Hello friends and fellow AER members,

See below for details on how you can get access to a recording and a transcript for the teleseminar we did last week concerning Medicare coverage for low vision devices.

I have to say that, of all the many national teleseminars we've done over the years, this one has got to be close to the top of the list in terms of substance and quality and expert participation...and I can brag about the call because its success had nothing to do with yours truly and everything to do with the tremendous panel of speakers who offered their expertise to bring our field together on this critical issue. Let me especially give a shout out to my AFB colleague, Neva Fairchild, and to Dr. Kelly Lusk, our very own Chairs of AER's Divisions on Aging and Low Vision respectively. They did AER and all of us proud, which while not at all surprising, is always awesome to see in action.

Anyhow, please make use of the recording and transcript for this call and share far and wide with anyone and everyone who may be interested. Thank you.

Mark

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RESOLVED -- Medicare Should Pay for Low Vision Devices:
Views Through Different Lenses

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A national teleseminar hosted by the American Foundation for the Blind & the 21st Century Agenda on Aging and Vision Loss

Sponsored by VFO
Last week, AFB and the 21st Century Agenda on Aging and Vision Loss hosted a teleseminar on Medicare coverage of low vision devices. There was strong turnout to hear from an array of experts and advocates from across the field who are working on this critical issue. Panelists discussed why Medicare does not currently cover low vision devices, why Medicare should cover these devices, what should be covered, and how to get there.

If you were not able to attend the call, you can listen to the recording or view the transcript. We have also released a blog post that summarizes some of the key takeaways.

• Recording:http://www.afb.org/media/10-05-17AVA21LowVisionDevicesCall.mp3
• Transcript:https://www.dropbox.com/s/0s96gjw4m080fxd/10-04-17%20Low%20Vision%20Devices%20Call%20Transcript.docx?dl=0
• AFB Blog:https://www.afb.org/blog/afb-blog/takeaways-from-medicare-should-pay-for-low-vision-devices-views-through-different-lenses-teleseminar/12

We truly appreciated the participation of all nine panelists:

• Mark G. Ackermann, M.A., Executive Vice President & COO, Lighthouse Guild, New York; Board Chair, VisionServe Alliance
• Dawn K. DeCarlo, O.D., M.S., MSPH, FAAO, Chair, American Academy of Optometry (AAO) Low Vision Section; Director, Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation, University of Alabama School of Medicine
• Neva Fairchild, M.S., Chair, AER Division on Aging; National Independent Living and Employment Specialist, AFB Center on Vision Loss
• Joseph Fontenot, M.D., CLVT, Chair, American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Vision Rehabilitation Committee; Medical Director, Community Services for Vision Rehabilitation, Alabama and Mississippi
• Bhavani Iyer, O.D., Chair, American Optometric Association (AOA) Vision Rehab Committee
• Kelly Lusk, Ph.D, CLVT, Chair, AER Low Vision Rehabilitation Division; Cincinnati Children's Vision Rehabilitation Program (CCVRP)
• Tony Stephens, Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs, American Council of the Blind
• Peter W. Thomas, Esq., Principal, Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville, Government Relations/Legislative

Thank you again to all our panelists, listeners, and our sponsor, VFO!

For questions or concerns about the call, contact:
Mark Richert, Esq.
Director, Public Policy, AFB
(202) 469-6833
MRichert@afb.net