Advocacy & Practice Updates — Advocacy & Practice
ASRS Advocacy Prompts Congressional Letter Supporting Payment Increases to Improve Retina OR Access
ASRS continues to lead advocacy efforts to protect access to emergency retina surgical care. In a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) this week, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, MD (R-IA), an ophthalmologist, urged the agency to advance an Ophthalmic Emergency Activation (OEA) payment policy in the CY 2027 Outpatient/ASC Payment System or Physician Fee Schedule proposed rules—or, at minimum, issue a request for information to gather stakeholder input. The letter reflects concerns ASRS has raised with policymakers and CMS about inadequate facility reimbursement for emergency ophthalmic procedures, including retinal detachment, open globe injuries, intraocular foreign bodies, and endophthalmitis.
ASRS has presented evidence that current Medicare payments for retinal procedures fall short of the resources hospitals and ASCs must keep available for unscheduled emergency surgery, contributing to reduced operating room access and forcing patients to travel farther for care. By prompting congressional attention to the issue, ASRS is helping build momentum for an OEA policy modeled on Medicare’s current trauma activation approach.
(Published 7.1.26)