00HOUSE BILL NO. 461                                                                                                      
01 "An Act relating to Medicaid payments for the services of optometrists; and                                             
02 providing for an effective date."                                                                                       
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1.  AS 47.07 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                   
05  Sec. 47.07.067.  PAYMENT FOR OPTOMETRISTS' SERVICES.  (a)  The                                                        
06 department shall pay the same amount for a service performed by an optometrist under                                    
07 this chapter as the department pays for that service when it is performed by a                                          
08 physician licensed under AS 08.64 if the service is within the scope of the                                             
09 optometrist's occupational license.                                                                                     
10  (b)  All of the types of service authorized under an optometrist's occupational                                       
11 license are eligible for payment under this chapter to the same extent that those types                                 
12 of service are eligible for payment when they are performed by a physician licensed                                     
13 under AS 08.64.                                                                                                         
14  (c)  The department may not use a different classification system for                                                 

01 optometrists' services under this chapter than it uses for physician services under this                                
02 chapter.                                                                                                                
03   * Sec. 2.  TRANSITION.  The legislature recognizes that this Act will require the                                     
04 Department of Health and Social Services to adopt new regulations applicable to optometrists'                           
05 services under AS 47.07.  Until new regulations are adopted, the department shall immediately                           
06 implement this Act by using payment rates and service classifications for optometrists under                            
07 AS 47.07 that are the same as the payment rates and service classifications used by the                                 
08 department for physicians under AS 47.07.                                                                               
09   * Sec. 3.  This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).