Visibly, an eye care telemedicine company, filed a lawsuit last week against Indiana agencies that enforce the statewide ban on ocular telemedicine, Indy Star reports.
Visibly sued the Medical Licensing Board of Indiana, Indiana Professional Agency and Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill, among others, alleging the state’s telemedicine law is unconstitutional. The law, which was passed in 2016, allowed for the practice of telemedicine in the state, but it specifically excluded use of the technology for ophthalmic devices as well as prescriptions for most opioids and abortion drugs, according to the report.
The Indiana attorney general's office said April 11 that it received a copy of the complaint and its attorneys were in the process of reviewing it. Visibly argues that telemedicine lowers the cost of eye exams for otherwise healthy patients. However, the company does not offer a replacement for comprehensive eye exams. Thirty-nine states currently allow for telemedicine eye exams.
Indiana Optometry, the state's affiliate of the American Optometric Association, only supports in-person vision prescriptions, Indiana Optometry President Christopher Browning, MD, said.