[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 124 (Monday, July 21, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H3521]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        ADDRESSING THE GROWING ABUSES OF VISION BENEFIT MANAGERS

  (Mr. CARTER of Georgia asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to rally support for 
addressing the growing abuses of vision benefit managers, or VBMs.
  The industry is dominated by two vertically integrated giants whose 
actions are undermining healthcare access and threatening the existence 
of eye care practices in all of our districts.
  It is concerning that some VBM patient and doctor mandates appear to 
be aimed solely at benefiting the optical products labs, patient data 
gathering, and mass retail operations built around them.
  The growing VBM acquisition and control over independent eye care 
practices have created worrying conflict of interest issues. As I 
speak, VBMs are attempting to link physician reimbursements not to 
quality care standards but solely to their own product sales.
  We must protect against VBM schemes that invade the safeguarded 
sanctity of a doctor's exam room. Confronting VBM abuses is the central 
focus of my bipartisan bill, the DOC Access Act, as well as multiple 
active investigations in Congress and by the GAO, FTC, and others.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me, along with patient and 
consumer advocates like Patients Rising, the National Consumers League, 
and the American Optometric Association, to ensure VBM accountability 
is a priority in Congress.

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