For information about LSJ Insurance Agency & their Surety Bonds click here

DMEPOS Surety Bond and Accreditation Requirements for Medicare Billing Privileges with regard to Opticians... (Read Requirements)

FTC Extends Enforcement Deadline to June 1, 2010 for The "Red Flags" Rule... (Extention Information) - "Red Flags" Rule: With Identity Theft on the Rise in the HealthCare Industry, the FTC has Mandated a New Rule to Protect you and your Cutomers... (Read Rule) 

National Opticians Month Draft Governor Proclamation (click here)

National Opticians Month Draft Governor's Request for Proclamation (click here)

UPDATE:  CONTACT LENS CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT OF 2006
Click here to view press release.

JUNE 28 , 2007:  More than two-thirds of all state legislatures are now adjourned. Several states enacted important laws, including Oregon, which has joined California, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York in cracking down on the sale of “plano” contact lenses; Nevada, which has enacted three laws affecting opticians, one establishing minimum standards for eyewear and optical devices and the other two modifying the licensing and examination rules; Kentucky, which has tightened standards for establishments offering ophthalmic dispensing services; and, Vermont, which raised penalties for unauthorized practice of any profession. Bills enacted into law in 2006 may be found on an adjacent chart.   [Bills/Resolutions adopted in 2007 are shown in bold.]

Click here to view the State and Federal Legislative Activity for Opticians as of June 28, 2007.

Click here to view the State and Federal Legislative Activity for Opticians as of December 31, 2006.

NEW:  IMPORTANT INFO ON CONTACT LENS PRESCRIPTION RELEASE
OAA has just been made aware of newly issued Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidance relating to the release of a contact lens prescription to a retailer pursuant to the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumer Act. The American Optometric Association (AOA), which sought clarification from the FTC on this procedure, has issued the following Bulletin outlining the FTC’s action.

BECAUSE OF THE TECHNICAL NATURE OF THIS MATTER, YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS STRONGLY ADVISES THAT YOU CAREFULLY READ BOTH THE AOA BULLETIN AND THE OCTOBER 4, 2006 LETTER FROM THE FTC TO THE AOA, WHICH IS ATTACHED THERETO.    Click here to view the AOA Bulletin.

OAA ANNOUNCES OPPOSITION TO THE CONTACT LENS CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT OF 2006  Click here to view press release.

UPDATE: Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act 

1-800 Signs Long-term Supply Agreements with CL Suppliers (From Contact Lenses Today® 2.4.07)

1-800 CONTACTS announced it recently signed long-term supply agreements with its three largest contact lens suppliers, CIBA Vision, CooperVision and Vistakon. (The company has purchased directly from Bausch & Lomb (B&L), its fourth largest supplier, without a written agreement since 2001.) “For the first time in the company’s history, we can now purchase directly, as an authorized account, every lens marketed by the four largest manufacturers,” said Jonathan Coon, Chief Executive Officer. “We believe these four manufacturers represent approximately 98% of all soft contact lenses sold in the United States.”

Mr. Coon also said the company will no longer seek to amend the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act (FCLCA). “In its most recent session, to ensure that consumers could fill their prescriptions from the business of their choice, Congress considered legislation regarding contact lens distribution practices. We supported that legislation. However, we believe the market solution embodied in these recent supply agreements is adequate to ensure a competitive market ­ making legislation unnecessary at this time,” he said.

“We expect the large amounts of our selling, general and administrative expenses that have for years been dedicated to legislative and legal initiatives will decrease,” added Brian Bethers, President. “However, it will take time to rebuild our business with customers we have not been able to serve for several years.”

 

OAA ENDORSES FEDERAL VISION CARE FOR KIDS ACT OF 2006
Click here to view press release.