Anthony DeFino , 2025-05-01 18:00:00
Key takeaways:
- Advocacy can produce positive changes in health care.
- Social media can be used to educate patients about the health care system.
LOS ANGELES — Positive changes in medicine can be obtained through advocacy and educating patients about the health care system, according to a group of speakers.
At the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting’s Government Relations symposium, Parag D. Parekh, MD, MPA, outgoing chair of the ASCRS Government Relations Committee, highlighted recent victories in ophthalmology that were achieved with support from the ophthalmic community. Parekh discussed Aetna’s 2022 requirement for prior authorization for cataract surgery, a decision that the community helped reverse, as well as a proposal by a Medicare carrier to limit cataract surgery to patients with vision of 20/50 or worse.
“Fortunately, we were also able to kill that, and we are very proud and happy that we were able to do so,” Parekh said.
The ophthalmic community also helped prevent a regulation that would have ended Medicare’s coverage for minimally invasive glaucoma surgery procedures such as goniotomy.
“For the future, our challenge is to increase physician payments commensurate with the other practice costs,” Susanne M. Hewitt, MD, incoming chair of the committee, said.
While advocacy can force positive changes in health care, there are two important steps for doing so effectively, according to William Flanary, MD: knowing that there is a problem and educating the public on the problem.
“That is where there is a disconnect between what we all know as physicians and what the public knows about health care and about how health care works,” said Flanary, also known as Dr. Glaucomflecken.
Social media can be a key tool to educate the public about the U.S. health care system and to communicate directly with patients.
“This is a different type of advocacy. It’s not advocacy in person, it’s not going out and talking to the legislators, but I am talking to the people who vote for the legislators,” Flanary said. “If the public can be more knowledgeable about problems in health care, then that can create momentum and put pressure on Congress and on legislators to change things and make it better.”
Effective advocacy requires storytelling, Flanary said. Appealing to the public’s personal experiences is more likely to engage them emotionally, which will eventually lead to a wider outreach. Cross-platform presence is also important; ophthalmologists should educate patients about the health care system’s shortcomings both in person and through social media.
“If we are not out there talking about these things, people are going to get wrong information,” Flanary said. “They’re going to get misinformation from people who don’t have patients’ best interests at heart.”
Flanary also encouraged practicing ophthalmologists to make donations and take part in fundraising.
“We are way behind other organizations and interests as far as advocacy fundraising,” he said. “So, donate to your PAC.”
Reference:
- Parekh PD, et al. Government relations and getting involved. Presented at: American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting; April 25-28, 2025; Los Angeles.
Sources/Disclosures
Collapse
Flanary W. Dr. Glaucomflecken speaks on advocacy. Presented at: American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting; April 25-28, 2025; Los Angeles.
Disclosures:
Hewitt reports being the incoming chair of the ASCRS Government Relations Committee. Parekh reports being the outgoing chair of the ASCRS Government Relations Committee. Healio could not confirm relevant financial disclosures for Flanary at the time of publication.
