"This proposed legislation puts the health and well-being of millions of Floridians at risk. This bill would grant broad and unprecedented surgical privileges to optometrists who are not medical doctors, never attended medical school, and who are certainly not adequately trained to perform scalpel surgery, laser surgery, or prescribe narcotics.

Despite what they may want you to believe, there is no medical crisis or shortage of ophthalmologists in the state of Florida. There is no cost savings in permitting less qualified practitioners to perform a procedure that gets reimbursed at the same exact rate by insurance companies.

Everyone should implore their legislators to reject this unjustified, potentially dangerous attempt at unearned scope expansion. If an optometrist wants to perform surgery, their first stop should be attending medical school, not the Legislature."

Adam Katz, MD
President, Florida Society of Ophthalmology

This is a statement by Adam Katz, MD, president of the Florida Society of Ophthalmology, on the filing of SB 1168. This bill was filed today, February 23, by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Senator Jack Latvala. 

We urge you to call or email your Senator, and tell them to vote NO on SB 1168. 

CLICK HERE to contact your Senator today!

View the bill here.