Advocacy OOPA

Oregon advocates shine in Salem!

OOPA members convened in Salem in late February for the annual Third Party/Practice Management seminar and Advocacy Day events. Doctors, students and staff met with 39 representatives from Oregon’s House and Senate and/or their respective staff members. During those meetings, we shared our perspectives on four separate bills:

HB 2204 – Rural Tax Credit: We support this bill as it removes the requirement for optometric physicians to have hospital consulting privileges in order to qualify for the rural tax credit. This change will simplify the process, encourage more doctors to practice in rural areas, and ultimately increase access to eye care for underserved communities.

HB 2225 – Primary Care Value: We support this bill as it establishes a minimum reimbursement rate for providers and ensures that optometry, behavioral health, and dentistry remain integral parts of the Medicaid/CCO system. This bill would help increase access to care for Oregonians on Medicaid by making it more feasible for providers to accept these patients.

HB 2992 – Kids See Clearly Program: We support this bill as it expands access to eye care for children through mobile exam units. It is crucial that optometric physicians maintain autonomy in providing care through this program, and we appreciate that recent amendments have addressed this concern while ensuring collaboration with the Oregon Board of Optometry.

HB 2585 – Scope of Practice Committee: We oppose this bill, as it would create an unnecessary bureaucratic barrier within the Oregon Health Authority that could slow or block necessary updates to healthcare providers' scope of practice. This could significantly impact patient care, especially in rural areas where access to specialists is already limited.

Feedback from elected officials was very positive and we will be providing periodic updates on the bills as they move along through the legislative process. Our work will continue through the 2025 session, and we are actively seeking constituents to join us in reaching out to their representatives. If you are interested in joining the advocacy team, please email advocacy@oregonoptometry.org.