HB256 Alabama 2014 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Ed Henry

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2014

Title

Insurance, Access to Eye Care Act, certain provisions revised to include other programs, private or public, insurance policy, plan, contract, or program prohibited activities expanded, Secs. 27-56-2, 27-56-3, 27-56-4, 27-56-5, 27-56-6, 27-56-7, 27-56-8 am'd.

Summary

HB256 expands the Access to Eye Care Act to require both public and private insurance plans to cover eye care by optometrists and bans insurers from several restrictive practices.

What This Bill Does

It specifies that both public and private policies, plans, contracts, and programs provide coverage for optometrists under the Act. It prohibits insurers from requiring eye care providers to participate as a condition of payment, from forcing set fees outside the subscriber agreement, from restricting which lab is used, from designating which plan is used for reimbursement, and from imposing restrictions on noncovered products or services. It requires direct access to eye care providers for covered services without referrals and ensures eye care benefits for optometrists within scope have the same deductible or coinsurance as other eye care providers. It applies to services delivered or renewed in this state after August 1, 2001, and to existing policies at their renewal dates, as applicable.

Who It Affects

• Eye care providers (optometrists and ophthalmologists) who would be paid for services within their license under both public and private plans and who must comply with the Act's coverage requirements.
• Insured individuals and families covered by public or private eye care plans, who would gain direct access to eye care providers without referrals and face fewer insurer-imposed limitations on labs, reimbursements, and noncovered services.

Key Provisions

• Extend coverage to both public and private insurance policies/plans/contracts/programs for eye care services provided by optometrists under the Act.
• Prohibit requiring eye care providers to participate as a condition of payment and forbidding set fees outside the subscriber agreement.
• Prohibit restrictions on lab selection, designation of which insurance plan reimburses, and restrictions on noncovered products or services.
• Require direct access to eye care providers for all covered eye care services without referral or preapproval requirements for glaucoma treatment and postoperative eye care.
• Ensure eye care benefits for optometrists within the scope of their licenses are subject to the same deductible or coinsurance as other eye care providers.
• Apply the Act to services delivered or renewed in this state on or after August 1, 2001, and to existing policies at their renewal dates.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Insurance