In an Oct. 20 Florida House Professions and Public Health Subcommittee panel discussion, two optometrists said insufficient access to advanced eye care across the state is a major reason their profession should be allowed to do procedures traditionally reserved for ophthalmologists, according to Florida Politics.
Ahad Mahootchi, MD, a Florida ophthalmologist, disagreed. He said the problem of access is a result of many residents having insurance plans that don't include ophthalmologic procedures.
"Making non-surgeons surgeons won't fix those issues," he said, according to Florida Politics.