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Today is your last chance to comment on FTC Contact Lens Rule
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January 30 is the deadline for comments opposing a proposed Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rule that would force patients to sign an acknowledgement that they received their contact lens prescription and for you to store that document for three years. We need your help to defeat this rule! We need thousands of letters from optometrists explaining how the cost of compliance will impede your ability to serve your patients. Be sure to focus on the fact that you are a small business owner. Please take the time to make a comment before today's deadline. It only takes a few minutes. Here is a link to AOA's sample letter. Here is a link to COA's official comments.
In related news, President Donald Trump named Maureen Ohlhausen acting chair of the FTC on Wednesday. In a January 2015 blog post in Health Affairs, Ohlhausen was supportive of scope of practice expansions and the proliferation of telemedicine. |
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State Board of Optometry update
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The State Board of Optometry (SBO) met last week and discussed several issues of interest:
- Foreign graduates - SBO is considering a legislative proposal to strike existing law that authorizes SBO to sponsor foreign graduates to sit for the national board exams. Existing law regarding the pathway to licensure for foreign graduates is very unclear. This would require foreign graduates to go through an advanced standing program at an accredited U.S. optometry school to obtain a doctor of optometry degree before being licensed in California.
- License checks - SBO is considering a legislative proposal to enroll all applicants for licensure into the national practitioners' databank to check for disciplinary action. Currently, SBO relies on applicants to self-report if they have been licensed in another state and if they have had any disciplinary action taken against them. SBO believes it is in the best interest of consumer protection to verify licensure applicants are safe to practice through this national databank rather than relying on self-reporting. This could result in a $2 increase in license renewal fees.
- DEA numbers - SBO is planning a regulatory proposal to ask licensees for DEA numbers on license renewal forms. This would only apply to those who have DEA numbers, as they are not required for those who do not prescribe controlled substances.
- Consumer safety - SBO discussed unscrupulous business practices of contact lens sellers and the dangers of online/kiosk-based refraction for patients as part of their strategic plan.
If you have any questions or comments about any of the issues above, please contact Kara Corches.
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Governor Brown vows to protect health care in California
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In his State of the State address last week, Governor Jerry Brown said California would not "turn back" on advances the state has made in health coverage, despite Affordable Care Act (ACA) rollbacks planned by new Republican administration in Washington. However, he left unclear exactly how California would handle losing billions of federal dollars from the repeal of the ACA and under Congressional proposals to change Medicaid into a state block grant program and significantly reduce federal funding. California has received an estimated nearly $20 billion in federal money to extend health coverage to five million Californians under the ACA. |
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Patient examples needed
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COA is gathering patient examples over the next few months to support our legislative and regulatory advocacy. We will use this information to highlight the kinds of problems optometrists encounter on a daily basis. We are not asking for confidential patient information, just the patient's age, sex and diagnosis. We are looking for patient examples in the following situations:
- An asymptomatic patient between 18 and 40 years of age who was diagnosed with a tumor or other life threatening condition - Report the case to COA by clicking here.
- A patient with a contact lens complication because they got their prescription filled past the expiration date - Report the case to the FTC by clicking here.
- A young patient who needed glasses even though they passed the school vision screening - Report the case to Kara Corches.
- A patient who could not find an ophthalmologist willing to accept Medi-Cal - Report the case to Kristine Shultz.
- A patient who needed to remove an eyelid lesion but couldn't find a specialist they could afford - Report the case to Kristine Shultz.
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