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Dental, optometric access bill introduced in House
Legislation that targets health and vision plan abuses and is backed by the American Optometric Association and the American Dental Association was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The bill is intended to counter abusive practices in the federally regulated vision and dental coverage markets and ensure that patients and doctors are at the center of health care decision-making, the AOA stated in a press release.
“The DOC Access Act seeks to completely ban, at the federal level, anti-doctor and anti-patient policies of vision plans,” AOA President Barbara L. Horn, OD, said in the release.
Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa) introduced HR 3762, or the Dental and Optometric Care Access (DOC Access) Act, July 15, the AOA said.
The bill, which has seven cosponsors, would eliminate plan mandates that result in higher prices and less access to care. Limits on a doctor’s choice of lab and mandates on noncovered services and materials would be eliminated with this legislation, according to the release.