Major victory for West Virginia patients, optometrists

A new bill is modernizing optometric scope of practice in West Virginia to align more closely with current medical education and practices—allowing doctors of optometry to provide a broader range of services and help address critical access issues in many parts of the state. 

Senate Bill 565 passed on May 1, landmark legislation that will increase patient access to critical eye health and vision care and modernize the scope of practice for West Virginia doctors, allowing them to provide certain in-office procedures, including laser treatments, which they are educated and trained to deliver.   

This bill represents a major victory for both the optometric profession and the patients they serve, especially those in rural and underserved areas. 

“We’re incredibly proud of what this means for our patients,” says Laura Suppa, O.D., president of the West Virginia Association of Optometric Physicians (WVAOP). “This legislation will allow optometrists to deliver essential care, like managing certain eye conditions and performing minor procedures, without patients having to travel long distances or wait weeks for an appointment. It’s a win for public health and for West Virginia families.” 

Bringing timely, accessible care to patients 

The legislation reflects both contemporary health care needs and the realities of optometric education and patient care delivery. Twelve other states permit these procedures, and in those states, more than 146,000 ophthalmic procedures have been performed safely and effectively by doctors of optometry. 

“This is a monumental step forward for health care in West Virginia,” says Chad Robinson, WVAOP executive director. “SB 565 ensures that our highly trained optometrists can practice to the full extent of their education, training, and licensure—bringing more timely, accessible care to West Virginians where they are. We’re grateful to our representatives for recognizing the importance of this legislation.” 

The WVAOP says the legislators who engaged in meaningful dialogue throughout the session helped ensure the bill’s passage by championing evidence-based information, as well as Governor Patrick Morrisey for recognizing the importance of this legislation. But it’s the WVAOP members and advocacy team who put in tireless work and dedication to move the bill forward. 

The new law will take effect July 9, 2025. 

'An unprecedented scope of practice expansion’ 

The advancement of optometric scope of practice is publicly recognized as “an unprecedented … expansion; no other …practitioners in the U.S. have experienced comparable reforms.” This progress has clear and demonstrable benefits, which were reinforced in a recent report that evaluated the impact of scope reform in the 12 states that provide laser surgical authority for doctors of optometry. According to the research, advanced scope of optometric practice has:    

• Led to an increase in the number of Medicare beneficiaries receiving YAG procedures;  
• Resulted in a gradual substitution between optometrists and ophthalmologists in the market for YAG procedures; and  
• Demonstrated “larger impacts in rural areas than in urban areas, implying that populations with the most severe access problems may benefit the most.”   

“The future of optometry and access to critical patient eye health and vision care lies in the ability for doctors of optometry to adapt and expand the profession’s scope of practice, which has long been a key priority for the AOA and affiliates across the country,” says AOA President Steven T. Reed, O.D. “The AOA is committed to supporting the fight for this important progress across the country.” 

AOA, affiliates committed to advancing optometry  

Launched in 2018, the AOA Future Practice Initiative is an operational partnership alongside affiliates that helps leverage advocacy strengths to challenge historic impediments to full-scope optometric care. That close collaboration continues to not only produce meaningful scope advancements but also keeps in check egregious, anti-competitive and anti-patient vision plan policies, as well as attempts to roll back optometric care.  

As part of these efforts, the AOA’s SGRC Regional Advocacy Meetings prove pivotal opportunities for grassroots advocates, affiliate leaders and volunteers across the nation to compare playbooks for statehouse advocacy strategies. If AOA state affiliates are interested in elevating advocacy in their states, save these dates for the AOA State Government Relations Center (SGRC) Regional Advocacy Meetings in 2025.    

• Aug 15-16 in Chicago, Illinois
• Oct. 24-25 in Phoenix, Arizona

Registration will open soon, and additional details will come.