Legislative Committee

At the request of Representative Moyle, who has stated that he will not hold our bill this coming session and that he intended to bring ophthalmology to the table, we had our first sit-down meeting with ophthalmology with myself, incoming President James Bewley, two of our lobbyists, Lisa White, the Executive Director for the Idaho Ophthalmology Society (IOS), the lobbyist for the IOS and current IOS President Brett Betts, MD. 

This was the most productive conversation we have had with ophthalmology and their representatives in a while. After the meeting, I wonder in how much detail the opposition reviewed the proposed law before deciding they were against it. There was a general unawareness that most of their concerns regarding safety, training, and education were fully addressed within the proposed legislation. They did not know all the details of the laser procedures national board examination that is required in our current bill and that is built to ensure competence and skill before certifying optometrists to perform these procedures on patients. They did not know how the laser laws throughout include and how they are written. I am hoping they are now fully versed.

This initial meeting was a starting point where the intention is to reach some sort of agreement so this bill can pass this coming session with a lot less drama. As many of you know after working with ophthalmology on other legislative pursuits, these attempts and discussions have not been fruitful in the past. It would sure be nice to change that tune this time around. There will be another meeting, hopefully in the near future, and we will see how that pans out. 

In the meantime, please maintain your relationships with your legislators as we start to head into the fall and then the legislative session. We had overwhelming support last session and hope to continue with that in 2024.

Thank you, 

Lauren Huber, OD

IOP Legislative Committee Chair

No updates to report.

Stephen Farris, OD

Insurance Advisory Committee Chair

Hello from the Idaho State Board of Optometry. It is my honor to serve the Board as Chair for this upcoming fiscal year. I look forward to our work as a board in serving the citizens of Idaho.  

The State of Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses has entered into a contract for their new Licensing Information System. The goal for implementation of this system is mid-2014. This system will allow licensees to renew their professional licenses online and help streamline our current renewal system. We will keep everyone updated as these changes occur.  

I would ask that you please reach out to me or any of the other State Board members if you have any questions or concerns.  I would also direct you to dopl.idaho.gov/opt/ for further information about licensing, guidance and minutes of all the Board meetings.  

It is a please to continue to serve and work in the Great State of Idaho.

Jared P. Walker, OD

Chair, Idaho State Board of Optometry

Membership to Idaho Optometry Physicians includes membership in the American Optometry Association. It can be challenging to understand the daily role of the AOA, especially in Western states that are seen as geographically distant from the political center of our country. I wanted to share a couple of issues facing IOP members and how the AOA is helping to address these issues in our nation’s capital.

An issue pulling a lot of political and AOA attention is the VA. Currently, VA OD’s are paid on a scale that has not been updated in almost 40 years! With such low pay to offer ODs, the VA is challenged to find good providers on a regular basis and VA patients are challenged to have consistent care for their eyes. In order to change the pay scale, this issue literally requires an act of Congress. The AOA is working hard to get this issue resolved giving fair, market-based pay to VA ODs.

Medicare is a constant concern for all of us. The AOA shares our concerns about Medicare reimbursement and potential fee cuts. One of the primary focal points for the current AOA is to help offset as many of these cuts as possible. Although Medicare has reduced payments to providers over the past 20 years, imagine how those cuts would have looked without the AOA advocating on our behalf.

Our continued support of the IOP and the AOA helps to ensure ODs can, and will remain, practicing to our most capable level while getting paid for our services.

James Bewley, OD

IOP President Elect

Communication Committee Chair

Hello paras! The Fall season is creeping in - the rush of kids returning back to school is over, the leaves are changing, and Congress is just around the corner! Classes are filling up, so I don’t want you to miss out on registering for our classes and continuing education! 

Remember, Thursday (10/05) is only a half day where the classes will be together as a whole group, and then Friday (10/06) will be the two track option! We are trying this new option to cover education based on the feedback received over the past couple years from you and the doctors. Every class is certified by either the CPC (Commission on Paraoptometric Certification) or ABO (American Board of Opticianry) - so plenty of CEC to earn! 

I look forward to the cooler weather and spending time learning with all of you in October!

Tami Arnett, CPOA, ABOC

IOP Paraoptometric Committee Chair