![eyeball 01.23.17](https://floridapolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/eyeball-01.23.17-3500x2334.jpg)
Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a priority bill (SB 230) of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo Friday and offered no explanation in his official veto message.
The veto of SB 230, which would have prevented optometrists from calling themselves “physicians,” is the latest chapter in the long-running “eyeball wars” saga in the Capitol that has been waged between optometrists and ophthalmologists.
Katie Betta, a spokesperson for Passidomo, said the Senate President was made aware the veto was coming and that she believes the bill started an “important conversation she hopes to continue.”
“Staff shared with us a few weeks ago that a veto was forthcoming. The President accepts that because she respects the Governor and his role in the Process,” Betta told Florida Politics Friday. “She was just really appreciative of the heads up that a veto was coming, and again looks forward to continuing the conversation.”
Betta stressed that DeSantis has backed other Passidomo priorities, including the Live Local Act and the Expansion of the Wildlife Corridor, which he signed into law.
Dave Ramba, lead lobbyist for the Florida Optometric Association, issued a statement thanking DeSantis for hearing the “outcry from the profession that SB 230 would bring optometry and primary eye care backwards when we work hand in hand throughout Florida as doctors and physicians with our partners in ophthalmology to provide exceptional service to Floridians.”
SB 230 essentially would have banned anyone but medical doctors and osteopathic physicians from using the words “physician” in their advertisements and daily interactions with patients. Exceptions are made for chiropractic physicians, who are authorized in their practice to identify themselves as chiropractic physicians; as well as dentists and podiatrists, whose specialty recognitions and licenses can include the terms doctor, physician and surgeon.
Betta said the bill “sought to help patients, particularly our elderly, better understand the various roles of different members of their medical team.” While every medical professional has a role to play, Betta said that “academic and professional medical credentials are often assigned interchangeable working titles, and it can be confusing for patients who are in a vulnerable situation and may not understand the limitations of each role.”
Rep. Randy Fine was an outspoken critic of the legislation. He supported the House version of the measure (HB 583) instead. HB 583 was nearly identical to the Senate counterpart, but it also allowed optometrists to continue to call themselves physicians. Fine also supported a move to amend the House bill to also allow acupuncturists to continue to use the title of physician. While he was unsuccessful, he used the opportunity to tell freshman members they should not be afraid to vote their conscience, even if it’s contrary to what leadership wants.
Fine told Florida Politics Friday the initial goal of the bill was a good one and that patients should know who’s treating them in medical settings such as hospitals and physicians’ offices. But he said the bill went too far, restricting what providers could call themselves in retail settings, like eyeglass shops where he said, people are aware they aren’t being seen by physicians.
He said an optometrist in his House district told him it would cost them $250,000 to comply with the law.
Campaign finance records show the month before this year’s session the OD-EYEPAC, a political committee connected to the Florida Optometric Association, donated $17,500 to a political committee connected to Fine.
Fine denied the contribution influenced his position on the bill and said he wasn’t aware of the contributions until being told by Florida Politics.
“If you think I can be bought for $17,500 you’re insane,” Fine said adding, “a lot of health care entities gave me money.”
OD-EYEPAC also contributed $25,000 to the nonprofit that helps with the Governor’s mansion.
Meanwhile, health care attorney and physician lobbyist Chris Nuland said his clients are disappointed the bill was vetoed, noting the goal of the bill was to “empower patients by ensuring that they know the credentials of those health care practitioners treating them.”
“We look forward to hearing the Governor’s concerns, which we hope to address when we bring back the bill next Session,” Nuland, a Jacksonville-based attorney, told Florida Politics.
5 comments
Michael S. Nason, O.D.
June 2, 2023 at 9:23 pm
Hi Christine. Thank you for posting about this bill. There’s a few things I notice that you failed to mention. First, the reason it was a priority bill for the Senate President is because she has a brother and father who are ophthalmologists. Also, you mention the contributions that Rep. Fine received from OD-EYEPAC but failed to mention the significant contributions made by the Florida Society of Ophthalmologists pushing this bill. I would have hoped for fairer reporting.
Richard Pascucci
June 5, 2023 at 1:30 pm
Great points. Seems like some important information was left out of this report.
D. Sunset
June 3, 2023 at 2:20 am
This bill was a “nothing burger”; a solution searching for a problem. Patients are not as ignorant as physicians’ think and this was driven by ego and hubris. No patients have ever been harmed or mislead by honest competent healthcare providers. The providers that lack integrity number equally among the physicians and they continue to demonstrate that they cannot be trusted to police their own. The current laws and safeguards should be used for negligence and let the marketplace decide the rest. It isn’t the 19050’s, Marcus Welby is dead and gone – hopefully misogyny and “the old boy” network will die a quick natural death.
Ian
June 3, 2023 at 8:43 am
From the article:
“HB 583 was nearly identical to the Senate counterpart, but it also allowed optometrists to continue to call themselves physicians. Fine also supported a move to amend the House bill to also allow acupuncturists to continue to use the title of physician.”
Reality:
Not sure why the concept of “continue” is used in the excerpt above. I’ve looked at the practice acts for optometrists and acupuncturists. There’s nothing in there that allows those practitioners to use “physician” to describe themselves. So, no matter how a bill is written, it cannot “continue” to allow such usage.
Dont Say FLA
June 5, 2023 at 4:52 pm
Well, SOMEBODY obviously did not endorse Rhonda for President.
Comments are closed.