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Debate intensifies as committee weighs optometry scope expansion to allow certain laser and in‑office procedures
Summary
House Bill 218 would let Montana optometrists perform specified anterior‑segment laser and in‑office surgical procedures after certified training; proponents said the change would improve access, opponents warned of patient‑safety risks.
Representative Ed Buttrey introduced House Bill 218 as a modernization of Montana’s optometry practice act, which he said has not been substantially updated in 25 years. The bill would allow doctors of optometry to perform certain in‑office laser procedures and minor anterior‑segment surgical procedures provided they complete required clinical training and are certified by the Montana Board of Optometry.
Proponents — including optometrists Ron Benner, Joseph Vincent and Jon Kolstad and the Montana Optometric Association — said the change would expand timely access to care, particularly in rural areas where ophthalmologists are sparse. Dr. Benner described a patient who had…
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