General Assembly Committee Bill No. 6012
January Session, 2017 LCO No. 5148
*05148HB06012PH_*
Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH
Introduced by:
(PH)
General Assembly
Committee Bill No. 6012
January Session, 2017
LCO No. 5148
*05148HB06012PH_*
Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH
Introduced by:
(PH)
AN ACT CONCERNING CONSUMER PROTECTION IN EYE CARE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2017) (a) As used in this section:
(1) "Contact lens" means any lens placed directly on the surface of the eye, regardless of whether or not the lens is intended to correct a visual defect, including, but not limited to, any cosmetic, therapeutic or corrective lens;
(2) "Eye examination" means a physical assessment of the ocular health and visual status of a patient that may include, but does not consist solely of, objective refractive data or information generated by an automated testing device, including, but not limited to, a remote refractive device, in order to establish a medical diagnosis or for the correction of vision disorders;
(3) "In-person evaluation" means a patient evaluation conducted by a provider who is at the same physical location as the location of the patient;
(4) "Prescription" means a provider's handwritten or electronic order for contact lenses based on an eye examination;
(5) "Provider" means an optometrist licensed pursuant to chapter 380 of the general statutes or a physician licensed pursuant to chapter 370 of the general statutes who specializes in ophthalmology; and
(6) "Remote refractive device" means automated equipment or an application designed to be used on a telephone, computer or Internet-based device that can be used either in person or remotely to conduct a test to determine the refractive status of the eyes.
(b) A provider may not use the data or information obtained from the administration of a test using a remote refractive device as the sole basis for issuing a new prescription for contact lenses. No provider shall issue a new prescription for contact lenses to a patient without having performed an in-person evaluation and an eye examination of the patient.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2017 New section
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
October 1, 2017
New section
Statement of Purpose:
To protect consumers from dubious technology that can compromise well-accepted standards of care and place a patient's health at risk.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]
Co-Sponsors: REP. RYAN, 139th Dist.; REP. ORANGE, 48th Dist. REP. PETIT, 22nd Dist.; REP. CANDELORA, 86th Dist. REP. KLARIDES-DITRIA, 105th Dist.
Co-Sponsors:
REP. RYAN, 139th Dist.; REP. ORANGE, 48th Dist.
REP. PETIT, 22nd Dist.; REP. CANDELORA, 86th Dist.
REP. KLARIDES-DITRIA, 105th Dist.
H.B. 6012