07/19/2024
We need your help NOW to pass House Bill HR 8371
Advocacy alert!
Attention: ALL Doctors of Optometry
Tell U.S. House Leaders to Pass VA OD Physician Recognition Legislation Before Summer Break
With a dwindling number of days left on the U.S. House legislative calendar and Congress racing toward its annual August Summer recess, it is important that lawmakers right now hear from hundreds of OD and veteran constituentsabout the importance of immediately passing key legislation that would elevate VA doctors of optometry to the physician pay scale.
Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act (H.R. 8371) is backed by more than two dozen veteran advocacy organizations. This would move VA optometrists to the physician pay scale, allowing for market-based pay analysis in determining salaries that are more competitive and flexible in both rural and urban settings.
U.S. House leadership has signaled that the legislation may be brought up for a vote before Congress leaves the nation's capital for the summer, but there are concerns that election-year strife may lead to gaps in support needed to pass the measure. That's why we NEED you to weigh in with your lawmakers right away!
We've heard you!! AOA and AFOS worked tirelessly for many years to get to this point! Now we need your help!!
Here are steps to take action to tell your U.S. House member to support key optometry provisions in the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act (H.R. 8371):
1. Send an email to your U.S. House Member and Senators use the AOA’s Online Action Center to urge your Representative to support HR. 8371 You can find the AOA Action Center by scrolling to the bottom and following the steps.
2. Call Your U.S. House member – focusing on the House specifically we need them to hear from you immediately about how urgent it is to take up and pass H.R. 8371. Here are four steps to making your call:
a) If needed, look up your House member (top right of page.
b) Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for your House member. If you are unable to reach their D.C. office, look up and call their local district or state office.
c) Most likely you will be leaving a voice message. Please prepare by using the talking points below.
d) If you have a conversation (rather than simply leaving a message), please contact Dr. Wright so we can track the positive or negative feddback.
Talking Points:
- Hello, I'm a Doctor of Optometry and a constiutent. I’m committed to providing quality eye health and vision care that our veterans need and deserve.
-I’m calling today to urge Representative ___________ to support vital eye care staffing provisions in the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act (H.R. 8371).
-I’m calling today as a (future) Veteran urging Representative ___________ to support important eye care staffing provisions in the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act (H.R. 8371). I want to be ensured of timely access to the best eye health care by the best providers.
-Eye and Vision care is the third-most requested service by veterans nationwide and VA optometrists provide more than three-quarters of all eye and vision care delivered at VA.
-VA has acknowledged that it is struggling to keep up with growing veteran demand for this critical care due to difficulties recruiting and retaining Doctors of Optometry.
-This unfolding crisis is being fueled by an outdated salary structure, which has led to a number of chronically vacant optometry slots at VA facilities across the country, because the VA has not been able to compete with private sector compensation.
-H.R. 8371 would help solve this recruitment and retention crisis by moving VA Doctors of Optometry to the physician/dentist/podiatrist pay scale, allowing for market-based pay analysis in determining salaries that are more competitive and flexible in both rural and urban settings.
-The legislation is supported by the American Optometric Association (AOA) and nearly two-dozen leading veteran service organizations, including the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, and AMVETS.
-Thank you for considering.
Click on the link above to go to the AOA "Advocacy" page. Then click on "Federal". 
From there you will select "AOA Action Center".
From here you will "Click to take Action" and select the "Help VA" option.
You will need to provide your contact info so it can geo-locate your legislators. Next it should open a page with your legislators selected. Please don't remove your Senators because we hope it moves through the House fast and onto the Senate. There is a great template for you to start with.
Feel free to add any additional information such as a personal story or note to the email. Tell your legislator about vacancies at your facility that are impacting Veterans access to care. Or how your facility isn't able to be the strong teaching hospital it once was because residency slots are going unmatched. Or that your excellent colleagues are leaving for jobs in the private sector because pay is so low. Thus, it leaves the facility challenged to find quality candidates.
* If you are not a VA Optometrist, you can speak to the importance of improving patient access and the public good.
Do you have concerns on why it's important for VA Optometry to move to the Physician's Pay Scale? Please click below for more information on the protections in place to ensure you won't get a pay decrease.