[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":3,"doc-seo-279431-105":53,"doc-detail-279431-en":126},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,14,19,24,29,34,39,44,49],{"id":8,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":11,"show_sort_weight":12,"slug":13},11,1,"Template","Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":15,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":16,"show_sort_weight":17,"slug":18},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":20,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":21,"show_sort_weight":22,"slug":23},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":25,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":26,"show_sort_weight":27,"slug":28},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":30,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":31,"show_sort_weight":32,"slug":33},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":35,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":36,"show_sort_weight":37,"slug":38},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":40,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":41,"show_sort_weight":42,"slug":43},18,"Letters",30,"letters",{"id":45,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":46,"show_sort_weight":47,"slug":48},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":50,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":51,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":52},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":54,"data":55},"ok",{"site_id":56,"language":57,"slug":58,"title":59,"keywords":60,"description":61,"schema_data":62,"social_meta":119,"head_meta":121,"extra_data":123,"updated_unix":125},105,"en","od-health-plan-exclusion-toolkit-patient-directed-and-employer-outreach-letters","OD Health Plan Exclusion Toolkit  - Patient-Directed and Employer Outreach Letters","","OD Health Plan Exclusion Toolkit addresses how limiting doctors of optometry in health plan networks creates barriers that slow timely treatment, disrupt continuity of care, and delay early disease detection. The toolkit helps optometrists and patients advocate effectively by providing draft, customizable letters to health plans, employers, and HR leaders who influence network coverage decisions. Templates include an OD letter to employers and patient letters to health plans, supporting requests to add specific providers to ensure employees and patients can access needed eye and vision care.",{"@graph":63,"@context":118},[64,80,101],{"@type":65,"itemListElement":66},"BreadcrumbList",[67,71,74,77],{"item":68,"name":69,"@type":70,"position":9},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":72,"name":10,"@type":70,"position":73},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/",2,{"item":75,"name":41,"@type":70,"position":76},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/letters/",3,{"item":78,"name":59,"@type":70,"position":79},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/od-health-plan-exclusion-toolkit-patient-directed-and-employer-outreach-letters/279431/",4,{"url":78,"name":59,"@type":81,"image":82,"author":87,"headline":59,"publisher":90,"fileFormat":93,"inLanguage":57,"description":61,"dateModified":94,"datePublished":95,"encodingFormat":93,"isAccessibleForFree":96,"interactionStatistic":97},"DigitalDocument",{"url":83,"@type":84,"width":85,"height":86},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/od-health-plan-exclusion-toolkit-patient-directed-and-employer-outreach-letters/279431.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":88,"@type":89},"4398046744996","Person",{"url":68,"name":91,"@type":92},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-09-16",true,{"@type":98,"interactionType":99,"userInteractionCount":8},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":100},"ViewAction",{"@type":102,"mainEntity":103},"FAQPage",[104,110,114],{"name":105,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":107},"What problem does the toolkit address regarding health plan provider networks?","Question",{"text":108,"@type":109},"It addresses how excluding doctors of optometry from health plan networks creates unnecessary barriers, including delays in treatment, disruptions in continuity of care, and reduced early disease detection.","Answer",{"name":111,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":112},"Who is the toolkit designed to help?",{"text":113,"@type":109},"It is designed for doctors of optometry and their patients, including guidance for outreach to employers and HR leaders and patient-directed letters to health plans.",{"name":115,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":116},"What templates are included in the toolkit?",{"text":117,"@type":109},"The toolkit includes an OD letter template for asking an employer to advocate with the health plan, and a patient letter template directed to a health plan to request reconsideration of a specific provider’s exclusion.