March 25--An Illinois House committee heard debate Tuesday on a controversial contact lens pricing policy but stopped short of taking a vote.
The bill would bar manufacturers from imposing non-negotiable price minimums on contact lenses. It would also make it illegal for a manufacture to refuse to sell lenses to any qualified Illinois retailer, even if that retailer declined to comply with a minimum price.
Consumer groups and retailers like 1-800 Contacts and Costco are passionate advocates for the bill. Price minimums, they say, result in higher prices for consumers.
To legally obtain a pair of contact lenses in the U.S., they say, a patient must get a prescription from an eye doctor. The doctor then prescribes a vision measurement -- and, importantly, a brand. That means the FDA-inspected lenses should be exactly the same no matter where they're sold. But so-called big box retailers, like Costco, and online retailers say they can sell them cheaper.
Manufacturers like Johnson Johnson say resellers too often advertise low prices with a catch. Johnson Johnson said it incorporated rebates, which consumers often fail to redeem, into its new prices, saving more customers money. They say the pricing policy levels the playing field for doctors and other retailers and ultimately encourages consumers to work with eye doctors to find the right fit, which helps stave off eye complications later.
ehirst@tribpub.com
