Another two-year legislative cycle closes

Dear Colleagues,

As 2018 comes to an end, another two-year legislative cycle closes for organized optometry in Pennsylvania. I am grateful for your ongoing work to protect and advance our profession at both the state and national levels and your unending efforts to safeguard the visual welfare of our patients. Let’s take a closer look legislatively at what we have accomplished together in two short years.
Our vision plan bill, SB 257, amended into HB 1013 for administrative reasons, passed both the Senate and House and is awaiting the signature of Governor Wolf. This law, when enacted, will serve to level the playing field between providers and vision care plans. I congratulate Drs. Paul Lobby and Greg Caldwell in conjunction with the Legislative Affairs Committee for accomplishing this goal.
The handicapped placard and license plate bill, passed in 2017, now includes optometrists on the list of providers who have the privilege of helping our visually handicapped patients cope with their visual challenges. Many thanks to Dr. Bob Owens and the POA’s Motorist Vision Committee on attaining this goal on behalf of our patients.

We were in a position to pass a third bill, our scope of practice modernization bill; however, we came up short. I understand the frustration we all feel with this. It is even more difficult knowing it passed the full Senate by a bipartisan 32-17 margin and that we were told we had the votes necessary for passage in both the House Professional Licensure Committee and the full House. Unfortunately, the Chairman of the House Professional Licensure Committee, State Representative Mark Mustio, chose not to run the bill and it died in his committee.

While this bill didn’t cross the finish line, we are further today than we have been in 16 years. A large part of our success was the incredible contribution of the membership in the form of letters, faxes, and phone calls to legislators as part of our advocacy campaign. It made a substantial impact. The momentum is with us as we move into another legislative cycle. You will be called upon in 2019, under the leadership of incoming president Dr. Lori Gray, to do your part. The challenge will be to reach out to our elected officials and point out the facts.

I want to thank the POA volunteer leadership, our Board of Directors, POA staff, and most importantly, each of you, our members. We are fortunate to have such a strong association. Please know your dues, your POPAC contributions, and your membership matter. Thank you for your hard work, tireless efforts, and support! A good friend once told me this is a thankless job and I’m here to say THANK YOU! It has been a pleasure to serve as your 2018 POA president. I look forward to many years of continued service to our profession and protecting the visual welfare of our patients.

Respectfully Submitted,

Rebecca Wincek Bateson, O.D.
POA President

Hard Work Boulevard

All roads that lead to success must pass through hard work boulevard at some point. 
- Eric Thomas

For over a decade, optometrists have been advocating for our patients to gain access to safe, innovative, and quality eye care. While technology is advancing at lightning speed, optometrists are practicing under an Optometric Practice Act that was last modified 16 years ago. In my last editorial, I described where Pennsylvania stands in the nation providing care to our patients. The great state of Pennsylvania is falling behind and new graduates are leaving to work in states that permit them to practice at their highest level of training.

• PA is one of only two states that continue to use an outdated, antiquated process to authorize new medications for the treatment of eye disease by relying upon approval by the Secretary of Health. 
• PA is one of 8 states that still need the hydrocodone fix.
• PA is one of 10 states that do not permit an optometrist to give an injection to a patient for anaphylactic reaction.

The POA’s efforts to move optometry forward are close to paying off, but victory is going to take effort from every member. It will require a small fraction of your time and support of our Political Action Committee with a modest monetary contribution.

First, every member must be involved. Please contact Dr. James Deom, chair of our Keyperson Committee, to find out how you can help in our grassroots campaign. Dr. Deom can be reached at dr.deom@gmail.com. This fall, it is critical to attend a local fundraiser for your legislator and maintain a positive ongoing relationship. A visit to your legislator’s local office to express your support for the legislation POA supports is crucial to our success. Information about the various bills is found on the POA website under Advocacy.

Next, make a financial contribution to our POA Political Action Fund, POPAC. This money is used to support legislative fundraisers in Harrisburg and around the Commonwealth. Our lobbyists in Harrisburg, along with our Executive Director, attend many fundraisers on our behalf, and it is POPAC funds that allow them to do that. Supporting our legislators is an important way to make the POA known. Ophthalmology, vision plans, and insurance companies all have funds working against us. The POA asks for a $500 annual contribution. To make your contribution, contact Ilene from the POA at ilene@poaeyes.org.