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":78,"og:type":120,"og:title":59,"og:site_name":91,"og:description":61},"article",{"robots":122,"canonical":78},"index,follow",{"doc_id":124,"site_id":56},279431,1789520661,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":127},{"doc_id":124,"user_id":128,"nickname":88,"user_avatar":60,"doc_module":9,"category_id":40,"category_name":41,"doc_title":59,"doc_description":61,"doc_content":129,"file_id":130,"file_url":131,"file_type":132,"file_size":133,"view_count":8,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":9,"is_downloadable":9,"audit_status":9,"page_count":73,"language":134,"language_code":57,"site_id":56,"html_lang":57,"table_of_contents":135,"faqs":136,"seo_title":137,"seo_description":61,"update_tm":125,"read_time":9},4398046744996,"OD Health Plan Exclusion Toolkit  \nHealth plan exclusion of doctors of optometry negatively impacts patient care by creating unnecessary barriers to timely treatment, continuity of care, and early disease detection. A plan’s decision to limit the number of providers participating in a particular network is ultimately a business decision. One of the most effective ways to combat such decisions is for the employers and patients utilizing the plan to advocate directly to request that a specific provider be added to the network. This toolkit is designed to help doctors of optometry and their patients with patientdirected letters to health plans, as well as doctor-targeted outreach to employers and HR leaders who influence coverage decisions within their organizations. The AOA understands that this process can be frustrating and complex. This toolkit was created to simplify the steps involved and equip doctors and patients with practical resources to support clear, effective advocacy.  \nBelow are draft letters that can be used to complement the AOA’s advocacy efforts. These letters  \nmay be personalized and mailed or emailed to the appropriate recipient. To obtain the correct mailing or email address for a patient’s specific health plan, please contact stopplanabuses@aoa.org or [rmessick@aoa.org](rmessick@aoa.org).  \nOD Letter Template  \nDear   ,  \nAs a doctor of optometry and a frontline provider caring for the primary, medical, chronic and emergency eye health and vision needs of your employees, I am reaching out to ask for your support.  \nI have been excluded from the   Health Plan provider network, which limits my ability to provide care to your personnel. I respectfully ask that you consider reaching out to   Health Plan to advocate for the inclusion of doctors of optometry in their provider panel, so that I may be recognized as an in-network provider and provide much-needed care foryour employees. Doctors of optometry take a leading role in patient care with respect to eye and vision care and have been recognized by Medicare as physicians since 1987.  \nThank you for your continued support of our patients and community. I appreciate your consideration in helping ensure that your employees have access to the high-quality eye and vision care they need and deserve.  \nSincerely,  \n  , O.D.  \nPatient Letter Template  \nDear   Health Plan,  \nI am writing to you as a patient of an optometrist to request your assistance.  \nI recently visited my optometrist, Dr.   , for eye care. Because my optometrist is not included in your health plan network for medical services, I had to be referred to another provider. While this may seem like a minor inconvenience, it created a disruption in my care, added unnecessary delay and interrupted my ability to continue treatment with the doctor I chose. Doctors of optometry take a leading role in patient care with respect to eye and vision care and have been recognized by Medicare as physicians since 1987.  \nI respectfully ask that you reconsider the exclusion of Dr.   with   practice from your health plan network so that I may continue receiving care from the provider I chose and trust.  \nSincerely,  \nPatient of   , O.D.","cbCaioSolVZ9cSmR","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaioSolVZ9cSmR","pdf",106008,"English","# OD Health Plan Exclusion Toolkit\n## OD Letter Template\n## Patient Letter Template","[{\"question\":\"What problem does the toolkit address regarding health plan provider networks?\",\"answer\":\"It addresses how excluding doctors of optometry from health plan networks creates unnecessary barriers, including delays in treatment, disruptions in continuity of care, and reduced early disease detection.\"},{\"question\":\"Who is the toolkit designed to help?\",\"answer\":\"It is designed for doctors of optometry and their patients, including guidance for outreach to employers and HR leaders and patient-directed letters to health plans.\"},{\"question\":\"What templates are included in the toolkit?\",\"answer\":\"The toolkit includes an OD letter template for asking an employer to advocate with the health plan, and a patient letter template directed to a health plan to request reconsideration of a specific provider’s exclusion.\"}]","OD Health Plan Exclusion Toolkit  - Patient-Directed and Employer Outreach Letters | PDF"]