Peter Schorsch
After suffering a significant setback last week in the Eyeball Wars, optometrists may be mounting a last-ditch effort to get their bill rolling in the House.
When will this bad bill just die? It has long past time to put an end to the Eyeball Wars in 2017, perhaps for good.
Last week, HB 1037 stalled in the House Health and Human Services Committee after it had appeared there were not enough votes to pass. The companion bill, SB 1168, has never been heard in the Senate.
Now, lobbyists for optometrists – numbering an even dozen – may be looking to get the controversial bill passed by attaching it to some sort of health care legislative train.
Choo-choo.
HB 1037, sponsored by Rep. Manny Diaz, seeks to expand the practice of optometry to include performing surgery and prescribing opiates, a move vehemently opposed by ophthalmologists, the American Medical Association, and other professional medical groups. Each group raised concerns about patient safety and optometrists’ relative lack of education, knowledge and experience.
As per Florida rules, before Day 55 of the Regular Legislative Session: “Main floor amendments must be submitted to the House Bill Drafting Service by 3 p.m. and approved for filing with the Clerk by 4 p.m. on the first day a bill appears on the Special-Order Calendar in the Calendar of the House.”
However, after Day 55, things get a little more complicated: Main floor amendments must be approved for filing with the Clerk not later than two hours before Session is scheduled to convene on the day a bill appears on the Special-Order Calendar in the House.
That said, this week will become a make-it-or-break-it moment for optometrists, looking to piggyback HB 1037 on a health care bill – or any bill, for that matter – for a fourth quarter buzzer-beater in the Eyeball Wars.
Nevertheless, as HB 1037 met with widespread condemnation by more than two dozen high-profile health organizations, as well as receiving somewhat tepid support in the House – struggling with slim margins in each committee stop – taking the shot may not be worth the risk.
This bill should rightfully face death in committee – as it should be for something so unpopular – instead of making a part of a larger health care train, only to have the whole thing die in the Senate anyway.
The clock is ticking, why waste everyone’s time? Best to pick another battle, one with a better chance of success.
Hopefully, as sine die approaches, so will the end of this horrible, dangerous train wreck of an idea.
One comment
JK
May 2, 2017 at 12:11 pm
I don’t think you’ve done the research to back up this article. Considering that in the previous article you were unaware that Optometrists even treat and diagnose eye diseases.
These are laser procedures that Optometrists are trying to apply for. They are not any type of procedure that requires sedation or a hospitalization. These procedures can be done in office. Just like a dentist, going to school for four year, can fix your cavity, in office. There are at least two other states in which this laser procedure is already allowed by Optometrist.
You are also unaware of the growing patient base of baby boomers that require surgery. There is an ever expanding role that Optometrists in the health field. They are more educated on they eye health now than that the previous generation. In fact, the Optometry school in Florida, NOVA, takes their first two years of classes alongside dentist and pharmacist.
There are several states, such as the state of Tennessee, that allow Optometrist to prescribe Narcotics. When working along side an Ophthalmologist, Optometrist need these privileges, such as narcotics, in order to co-manage post-operative patients. As an optometrist co-managing patient with Ophthalmologist for the last four years, I would say I’m very conservative with prescribing narcotics. Also, most of the opiod prescriptions I’ve seen has come from the emergency room. The emergency room does not know how too treat anything eye related .They usually give the patient pain killers and an incorrect older generation antibiotic. Furthermore, if the AMA wants to send out the excuse that Optometrist being able to prescribe narcotics will fuel the opiod crisis- they need to look at themselves first and re-evaluate.
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