Enrolled Bill Summary

Senate Bill 684	Senate Author:  Taylor, Larry et al.
Effective:  9-1-15	House Sponsor:  Bonnen, Greg

            Senate Bill 684 amends the Insurance Code to prohibit an insurer from withholding the designation of preferred provider to a licensed optometrist, therapeutic optometrist, or ophthalmologist who joins the professional practice of a contracted preferred provider and meets the appropriate eligibility criteria. The bill also prohibits a managed care plan that provides or arranges for benefits for vision or medical eye care services or procedures that are within the scope of an optometrist's or therapeutic optometrist's license from engaging in certain conduct in order to prevent such a managed care plan from controlling or attempting to control the professional judgment, manner of practice, or practice of an optometrist or therapeutic optometrist. In addition, the bill requires an optometrist or therapeutic optometrist to disclose to a patient any business interest the optometrist or therapeutic optometrist has in an out-of-network supplier or manufacturer to which the optometrist or therapeutic optometrist refers the patient.