Federal overreach could endanger eye patients' safety
As Congress continues working following passage of the omnibus spending bill last month, eye care professionals and patients around Illinois are watching for a small provision that could send a big message on protecting patient safety.
Rep. Mike Quigley has been a key advocate in the effort to ensure that the Federal Trade Commission does not undermine patient health and safety regulations related to the appropriate prescribing, sale and use of contact lenses. Some of my fellow vision care doctors had the opportunity to meet Rep. Quigley in Washington. They shared stories with him about the vision-threatening injuries that we have seen in our practice. These injuries occurred when patients used the wrong lenses or went long periods of time without having an eye doctor check their lens fit and eye health.
Unfortunately, it's common to see patients arrive with ailments that are a direct result of purchasing contact lenses from big box online retailers that regularly substitute lenses that are different from the prescription the patient received. Perhaps more frustrating is the fact that government health agencies have clear guidance on the dangers of using contact lenses improperly, or placing the wrong lens on your eye, but the FTC has repeatedly failed to act on requests to safeguard contact lens prescriptions and make sure that patients are getting the lenses they are prescribed.
Compounding the frustration about the FTC's seeming lack of regard for patient safety, the agency has proposed a new regulation that would force small-practice eye doctors, like me, to require all contact lens-wearing patients to sign an "acknowledgement form." Such a form may sound harmless, but not only would it subject doctors to surprise investigations by the federal government, it would also cause extreme financial hardship that could lead to a lack of access to quality health care for Illinoisans.
Avalon Health Economics, a leading independent health economics firm, conducted a study on the FTC's new burden on eye doctors. The findings are devastating for patients and health care professionals. The results of the study indicate that, at minimum, the new regulation would cost each doctor $18,795 annually. For small practices like mine, which represent the majority of optometry practices across the country, this new burden could threaten their financial livelihood.
Fortunately, Rep. Quigley understood the dangers of the FTC's proposed over-reach and took the necessary steps to protect local medical professionals and the millions of Illinoisans who rely on contact lenses for corrective vision. As ranking member of the Finance Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, which sets the funding level for the FTC each year, Rep. Quigley has pressed the FTC to make common-sense changes that protect patient safety rather than place undue burdens on doctors and other healthcare providers.
Rep. Quigley has it right. The federal government should be working to increase access to high-quality health care while closely monitoring health care regulators to ensure that the doctor-patient relationship is strengthened and protected.
Dr. Mark Skowron, of Hinsdale, is a small-business owner and optometrist in Elmhurst.