State News

Optometric news from across the nation:

Alabama

Alaska

Arkansas

Arizona

June, 2011 Midwestern University is pleased to announce that Donald E. Jarnagin, O.D. has been named Dean of the Arizona College of Optometry. Dr. Jarnagin previously served as AZOPT's interim dean. READ MORE

California

Good news from the Golden State. AB 778 that was introduced by LensCrafters and would exempt their business model from state laws that prohibit certain economic relationships between optometrists, opticians and other corporate interests, has been tabled for now. Thanks to California optometrists for doing their part to keep optometry strong.

Colorado

Conneticut

Delaware

D.C.

May 9, 2012 The Washington DC Board of Optometry just recently released amended regulations that govern the practice of Optometry. The CE requirements have been increased to 36 hours per two years for all optometrists. And a regulation has been added regarding "Continued Competency." The regulation reprinted below states that when it comes to determining continued competency in Washington DC, the DC Board of Optometry is the only authority that can and does define optometric competency.

CONTINUING COMPETENCY (per the Washington, D.C. Board of Optometry): An optometrist who has met the requirements for licensure and has satisfied the requirement of completing thirty-six (36) hours of approved continuing education credit pursuant to 17 DCMR % 6406.4 is deemed competent to practice the profession of optometry.

Source: Mike Rosenblatt, OD

Florida

Georgia

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

February, 2011 On February 24 Kentucky’s Governor signed Senate Bill 110, legislation significantly increasing the scope of optometric practice in the state and making Kentucky the second state to allow optometrists to perform a limited amount of ophthalmic surgery. Under the new law, appropriately trained optometrists can perform a variety of minor surgical procedures, including laser procedures such as YAG capsulotomy and trabeculoplasty, and the surgical removal of “lumps and bumps” on the lids. READ MORE

Louisiana

May 3, 2012 The Louisiana Senate in Baton Rouge just passed our optometric "Freedom of Choice" Senate Bill 669 by a vote of 36-0. It now goes to the House Insurance Committee. This proposed legislation has three basic provisions:

1) No PPO, HMO or other insurance entity can discriminate with regards to reimbursement for services provided by ODs versus OMDs for those same services for which ODs are licensed to perform.

2) No PPO, HMO or other insurance entity can require an optometrist to participate in a VCP (Vision Care Plan) as a prerequisite to become a provider in their network of providers for vision and/or eye health care services.

3) No discrimination will be made as to what type of provider (OD vs OMD) can enter into an agreement with any PPO, HMO or other insurance entity licensed in LA.

So far, there has been no opposition to this legislation and it looks very likely this will pass. This is great news for optometrists in LA.

Source: David W. Miller, OD

AOS Founding Member

AOS Volunteer Liaison for LA

AOS Membership Committee

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Augst, 2011 The Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is adding a new optometry school scheduled to open in the Fall of 2012. Lesley Walls, O.D., M.D. has been chosen as Dean of the school. READ MORE

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

The Hudson Valley Optometric Society (HVOS), a local affiliate of the New York State Optometric Association and the American Optometric Association, has voted to withhold their 2012 AOA dues, placing them in an escrow account until the AOA withdraws support for the ABO and its board certification process. Several other New York societies have reportedly voted to join Hudson Valley and also withhold their AOA dues. READ MORE

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

HB838 attempts to restrict optometry's future scope of practice and has already passed the House. Another attempt by organized ophthalmology to limit optometric practice and ridiculously vague, using phrases like "tissue alteration", it is time for optometrists to join together to put this fire out quickly.

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

August,2011-Health Net, which is the Tricare carrier for our region of the country, has decided not to pay ODs for billing 99xxx level 4 or 5 codes.

They apparently did a random audit of OD claims and found that the majority had been upcoded and didn't qualify for anything higher than 99xxx level 3 codes based upon the records evaluation. The Virginia Optometric Association and AOA Third Party Care Committee are discussing this with Health Net but are also encouraging ODs to be sure that they code properly to avoid problems like this from other carriers.