Dr. Don E. Williamson

According to Don E. Williamson, OD, Chairman of the AOA Federal Relations Committee, ophthalmology's effort to gain passage of legislation to restrict clinical privileges for VA optometrists (H.R. 3473, the Veterans Eye Treatment Safety Act of 2003), is gaining support.

Don E. Williamson, OD American Optometric Association

Tuesday October 18, Optometrist - Dr. Don Williamson

Children's vision: Optometrist Dr. Don Williamson

According to Don E. Williamson, OD, Chairman of the AOA Federal Relations Committee, ophthalmology's effort to gain passage of legislation to restrict clinical privileges for VA optometrists (H.R. 3473, the Veterans Eye Treatment Safety Act of 2003), is gaining support.

A consecutive reduction in Medicare reimbursement rates would be a tremendous economic blow for practices, says optometrist Don Williamson, chair of the AOA's Federal Relations Committee.

"We are urging all our members to call their Senators to convince them to take action in the early part of the year," Dr. Williamson says.

The American Medical Association and similar groups have expressed concern that if Congress doesn't act in time, fewer physicians will accept Medicare patients and others will stop accepting new Medicare patients.

Vol. No: 140:01Issue: 1/15/03

The visual acuity screening, for example, will prompt referrals for eye or vision problems that might have gone unchecked, says optometrist Don Williamson, of Cape Coral, Fla., and chairman of the AOA's Federal Relations Committee."More and more patients are going to be identified with potential visual problems that maybe haven't yet been seen by an eye doctor," he says.
...
A: Optometrists should already have established relationships with PCPs in their area, Dr. Williamson says.When a patient with diabetes or hypertension is in your office, for example, ask the patient if you can send a letter to her primary-care physician that explains her current visual status.When that patient reaches Medicare age, you've already established yourself with that doctor, Dr. Williamson says.

Both House and Senate bills could improve an independent doctor's status under managed care , says Cape Coral , Fla. , optometrist Don Williamson , chair of the AOA Federal Relations Committee.The key provisions :.

Strong point-of-service.Both bills would allow patients to see doctors outside their medical plans as long as they're willing to pay some out-of-pocket cost.The Senate bill excludes businesses with 50 or fewer employees ; the House version doesn't.Non-discrimination.AOA Key Persons-the volunteer O.D.s who work Capitol Hill-have made this the focus of their encounters with their Congressmen and Senators.Both bills include limits on an insurance company's ability to lock out optometrists and other specific providers , something managed-care plans now do with regularity , Dr. Williamson says.He says the non-discrimination in both versions is a great step forward , but AOA lobbyists hope to gain ground in Conference Committee.Deductibility of health insurance premiums.This is key for self-employed doctors who pay their own health insurance premiums.Both versions would let self-employed people write-off 100 percent of these costs at least by 2001.Higher cap on medical savings accounts ( MSAs ).Current law limits MSAs to 750 , 000 Americans.The House and Senate bills would repeal that and open MSAs to everyone.That's important because it allows more people to go to specialists of their choosing , Dr. Williamson says.

Of course , the spotlight has been on how the different bills handle a patient's right to sue his health plan.The House bill allows this , the Senate legislation doesn't.That could tie the Conference Committee in knots.

Dr. Williamson's take on the House bill : It's a great victory for patients and optometry , and swings the pendulum back to patients and from health plans..

That's the task lobbyists for doctors and patients now have before them : getting that pendulum to at least stay put.