Where does Pennsylvania stand?

As president of the Pennsylvania Optometric Association, one of my volunteer duties includes attending the American Optometric Association’s Optometry’s Meeting, which was held in Denver, Colorado, from June 20 to 24 this year. While at the President’s Council, I gathered with other association presidents, president elects, vice presidents, and executive directors for a valuable opportunity to hear what is happening across the nation, both legislatively and with third party payers. For the last two years, I’ve heard of the battles many states are having legislatively, just as we are here in Pennsylvania. I want to take the time to update you where Pennsylvania stands in the nation.

Pennsylvania is one of two states that continue to use an outdated, antiquated process through the Secretary of Health to authorize new medications for the treatment of eye disease. This process undeniably delays care to the citizens of the Commonwealth. Currently, when a new medication is approved by the FDA for treatment of eye disease, we must request approval by the Secretary of Health and wait for approval. This process takes, on average, six to nine months. 

Pennsylvania is one of seven states that still need the hydrocodone fix. Access to care is crucial to Pennsylvania citizens. Optometrists, unlike ophthalmologists, are able to provide care to 99.9% of Pennsylvania. Doctors of optometry are currently practicing in 65 of the 67 Pennsylvania counties. Ophthalmologists have no direct in-county providers in 11 counties, forcing patients in 15% of the state to travel for care that could otherwise be provided by an optometrist. This means that, in those counties, optometrists are the only eye care provider providing access to eye care for 75,039 urban residents and 204,183 rural residents. The two counties in which optometrists are not currently practicing are also without an ophthalmologist. These counties lacking a local eye care provider are Forest and Cameron; together they comprise 2,677 urban residents and 10,124 rural residents. The population of Forest County is 100% rural.

Pennsylvania is one of 11 states that do not permit an optometrist, through the Optometric Practice Act, to give an injection to a patient for anaphylactic reaction. By law, even school bus drivers and crossing guards are permitted to give an injection. 

Currently, there are two pieces of legislation in the general assembly that affect optometry. Senator Ward’s Senate Bill 257 (SB257) provides Pennsylvania’s citizens protection from the actions of Vision Care Plans. The second is Senator Gordner’s Senate Bill 668 (SB668), to modernize Pennsylvania optometrists’ scope of practice. Please join me in the fight to pass SB257 and SB668 to ensure that our patient’s, the residents of Pennsylvania, receive the highest quality, most cost-effective eye care possible and protection from vision plans. More information and resources on these bills can be found on the POA website at www.poaeyes.org under the password-protected Advocacy section.

Rebecca Wincek-Bateson, O.D.
POA President