The opportunity is upon us, as an association and as optometrists, to pass through the hard work boulevard of the legislative arena. There is a critical, small window of opportunity of approximately 8-10 legislative session days left through the middle of October to pass three pieces of legislation—our Scope Modification bill (SB 668), the Vision Benefits bill (SB 257), and the Telemedicine bill (SB 780). The POA is the only group that advocates legislatively for you and your patients. I am humbled by your continued support of your POA Board and your association.

Becca Wincek-Bateson, O.D.

POA President

Where does Pennsylvania stand?

As president of the Pennsylvania Optometric Association, one of my volunteer duties includes attending the American Optometric Association’s Optometry’s Meeting, which was held in Denver, Colorado, from June 20 to 24 this year. While at the President’s Council, I gathered with other association presidents, president elects, vice presidents, and executive directors for a valuable opportunity to hear what is happening across the nation, both legislatively and with third party payers. For the last two years, I’ve heard of the battles many states are having legislatively, just as we are here in Pennsylvania. I want to take the time to update you where Pennsylvania stands in the nation.

Pennsylvania is one of two states that continue to use an outdated, antiquated process through the Secretary of Health to authorize new medications for the treatment of eye disease. This process undeniably delays care to the citizens of the Commonwealth. Currently, when a new medication is approved by the FDA for treatment of eye disease, we must request approval by the Secretary of Health and wait for approval. This process takes, on average, six to nine months. 

Pennsylvania is one of seven states that still need the hydrocodone fix. Access to care is crucial to Pennsylvania citizens. Optometrists, unlike ophthalmologists, are able to provide care to 99.9% of Pennsylvania. Doctors of optometry are currently practicing in 65 of the 67 Pennsylvania counties. Ophthalmologists have no direct in-county providers in 11 counties, forcing patients in 15% of the state to travel for care that could otherwise be provided by an optometrist. This means that, in those counties, optometrists are the only eye care provider providing access to eye care for 75,039 urban residents and 204,183 rural residents. The two counties in which optometrists are not currently practicing are also without an ophthalmologist. These counties lacking a local eye care provider are Forest and Cameron; together they comprise 2,677 urban residents and 10,124 rural residents. The population of Forest County is 100% rural.

Pennsylvania is one of 11 states that do not permit an optometrist, through the Optometric Practice Act, to give an injection to a patient for anaphylactic reaction. By law, even school bus drivers and crossing guards are permitted to give an injection. 

Currently, there are two pieces of legislation in the general assembly that affect optometry. Senator Ward’s Senate Bill 257 (SB257) provides Pennsylvania’s citizens protection from the actions of Vision Care Plans. The second is Senator Gordner’s Senate Bill 668 (SB668), to modernize Pennsylvania optometrists’ scope of practice. Please join me in the fight to pass SB257 and SB668 to ensure that our patient’s, the residents of Pennsylvania, receive the highest quality, most cost-effective eye care possible and protection from vision plans. More information and resources on these bills can be found on the POA website at www.poaeyes.org under the password-protected Advocacy section.

Rebecca Wincek-Bateson, O.D.
POA President

June 4, 2018 – Optometry at the Capitol Day

Dear POA Members,

While April showers brings May flowers, the POA’s lobby day on June 4th will bring optometry’s voice to Harrisburg. I am excited to invite you to attend a legislative action day on Capitol Hill on Monday, June 4, 2018 as we educate our elected officials about the important role optometrists play in the vision health of Commonwealth residents. We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from both the House and Senate members, who were visited by POA doctors in October of 2017, and we want to continue riding that momentum with a second round of visits.

Never attended a lobby day before? No worries! Our day will begin with a dynamic and information-filled program ensuring you are prepared for discussions with your legislator. If you prefer, we can pair you with an experienced optometrist to join you for your legislator visit. You will learn about two current legislative efforts impacting optometry and our patients.

