House Bill 658 would authorize licensed optometrists in North Carolina to provide optometry services through telemedicine to patients located in the state, so long as the optometrist holds a valid and active North Carolina license. The bill expressly allows the optometrist to be physically located outside North Carolina while treating a North Carolina patient and states that no separate license in the optometrist’s physical location is required for that care.
The bill also clarifies that telemedicine does not change the scope of optometric practice and does not limit the North Carolina Board of Examiners in Optometry’s authority to enforce the law and discipline licensees. It directs the Board to adopt implementing rules covering issues such as the licensee-patient relationship, examination and diagnosis, recordkeeping, prescribing, telemedicine standards of care, and display of licensure and credentials, consistent with the Board’s telemedicine position statement. The act would take effect October 1, 2025.
Impact
This bill would amend Chapter 90 of the North Carolina General Statutes by adding a new telemedicine provision for optometrists, creating explicit statutory authority for remote optometric care. It would affect licensed optometrists, patients receiving eye care in North Carolina, and the North Carolina Board of Examiners in Optometry, which would be responsible for rulemaking and continued enforcement. The bill does not expand the substantive scope of optometry, but it does remove geographic barriers to service delivery and may increase access to eye care through telehealth.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears neutral to favorable. The bill’s purpose is framed as giving optometrists flexibility to provide telehealth services, suggesting a practical, access-oriented approach rather than a controversial policy change. No opposition, amendments, or recorded dissent are shown in the available context.
Contention
The main potential points of contention are likely to involve professional regulation and patient safety standards rather than the concept of telehealth itself. The bill leaves important details to the Optometry Board, including the telemedicine standard of care, patient relationship requirements, and rules for examination, diagnosis, and prescribing, which could prompt debate over how much discretion the Board should have and whether remote care should be held to the same standards as in-person care. Another possible issue is the bill’s allowance for an optometrist to be physically outside North Carolina while treating North Carolina patients, though the bill preserves Board jurisdiction and requires compliance with state law and Board rules.