Addressing the Growing Abuses of Vision Benefit Managers

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to rally support for addressing the growing abuses of vision benefit managers, or VBMs.

The industry is dominated by two vertically integrated giants whose actions are undermining healthcare access and threatening the existence of eye care practices in all of our districts.

It is concerning that some VBM patient and doctor mandates appear to be aimed solely at benefiting the optical products labs, patient data gathering, and mass retail operations built around them.

The growing VBM acquisition and control over independent eye care practices have created worrying conflict of interest issues. As I speak, VBMs are attempting to link physician reimbursements not to quality care standards but solely to their own product sales.

We must protect against VBM schemes that invade the safeguarded sanctity of a doctor's exam room. Confronting VBM abuses is the central focus of my bipartisan bill, the DOC Access Act, as well as multiple active investigations in Congress and by the GAO, FTC, and others.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me, along with patient and consumer advocates like Patients Rising, the National Consumers League, and the American Optometric Association, to ensure VBM accountability is a priority in Congress.

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