SCS/SB 830 - This act prohibits an agreement for the provision of services between a health carrier, or other insurer that writes vision insurance, and an optometrist from requiring an optometrist to provide additional services or materials at a fee limited or set by the plan or carrier, unless the services or materials are reimbursed as covered services under the contract. A provider is prohibited from charging more for services or materials that are not covered under a health benefit or vision plan than the usual and customary rate charged for those services or materials. The reimbursement paid by the health benefit or vision plan for covered services or materials must be reasonable and cannot provide nominal reimbursement in order to claim a service or material is a covered service. This act prohibits a vision care insurance policy or vision care discount plan that provides covered services for materials from having the effect, directly or indirectly, of limiting the choice of sources and suppliers of materials by a patient of a vision care provider. Nothing in this act shall prohibit an optometrist from contractually opting into an optometric services discount plan sponsored by a stand-alone vision plan, medical plan, health benefit plan, or health insurance policy, notwithstanding any other provisions in the act. This act is identical to SCS/HB 1682 (2016) and HB 2217 (2016), and similar to HB 202 (2015) and SB 692 (2014).
SARAH HASKINS