05/14/2007 01:26 PM Senate FIN

                                                                                                                                
1:27:20 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 113(L&C)                                                                               
     "An Act relating to the prescription and use of                                                                            
     pharmaceutical agents, including controlled substances, by                                                                 
     optometrists; and providing for an effective date."                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
This was the  second hearing for this bill in  the Senate Finance                                                               
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman  announced  intent  to report  this  bill  from                                                               
Committee. He noted the zero fiscal note.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:28:03 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson  compared  the small  number  of  board  certified                                                               
ophthalmologists  to   the  approximately  110   board  certified                                                               
optometrists.  He   asked  the  financial  consequences   to  the                                                               
ophthalmologists resulting  from the  ability of  optometrists to                                                               
provide  some   of  the  medical   care  previously   limited  to                                                               
ophthalmologists.    He    expressed     concern    that    fewer                                                               
ophthalmologists would be attracted to practice in Alaska.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:29:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RALPH  SAMUELS, Sponsor of the  bill, measured the                                                               
issue  of  commercial  interest versus  health  care.  Under  the                                                               
provisions of this legislation,  patients could receive care from                                                               
one  doctor  rather than  two.  This  would save  patients  money                                                               
especially those in rural areas  who travel to larger communities                                                               
for  medical   treatment.  Ophthalmologists  would   continue  to                                                               
perform  many procedures,  including  surgery.  Patient care  and                                                               
affordability  of  treatment  was  of higher  priority  than  any                                                               
earnings  reduction.   The  "revenue  shift"  would   not  be  so                                                               
significant as  to deter ophthalmologists from  practicing in the                                                               
state.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:31:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson asked the sponsor  to comment on the possibility of                                                               
including lapse  date in which  the provisions of the  bill would                                                               
be reviewed and possibly reconsidered.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:31:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Samuels informed  that this  bill represents  his                                                               
second attempt to implement these  changes. Former Governor Frank                                                               
Murkowski vetoed  similar legislation  passed unanimously  by the                                                               
Twenty Forth Legislature.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative Samuels asserted  that a lapse date  should not be                                                               
imposed  on the  provisions  of  the current  bill  for no  other                                                               
reason than "commercial interests".                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:31:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Huggins  offered  a  motion  to  report  the  bill,  25-                                                               
LS0411\T,  from  Committee  with individual  recommendations  and                                                               
accompanying fiscal note.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:32:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Elton objected  to note  for the  record the  receipt of                                                               
written testimony  from Bob Loescher.  Senator Elton  removed his                                                               
objection.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:32:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman objected for discussion purposes.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:32:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Dyson shared  that the optometrist that he  was a patient                                                               
of has supported this proposal for several years.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:32:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson asked if testimony would be taken at this hearing.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:32:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman reminded  that testimony  had been  received at                                                               
the previous hearing on this bill.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:33:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson  commented on  the "devastating  effect", including                                                               
blindness, of certain diseases that were not diagnosed early.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:33:51 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman  removed his objection  to the motion  to report                                                               
the bill from Committee.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Without further  objection SCS CS  HB 113(L&C) was  REPORTED FROM                                                               
COMMITTEE  with  zero  fiscal  note #1  from  the  Department  of                                                               
Commerce, Community and Economic Development.