What made me do it? I have no idea. Maybe it was the frustration and constant pressure to improve efficiency, see more patients and adopt cash pay alternatives while seeing net profits decrease and Medicare continue to cut reimbursement.

For some reason, on an already busy Wednesday evening in July, I joined 80 or so of our colleagues on an OPHTHAC sponsored webinar. We had the opportunity to listen to and speak directly with US Rep. Greg Murphy, MD (NC-03), who is a member of the House Ways and Means and Veterans’ Affairs Committees and co-chair of the GOP Doctors Caucus. Dr. Murphy spoke in this interactive webinar about important issues like Medicare payment cuts, prior authorization and step therapy reforms, and scope of practice.

MY INTRODUCTION TO ADVOCACY

I have never done something like that before. Mostly, I just assume that other people are taking care of all of my professional problems. Sure, I pay my membership and political action committee (PAC) dues. Occasionally, I click a button in an email to send a form letter to a political representative in my district to support a bill. Beyond that, I’ve never gotten involved, never gone to DC to meet any representatives or actively contributed in any way to the protection of our profession other than by writing a check.

Don’t get me wrong. Writing checks to support the PACs that advocate for us is important, but personally getting involved is much more impactful in my very limited experience.

How much more efficient can we make our clinics? How many more patients can we see? How can we recruit/retain staff without further diminishing our net profits given rising salary demands and the cost of training staff? It’s like squeezing water from a stone. It’s time to go to the source of our problem and become personally invested in the change we need to protect our patients, profession and our incomes.

HOW WE CAN GET INVOLVED

The AMA, AAO and ASCRS (among other societies) each have clear pathways to educate and become involved in supporting and advocating for ourselves politically. I live in Maryland, and we have two ways to locally become involved: MedChi and the Maryland Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons. In writing this article, I learned about how much each of these state and local groups have to offer and how they are involved in fighting the big fight to safeguard our profession and defend our patients’ rights.

It is estimated that less than 25% of physicians belong to the AMA. However, most active US ophthalmologists belong to the AAO (18,000 active US members according to the AAO, which represents 72% of the total number of members worldwide); yet the average state ophthalmology society’s percentage of membership declined to 39.54% in 2021.

For those of us who have been lackadaisical (like me) about our active participation in political advocacy, there is no time like the present to become involved. For those who have given their time, money and expertise to fight for the rest of us, we thank you. The margin for us to cut expenses, see more patients and continue to be profitable is getting smaller and smaller. It is past time for each of us to rise up and make a stand with policymakers and insurance companies and demand better for ourselves and our patients.

I urge each of you to check out the websites of our national and state societies and get involved in an issue that excites or interests you. In addition, Ophthalmology Management plans to provide tips in the future for how you can access, engage and influence the policy changes that are so desperately needed. Together, we really can make a difference. OM

LISA K. FEULNER, MD, PHD, MD, PhD, is Ophthalmology Management’s chief medical editor. She is the founder and CEO of Advanced Eye Care & Aesthetics in Bel Air, Md., where she specializes in cataract surgery, medical and surgical glaucoma care and dry eye disease.