Optometrists, the doctors who diagnose and treat eyes, will soon be able to perform some surgeries that only ophthalmologists, or eye surgeons, could handle, thanks to Senate Bill 565 that became law without Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s signature on April 30.
The new law is set to take effect on July 9, 2025.
The West Virginia Association of Optometric Physicians (WVAOP) said the law modernizes the state’s scope of practice to align with current medical education and practices in a Friday media release.
“This is a monumental step forward for health care in West Virginia,” said Chad Robinson, executive director of WVAOP. “SB 565 ensures that our highly trained optometrists can practice to the full extent of their education, training, and licensure—bringing more timely, accessible care to West Virginians where they are. We’re grateful to our representatives for recognizing the importance of this legislation.”
Like the bill’s sponsors, the WVAOP asserts that allowing optometrists to perform surgeries will help address critical access issues in the most rural parts of the state.
“We’re incredibly proud of what this means for our patients,” said Dr. Laura Suppa, president of the WVAOP Board of Directors. “This legislation will allow optometrists to deliver essential care, like managing certain eye conditions and performing minor procedures, without patients having to travel long distances or wait weeks for an appointment. It’s a win for public health and for West Virginia families.”
The Senate wrestled with the legislation before sending it to the House of Delegates for its consideration, with proponents arguing it would reduce waitlists in West Virginia for eye surgeries that optometrists are trained, but not currently permitted, to do.
Opponents, like Senator Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, worry about the precedents set by the passage of Senate Bill 565.
“I think it’s a dangerous precedent to set to allow people who are not medical doctors or trained physicians, doctors of osteopathy, people who have not been trained in surgery, to now go do surgery,” Tarr said at the time.
Tarr said he is uncomfortable with how the bill was introduced, and he feels the new law is a political expansion of practice, rather than an expansion based on evidence.
“I felt like we weren’t able to get an unbiased opinion on what the facts were,” Tarr said. “Around this healthcare policy, that became who had the most political weight, whether or not a scope of practice expanded.”
