Bill > SB1343

This bill, known as the Vision Plan Contractual Requirements Act, establishes new rules for vision plans, which are contractual arrangements where a vision plan organization (any entity involved in marketing, selling, or administering vision services, including insurers and health maintenance organizations) pays for, reimburses, or discounts the cost of vision services like eye exams, eyeglasses, or contact lenses. The act clarifies that contracts between vision plan organizations and optometrists cannot force optometrists to provide services at a fee set by the organization unless those services are actually covered by the vision plan. It also mandates that optometrists must give written approval for all vision service plans offered. Furthermore, vision plan organizations are prohibited from using an optometrist's agreement to one contract as approval for another, changing contract terms without written consent, requiring optometrists to use specific vision services, or incentivizing subscribers to use vision care entities owned by the vision plan organization. Any audits or adjustments to payments for optometrists must be based on actual overpayments or underpayments, not on extrapolation (estimating an amount based on a sample). Finally, entities providing vision care services that are partially or wholly owned by a vision plan organization must inform subscribers about this ownership.

Budget and Finance, Business and Industry

http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=sb1343&Session=2600