This bill “uses health practice mandates to stifle competition for the benefit of a single industry,” he says.
South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley vetoed a bill that would have banned the use of Opternative in the state and required that patients see an optometrist for an in-person exam to obtain a prescription, Chicago Inno reports. The article cites Hailey’s written remarks:
“I am vetoing this bill because it uses health practice mandates to stifle competition for the benefit of a single industry,” he says. “During my administration, South Carolina has expanded access to healthcare, including mental health services, to rural and underserved regions of our state using telemedicine. Unfortunately, a small group of eye care professionals is seeking to block new technologies that expand low-cost access to vision correction services.”
Opternative is a Chicago-based company that, through its app, allows patients between the ages of 18 and 40 to take a 25-minute eye test and then receive a prescription for contact lenses or glasses for $40. The state of Georgia recently passed a law that requires patients to go for an in-person exam in order to obtain a prescription.
Read more at Chicago Inno
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