(a)
- (1) Pursuant to Arkansas Code § 23-99-1003(a), a participating provider agreement between an insurer, vision care plan, or vision care discount plan and a vision care provider shall not establish a fee that a vision care provider shall charge for services or materials that are not covered by a vision benefit plan or contract.
- (2) A vision care insurer, vision care plan, or vision care discount plan shall not circumvent or avoid this restriction by providing minimal or de minimus coverage for a service or material, or by designating a service or material as "covered" as defined in Arkansas Code § 23-99-1002(1) and (2).
(b)
- (1) Pursuant to Arkansas Code § 23-99-1003(b), a vision care provider shall not charge a fee for services or materials that is more than the vision care provider's normal rate for the services or materials if the services or materials are noncovered services or noncovered materials.
- (2) This restriction or limitation of a vision care provider's charges for fees to not exceed normal rates for service or materials under Arkansas Code § 23-99-1003(b) is a reference to the vision care provider's charges or pricing to the insured and not to a vision care provider's normal reimbursement fees or allowed charges for such services or materials in a vision care plan or vision care discount plan participation agreement.
- (c) Under Arkansas Code § 23-99-1003(e), a participating provider agreement between an insurer, vision care plan, or vision care discount plan and a vision care provider shall not restrict or limit, directly or indirectly, the vision care provider's choice of optical labs or choice of sources and suppliers of services or materials provided by the vision care provider to an individual who is insured by the insurer.