Just two negative outcomes were reported in roughly 150,000 procedures, for a complication rate of 0.001%.

The right of ODs to prescribe controlled substances and manage glaucoma without MD oversight was removed from the legislation during amendments, in part due to inadequate telehealth guidelines. Now, just two scope bills remain this year in Ohio and NJ.

New Jersey, Ohio and D.C. are still in play but at least 10 bills have been dismissed or postponed since January, mostly due to lags in the legislative process rather than the success of ophthalmology’s anti-optometry tactics.

With one victory and four losses charted in the last few months, it’s already been a busy year for scope expansion. Here’s the latest on where efforts stand.

The state’s ODs have earned the right to pursue lasers, injections and IPL.

The current law on the books does not require explicit enumeration of every privilege and procedure, giving optometrists there more autonomy to evolve their skillsets and offerings as the profession grows.

None secured this scope win in 2023, so this year, advocacy efforts are ramping up to ensure legislators understand the importance of these bills.

The legislation was moved to the ‘suspense file’ by the Assembly Appropriations Committee, meaning there was no vote or rationale provided.

LB 216 will soon be voted on by the state’s Health and Human Services Committee following last week’s hearing.

Just prior to a scheduled public hearing, Healthcare Committee members nixed the effort with no further explanation. Undaunted, the ALOA vows to reintroduce in 2024.