The first is Senator Ward’s SB257, “Quality Eye Care for Insured Pennsylvanians”. This bill provides Pennsylvania’s citizens protection from the actions of Vision Care Plans. These plan designs often attempt to restrict the patient’s freedom of choice by dictating the suppliers and brands of products covered by their plans. As these companies continue to vertically integrate, they increasingly force our patients into products that financially benefit the Vision Care Plan, at the expense of patient choice. The bill also helps to limit the discounts that our members are forced to give, limiting it to services and products that are actually covered by the plan.

The second is Senator Gordner’s bill to modernize Pennsylvania optometrists’ scope of practice. Currently, optometrists are subject to some outdated regulations in the Optometric Practice Act. Any new medications need to be approved by the Secretary of Health, resulting in a delay in our patients having availability to new and beneficial treatments. For example, when Xiidra was introduced last summer, it took about four months for it to be approved. Another regulation requires optometrists consult with a medical doctor when a patient’s treatment exceeds six weeks. This requirement was not included when the scope was modified to include glaucoma. Obviously if there is no issue with optometrists treating glaucoma beyond six weeks, there should not be an issue with dry eye or allergy drops either. It is definitely time for these outdated regulations to be removed. The bill will also allow optometrists to prescribe hydrocodone again, which was lost when it was reclassified as a level 2 narcotic, and allow injections for anaphylaxis and into the upper and lower eyelids. 

For this day to be successful, please block off your patient schedule now for Monday, June 4, 2018 and plan to attend the 2018 Optometry at the Capitol Day. Your voice is important and your participation will make an impact. Our political action days in Harrisburg continue to grow; it is time for you to join us in advocating for our patients so the General Assembly recognizes the strength and importance of organized optometry.

Rebecca Wincek-Bateson, O.D.
POA President

The POA's Resolutions

Happy 2018! I hope you had a wonderful and safe holiday season with family and friends.

I’m sure you, like me, set some new year resolutions. Your professional association set some “resolutions” as well, known as a strategic plan. In the autumn of 2017, the Board of Directors met with a strategic planning coordinator from outside of the organization to help assess the needs of our association and our members.

Both member and leadership surveys were used to develop key operational areas of focus. As with any resolution or goal, it must become operational to be successful. While most of us are able to strategize and set goals, a majority of us find difficulty in actually doing the work it takes to become successful. However, if the right structure and the right support system are in place success is more likely obtainable.

This thought process is analogous to recent action by the POA Board as it relates to the strategic plan. The Board took a hard look at the structure and function of the association. Upon in-depth review, the Board decided to make changes to the structure of the table of organization to better support the goals of our members and the success of our association. With these changes comes a sustainable support system and collaboration across all committees. Albeit, a better road to success.

A few new changes worth mentioning are the Clinical Practice Resource Committee, the Communication Committee, and the Local Society Leadership Committee. The Clinical Practice Resource Committee is comprised of members with various areas of interest within optometry related to pediatric vision, low vision, contact lens, concussion, motorist vision, dry eye and diabetes. Its members collaborate to develop guidelines, educational information, and practice tips for the benefit of colleagues, staff and the general public.

The Communication Committee encompasses members from the Legislative Advocacy, Third Party, Clinical Education, Clinical Resources, Membership, Fiscal, and Administrative committees. Organizations cannot succeed if there is not adequate knowledge of the organization’s programs, benefits and activities. The committee strives to assure all members are fully informed of the POA’s actions and events, and encourages all members to become fully engaged in their professional association. The committee creates open lines of communication between committee chairs, committee members, and leadership so POA programs are consistent, coordinated and collegial.
The Local Society Leadership Committee is comprised of leaders from our 14 local societies. It is designed to provide our local societies with the ideas, the resources, and the confidence to become advocates for the profession, not only in their home towns but across the Commonwealth. They also serve as a communication network between local society leadership, POA staff, and the Board of Directors.

I am so very thankful to have a great volunteer structure and POA staff to support our association in 2018. Thank you to our volunteer Board members, our POA staff, committee chairs and members, and our local society presidents and volunteers for your time and leadership. This is a team effort. We will move forward operationally with our goals and, as an association, we will accomplish a great deal this year. I wish you the best in 2018. May your resolutions become operational and be successful!

