  • Protecting Contact Lens Patients From Abuses by Unscrupulous Internet Sellers
  • Support Optometric Education
  • Optometrists Offer No-Cost Eye Assessments through InfantSEE® Initiative
  • Vision Care for Kids Act: AOA Supports H.R. 507/S. 1117 Co-sponsors Needed!
  • AOA Supports HR 1983, the Optometric Equity in Medicaid Act
  • AOA Supports HR 1884 to End Exclusion of ODs in NHSC and Expand Access to Eye Care in Underserved Communities
  • Pay for Performance – Quality Reporting
  • AOA Supports HR 979, Patients Bill of Rights, to Ensure Access to Care
  • Stop the 10% Cut in Medicare Reimbursement to Optometrists Due to Take Effect on July 1, 2008
  • Strengthen Optometric Education and Ease Financial Aid Debt Burden on Optometry Students
  • AOA Backs Historic Expansion of Low Vision Services for America’s Veterans
  • Children's Eye Exams: AOA Supports H.R. 2238
  • Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Low Vision Program
  • H.R. 5688, "Health Care Truth and Transparency Act of 2006"
  • Prevent Medicare Payment Cuts in 2007 and Beyond
  • Optometry and the National Health Service Corps
  • Support Optometric Education and Optometry Students
• Legislative Achievements
• Health Information Technology
  • Glossary of Health Information Technology Terms
• Medical Home
• AOA Keypersons Network
  • Keyperson of the Year
  • Contacting Congress
    • Letter Writing Guide
    • Golden Rules
  • How a Bill Becomes Law
• Regulatory Issues (HIPAA/Medicare/FCLCA/NPI)
  • New Medicare DMEPOS application fee takes effect
  • Misuse of DEA Number Complaint Form for Medicare Part D Patient Form
  • DMEPOS Surety Bond Update
    • DMEPOS Surety Bond FAQs
  • FTC "Red Flags Rule"
  • HIPAA
    • Answers to Member Questions about the HIPAA Privacy Rule
    • Help Downloading HIPAA Documents
    • Help Customizing HIPAA Forms
    • HIPAA Security Regulation Compliance Resources
  • Medicare
    • Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics & Supplies
    • Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN)
    • 2009 Medicare Fee Schedule
    • Pay for Performance (PQRI)
      • National Provider Conference Calls
      • MLN Matters Newsletter: Program Overview: 2007 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI)
      • New Level II CPT Codes
      • Quality Measure Development Process
      • From AOA News - CMS to offer 1.5% bonus payments for quality reporting
      • CMS Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI)
      • AMA Physician Consortium on Performance Improvement (PCPI or the Consortium)
      • Ambulatory Quality Alliance (AQA)
      • National Quality Forum (NQF)
      • National Committee on Quality Assurance
    • Provider Nondiscrimination in Medicare Managed Care
    • Funding for Clinical Education
    • Medicare Resources on the Internet
    • Carrier Advisory Committee
      • Carrier Advisory Committee Meeting PowerPoints
      • Carrier Advisory Committee Members
    • Medicare Acronyms
    • Medicare Fee-for-Service Provider/Supplier Web Pages Bookmark
  • Medicaid Prescription Pad Requirements
  • Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act (FCLCA)
    • FTC clarifies handling of 'patient agent' requests
    • FCLCA Resources
    • Highlights of Final FCLCA Rule
  • National Provider Identifier (NPI)
    • NPI Contingency Satus Survey Launched
    • Medicare’s Key NPI Implementation Dates
    • What to do if Claims Are Rejected
    • CMS: Some billing services not using providers' NPIs
    • NPI provider data available
    • Apply for your National Provider Identifier (NPI)
    • NPI Contingency Guidance National Provider Roundtable with Question & Answer Session
    • Fee For Service Medicare NPI Q&A Session: Common Billing Errors
    • Medicare now accepting new CMS 1500 claim forms
    • Tips to Avoid NPI Nightmares
  • Social Security Administration
  • Regional Health Information Organizations
• Public Health
  • National Commission on Vision and Health
  • Healthy People 2010
• Conferences and Meetings
  • 2012 Congressional Advocacy Conference
  • AOA-Led School Readiness Summit Issues Bold Healthy Vision and Learning Plan
  • 2011 Congressional Advocacy Conference
  • 2010 Congressional Advocacy Conference
• Advocacy Staff Contacts

Regulatory Issues (HIPAA/Medicare/FCLCA/NPI)

• New Medicare DMEPOS application fee takes effect
• Misuse of DEA Number Complaint Form for Medicare Part D Patient Form
• DMEPOS Surety Bond Update
• FTC "Red Flags Rule"
• Medicare
• Medicaid Prescription Pad Requirements
• Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act (FCLCA)
• National Provider Identifier (NPI)
• Social Security Administration
• Regional Health Information Organizations

Optometry is not just a legislated profession; it's a highly regulated profession. Issues surrounding patient health safeguards, patient health information security, and practitioner reimbursement are some of the important areas of daily optometric practice subject to federal regulation.

AOA forges and maintains relationships with federal regulators, ensuring proper representation of optometrists and their patients when federal regulators make decisions. AOA also helps make regulatory statutes and decisions clear to AOA members, providing optometric-specific compliance tools and resources.