Federal Court Blocks Texas HB 1696, Delivering Major Win for Vision Care Consumers and Providers

RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. - The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas blocked aspects of HB 1696, a State of Texas law that restricted how managed vision care plans communicate with their members.

"This decision is a resounding win for Texans," said VSP Vision President and CEO Michael Guyette. "By upholding the right of consumers to make their own informed decisions, this ruling empowers individuals to access affordable, high-quality eye care and eyewear in a destination that best suits their needs."

The lawsuit, filed by the Healthy Vision Association in partnership with the National Association of Vision Care Plans (NAVCP), VSP Vision^™, and Visionworks^® in 2023, argued that HB 1696 would:

• Impose unconstitutional restrictions on the ability of vision care companies to freely promote, advocate, and encourage annual vision care visits,
• Limit consumer value and choice by restricting how plans communicate savings, offers, and lower cost options; and
• Make it harder for Texans to access care by preventing plans from identifying participating providers who offer cost effective services.

Judge James Wesley Hendrix ruled that the State of Texas could not enforce HB 1696, finding that the statute violated First Amendment protections by prohibiting vision care plan providers from informing patients about participating providers who offer more affordable services or products. The court determined that the law would have forced consumers to remain "misled or uninformed for their own protection," suppressing valuable information that empowers patients to make informed eye care choices.

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About VSP Vision
At VSP Vision^™, our purpose is to empower human potential through sight. As the first national not-for-profit vision benefits company, this is what drives everything we do. For 70 years, VSP^® has been a leader in health-focused vision care. Every day, the people that power our complementary businesses across vision benefits, eye care services, eyewear solutions, and practice solutions, work together to create a world where everyone can bring their best vision to life. That means providing affordable access to eye care and eyewear for millions of members through a network of more than 44,000 doctors. It also means expanding access to vision care to those disadvantaged by income, distance, or disaster through VSP Eyes of Hope^®. To date, more than 4.3 million people in need have received access to no-cost eye care and eyewear through one of our Eyes of Hope programs. Learn more about how we're reinvesting in greater vision, health, and opportunities for all at vspvision.com.