Becca Wincek-Bateson, O.D.

2018 POA President

October 16: Optometry at the Capitol Day

In my last editorial, I promised more information about your opportunity to advocate for your profession. Thanks to the hard work of the POA Legislative Affairs Committee, staff, lobbyists, and Board of Directors, we bring to you Optometry at the Capitol Day on October 16, 2017! We are hoping to see hundreds of POA optometrists and Salus students rush the Harrisburg Capitol Complex to promote optometry and the ocular health of Pennsylvania’s residents. Believe me when I say that your volunteer leadership, staff, and lobbyists have been banging optometry’s drum since the beginning of this legislative session. Regardless, it is vital for the legislators to hear from the rank and file optometrists about how the pending legislation helps not only their constituent optometrists, but also their constituents that are patients in our practices.

We have created a program chocked full of information to educate you on the legislative initiatives that relate to optometry. You will hear from legislators about the value of advocacy and what they want to hear from you. You will hear from the legislators who introduced the bills and why they feel they are important for Pennsylvania’s residents. We have members from the AOA and the POA Advocacy teams to help train you on how to intelligently communicate with your legislators. All of this leads up to the opportunity to meet with your legislators and discuss these important bills.

Now when you get out your calendar to mark down the date, you’re going to realize that October 16 is a Monday, and for most of us Monday is a busy patient day. So now the question comes, how can I afford to take a day off for this? Well, the answer is you really can’t afford not to. Our profession is a legislated profession. No matter what your training is in optometry school, if your state law doesn’t say you can do it, you can’t do it. It is essential that we promote these bills that allow us to practice to the level of our training and be able to provide the best level of care to our patients. Please, please help contribute to this process. Take the day off, allow your associate doctors to take the day off, and travel to Harrisburg to advocate for your profession. Come spend the day with your colleagues and reconnect with your friends. Make some new friends! Think of this as an investment in your professional future. Don’t worry, your patients will be there on Tuesday. I’m sure each and every one of you can think of a day you took off to play a terrible round of golf, or sit through a terribly boring CE class, or to catch up on yard work. Well, let me tell you that this will be a much more rewarding experience, and you will find yourself looking forward to the next opportunity to advocate again. So, I expect to see each and every one of you on October 16th in Harrisburg.








Steven Eiss, O.D.

A is for Advocacy

By the time you are reading this, thousands of optometrists and optometry students will have converged on Washington, D.C. for the 2017 Optometry’s Meeting (OM). If you are a regular or even occasional attendee of OM, you would have noticed that this year was a little different. In the past, the AOA has held their Advocacy Conference every April in Washington, D.C. That meeting centered around visiting legislators to advocate for optometry-related bills. A big part of that meeting was student participation. A high percentage of the students who had participated in the Advocacy Conference converted into AOA members. Since OM was in D.C. this year, the AOA combined it with the Advocacy Conference, which meant a big increase in student attendance. The really cool thing about this was that a lot of optometrists will have had the opportunity to interact with their legislators and the students. If you have never had the opportunity to do this, I would strongly suggest you do in the future. Every year at the Advocacy Conference, we have had a number of doctors and students with no experience in speaking with their legislators. The hesitation—and sometimes even fear—in their eyes as we prepared for the visits was easy to see. The statement “you don’t really expect me to talk, do you?” was frequently heard, but it was really rewarding to see these same individuals taking the lead in the discussion by the second or third visit. Almost everyone would then look forward to coming back the next year.

So, this year’s meeting has given me the opportunity to strike this same fear into the eyes of some of our members that would never normally think of attending the Advocacy Conference. As I write this, I have already begun the process of recruiting a number of attending POA members into the ranks storming Capitol Hill in 2017. I can already hear the hesitation through the emailed replies: “you expect me to set up an appointment with my Congressperson, and then to actually go!?” Yes, I do! And I really look forward to the follow-up question, “when can we do this again?” The answer is coming to Harrisburg in the near future—stay tuned.








Steve Eiss, O.D.
POA President