Familys and doctors, led by Rep. Watkins in Henderson Co.,  may no longer send their loved ones to optometrists anymore for fear that they will operate without the appropriate training.  Rep. Watkins stated that this bill puts patients in danger.  The Law establishes NO minimum educational guidelines.  He was correct.

Kentucky may have increased difficulty recruiting real surgeons.  Cavalier optometrists may subsequently flood to the state because it's fertile ground now.  Optometry schools are being built in the states that can teach surgery, thus creating an optometry surplus, and optometry schools are lowering their admission criteria. It's a dangerous combination.  In Kentucky, where they can teach "surgery" in the new Pikeville OD school, they have some of the lowest college admission scores and professional Board scores.  https://www.reviewofoptometry.com/article/how-the-diploma-deluge-is-reshaping-optometry  

Educators and the public should be disgusted by how the bill devalues a medical education.

Prepare for increased health care costs and complications...despite what they say about Oklahoma laying the groundwork...there is proof to the opposite.

http://archopht.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2535226

There have been over 30 known complications that have come from the Oklahoma Law reported by an ophthalmology practice there.  Kentucky has seen needles inadvertently passed into eyes during eyelid procedures!  Lasers taking hours that should take minutes!  Unnecessary surgery and an explosion of medical billing.  An explosion of billing so big, that it begs an audit for unnecessary surgery.  Sadly, the majority of complications are never reported to any board or agency. 
 

Rural Access goals met?  No way!  Only the major Cities of Lexington, Louisville, and Pikeville are seeing the bulk of optometry surgery.  Wasn't this the "rural access to eye care" bill?  

Representatives and Senators who voted for this may just find it a bit more difficult to find a licensed ophthalmologist to care for them because of the extreme personal conflict that has arisen between doctors and legislators.  They simply turned their back on the will of the people.  80+% of the public was against this!

In the next election cycle, the many politicians who voted for this bill may just find it a bit harder to get elected. 

Call your Representatives now and tell them what you think!  Express your opinion in the next election!  Tell your friends about the differences between eye doctors.