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Thank you for subscribing to the The Health Care Alliance for Patient Safety (APS) newsletter!
APS was founded in 2018 to advocate for patient safety in the eye care space and to protect and defend the doctor-patient relationship. Working together as a group with our members Johnson & Johnson Vision, the American Optometric Association, and Cooper Vision, we have much more power and influence to get our message across.
As the coronavirus pandemic created many unforeseen consequences for patient safety and exacerbated others, APS has continued to engage its advocacy base in urging Congress and the FTC to put patients first. In our first-ever APS newsletter, we’re excited to share updates with our members on our recent advocacy and legislative efforts.
Our Legislative Priorities
The Contact Lens Rule Modernization Act (S.4613)
APS advocates for signage over signed acknowledgment for contact lens prescription verification. If passed, this bipartisan bill would not only protect patient eye health by eliminating the use of robocalls, but also remove the burdensome paperwork requirements for patients and providers. Read more in our latest press release.
On social media, we are asking our advocates to thank the Senate cosponsors using our tweet tool.
The Contact Lens Prescription Verification Modernization Act (H.R. 3975) “Robocall Bill”
APS believes robocalls need to be eliminated from the contact lens verification process. If passed, this bill would protect patient eye health by eliminating the use of these robocalls, and help modernize the contact lens prescription verification process, making it simpler and safer for millions of contact lens wearers. So far, the bill has more than 67 bipartisan House cosponsors, who we continue to thank on social media, too.
Our Advocacy Work
Our advocacy work strategically engages our patient safety advocate community, doctors of optometry, and lawmakers through the use of our social media channels, website, events on Capitol Hill, and advertising.
In May of 2020, we launched the revamped APS Advocacy Leaderboard, a new way to engage our advocates. By taking advocacy actions, including reading summaries of legislation, signing petitions, and sending tweets and letters to their members of Congress, advocates are awarded advocacy points - and their scores are displayed directly on the leaderboard. This summer, dozens of APS advocates responded to calls to action on our social media channels and took more than 100 actions, sending tweets and email messages to their elected officials!
While APS has worked hard to engage its advocates, we also participated in direct advocacy efforts by sponsoring and presenting at this year’s virtual AOA on Capitol Hill event and the AOA’s recent webinar providing members with updates regarding the Final FTC Contact Lens Rule. Watch the full, ten-minute presentation on our website.
From September 18th through September 28th, we launched a multi-channel advertising campaign to reach lawmakers and their staff on LinkedIn and at inside-the-beltway news publications POLITICO and Axios, urging support of S.4613 following the introduction of the bill. On LinkedIn, our ads were seen by important congressional office workers, including chiefs of staff, legislative directors, and communications staffers. APS also sponsored POLITICO's Pro eHealth newsletter, a publication that goes to DC insiders in Congress, at federal agencies like the FTC and FDA, and at the White House.
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An example ad placed on POLITICO and Axios, inside-the-beltway publications that reach policymakers
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APS In The News
Our new APS In the News section of the website lists all media mentions of The Alliance and is a useful resource to stay updated on what we’re working on. It’s a great link to share with stakeholders and people interested in APS’ efforts. We'll continue to keep this section updated with the latest mentions of the Alliance's advocacy efforts, including a recent mention at Healio.
Inspired to take action? Take advocacy actions on The APS Advocacy Leaderboard, follow APS on social media to stay up-to-date on our advocacy work, and watch your inbox for the next edition of the monthly APS newsletter.
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