President's Message

Dr. Ryan Powell, MOA President

The New Year and a new legislative session are in full swing now.

The MOA has been working closely with our state legislators on key issues that affect optometrists in Missouri every day. We are very fortunate to have good working relationships with the law makers in Jefferson City. I want to take a minute and thank all of you who take the time to keep our legislators informed about what an optometrist is, what services we provide and the impact we have on the citizens of Missouri.

I appreciate all of you who made the trip to Jefferson City for our annual Legislative Conference. It does not go unnoticed that you care about your profession and its future. Thank you!

Health care reform is a hot topic that none of us can speak to definitively. We have seen many changes in the federal reform proposals over the past year. The AOA and the MOA along with many personal calls have allowed optometry to stay included in the current plans. It will be important as we continue to watch this reform progress that we stay actively involved to make sure that we are at the table.

On a state level we are dedicated to ensuring that Medicaid reimbursement rates meet the "equal pay for equal services" rule. The current rates do not meet that standard and we are working hard to clean that up.

We have also talked with the Department of Insurance about making sure insurance companies follow Missouri statute when setting their provider panels. The current law states that HMOs operating in Missouri cannot discriminate based on licensure. However, we have found several which are doing so by contracting with vision care plans that they are requiring optometrists to participate on. Your MOA is working on ensuring that patients have access to the critical and timely care that optometrists provide.

I want to also recognize Linda's retirement. During my time on the board over the last 7 years, I have been very fortunate to work with Linda Pickett. The MOA is better for having her as a part of our central office staff. We will miss her dearly and wish her health, happiness and lots of fun in her retirement.