Florida has an eye care crisis: Let optometrists do more | Opinion

Floridians have waited long enough. For years — decades, even — we’ve been tangled in a drawn-out brawl over expanding eye care, watching other states sprint ahead while we stumble.

It’s time to end the stalling, and let Florida’s trusted, trained optometrists practice to the full extent of their expertise. This shouldn’t be about politics. Floridians aren’t interested in turf wars.

We must promote fairness and delivering the best care in the most effective way possible. Yet somehow, it’s still a fight.

We’re raised to own our health — brushing our teeth, booking checkups, staying proactive. It’s universal, drilled into us for well-being and longevity. Floridians want that same control over their eye care, but they’re hitting walls. In the Sunshine State. Eye care is a pipe dream for too many, especially in rural areas and vulnerable communities.

In 2021, the Department of Health told the Florida House that 26 counties had zero practicing ophthalmologists. That’s 26 counties where someone with a real eye problem has to hit the road, crossing county lines — maybe multiple — just to find a doctor, only to face endless wait times.

Florida’s got an ophthalmologist shortage, no question. It’s an eye-care crisis here and across America.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology predicts a 12% drop in the ophthalmology workforce by 2035, while demand spikes by 24%. That’s not a gap — it’s a gulf. Other states have tackled it head-on, empowering optometrists to step in and expand access. Florida? We’re stuck in 2013, when our eye-care laws last saw daylight.

Our population’s exploded since — especially post-COVID — but our policies haven’t budged. Optometrists here are shackled, unable to offer basic oral immunosuppressives, steroids, antifungals or even in-office blood tests. Expanding their scope isn’t radical — it’s a no-brainer fix to a shortage that’s strangling care.

This legislative session, I’ve sponsored House Bill 449 to level the field, to boost access and slash healthcare costs for Floridians. Optometrists are trained, tested and vetted by tough regulatory boards.

The system promotes safety first, as Florida’s always demands. HB 449 tightens that further, tasking the Board of Optometry with yearly updates to certification standards — better coursework, sharper exams — holding optometrists to the highest standards of care. The bill would allow optometrists to expand their scope of practice to perform specific ocular procedures, but not invasive surgeries, with clear boundaries. Training and credentials are required, period. It’s practical, not political. The bill is currently in the Health & Human Services Committee.

But practicality doesn’t always win when special interests unleash their brigades of lobbyists to guard their turf and their profits. This shouldn’t be about who’s got the deepest pockets in Tallahassee — it’s about who’s got the most to lose when care dries up.

Most of the country’s already ahead, two or three steps into the future, while Florida teeters on a widening care canyon. Time and growth won’t pause. Demand will soar, and our current system will collapse.

This legislative session is our moment. HB 449 isn’t just a bill — it’s a lifeline.

I implore my fellow legislators to tune out the noise, focus on the need and let’s get this done.

Republican Florida State Rep. Alex Rizo is chairman of the Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee and represents District 112 in the Florida House, which includes parts of Hialeah.

This story was originally published April 7, 2025 at 4:28 PM.