Dear Delegates,
My name is Dr. John McAllister, and I am an ophthalmologist and president of the largest physician-owned ophthalmology practice in northern Virginia. We serve tens of thousands of Virginian eye patients. I also currently serve as the president of the Virginia Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons and sit on the board of the Northern Virginia Academy of Ophthalmology. I am writing to express my full support for House Bill 490 (Hope), which is currently before Labor & Commerce Subcommittee #1.
This is a frequent scenario we see regularly: a patient on a fixed income with glaucoma--a potentially blinding disease that requires twice daily administration of eyedrop medication in lower eye pressure. Their arthritis makes it difficult to get the drops in and they use more than one drop sometimes. After 23 days, they run out of this vision-saving medication. They go to get a refill, but it is denied by their insurance because they are requesting this medication too early. They have to wait another week and don't get their vision-saving medication during this time, or they call us. To prevent gaps in care, our staff and physicians almost always get involved, and we send a new prescription, resetting the time line. This wastes the patient's time, our time and resources, and threatens proper vision-saving care.
Enter: HB 490. This bill addresses this practical and common problem in eye care: patients running out of prescribed eye drops before their refill date. When this happens, patients are often forced to choose between going without necessary medication or paying the full out‑of‑pocket cost for a replacement bottle.
This issue disproportionately affects older adults and patients with conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, tremors, or a prior stroke. Many of these patients have insurance plans regulated by the Commonwealth. Even when used exactly as directed, it is common for drops to miss the eye or for more medication than intended to be dispensed. Bottle design — including size, rigidity, and flow‑control tips — can further contribute to unintentional overuse.
HB 490 offers a reasonable, targeted solution that ensures continuity of care and reduces unnecessary administrative burden for both patients and physicians. It allows us to focus on delivering appropriate medical care rather than navigating avoidable coverage gaps.
A budgetary projection was made, estimating an impact, but it does not take into account the reality that almost all of these prescriptions are being re-sent by the physicians already. There should be virtually no financial impact, because these bottles are being dispensed early, but only after a new prescription is written.
This bill protects patients, it makes proper care more convenient for them, and it allows us as physicians and our staff to spend more time actually caring for patients, rather than jumping through arbitrary hoops to get our patients the proper care they need and deserve.
I respectfully ask for your support of HB 490. Thank you for your time and consideration. I would be glad to serve as a resource if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
John T. McAllister, M.D.
President, Northern Virginia Ophthalmology Associates
6565 Arlington Blvd #250
Falls Church, VA 22042
703-534-3900 (o)
703-536-3729 (f)
www.nvoaeyes.com
Dear Delegates, My name is Dr. John McAllister, and I am an ophthalmologist and president of the largest physician-owned ophthalmology practice in northern Virginia. We serve tens of thousands of Virginian eye patients. I also currently serve as the president of the Virginia Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons and sit on the board of the Northern Virginia Academy of Ophthalmology. I am writing to express my full support for House Bill 490 (Hope), which is currently before Labor & Commerce Subcommittee #1. This is a frequent scenario we see regularly: a patient on a fixed income with glaucoma--a potentially blinding disease that requires twice daily administration of eyedrop medication in lower eye pressure. Their arthritis makes it difficult to get the drops in and they use more than one drop sometimes. After 23 days, they run out of this vision-saving medication. They go to get a refill, but it is denied by their insurance because they are requesting this medication too early. They have to wait another week and don't get their vision-saving medication during this time, or they call us. To prevent gaps in care, our staff and physicians almost always get involved, and we send a new prescription, resetting the time line. This wastes the patient's time, our time and resources, and threatens proper vision-saving care. Enter: HB 490. This bill addresses this practical and common problem in eye care: patients running out of prescribed eye drops before their refill date. When this happens, patients are often forced to choose between going without necessary medication or paying the full out‑of‑pocket cost for a replacement bottle. This issue disproportionately affects older adults and patients with conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, tremors, or a prior stroke. Many of these patients have insurance plans regulated by the Commonwealth. Even when used exactly as directed, it is common for drops to miss the eye or for more medication than intended to be dispensed. Bottle design — including size, rigidity, and flow‑control tips — can further contribute to unintentional overuse. HB 490 offers a reasonable, targeted solution that ensures continuity of care and reduces unnecessary administrative burden for both patients and physicians. It allows us to focus on delivering appropriate medical care rather than navigating avoidable coverage gaps. A budgetary projection was made, estimating an impact, but it does not take into account the reality that almost all of these prescriptions are being re-sent by the physicians already. There should be virtually no financial impact, because these bottles are being dispensed early, but only after a new prescription is written. This bill protects patients, it makes proper care more convenient for them, and it allows us as physicians and our staff to spend more time actually caring for patients, rather than jumping through arbitrary hoops to get our patients the proper care they need and deserve. I respectfully ask for your support of HB 490. Thank you for your time and consideration. I would be glad to serve as a resource if you have any questions. Sincerely, John T. McAllister, M.D. President, Northern Virginia Ophthalmology Associates 6565 Arlington Blvd #250 Falls Church, VA 22042 703-534-3900 (o) 703-536-3729 (f) www.nvoaeyes.com