Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. 7500 Centurion Pkwy N Jacksonville, FL 32256

June 10, 2019

Sent via email

The Honorable John A. Alario, Jr. The Honorable 1063 Muller Parkway 800 S. Lewis Street Westwego, LA 70094-5616 Suite 206, 2nd Floor New Iberia, LA 70560

The Honorable Gerard Long The Honorable Walt Leger III P.O. Box 151 935 Gravier St., Suite 2155 Winnfield, LA 71483 , LA 70112

The Honorable Danny Martiny The Honorable 131 Airline Drive, Suite 201 P.O. Box 13555 Metairie, LA 70001 Alexandria, LA 71315-3555

The Honorable Fred H. Mills, Jr. The Honorable Robert A. Johnson 1010 Martin Street P.O. Box 467 Parks, LA 70582 Marksville, LA 71351

The Honorable Regina Barrow The Honorable Frank A. Hoffman 4811 Harding Blvd 204 North 3rd Street, Suite A Baton Rouge, LA 70811 West Monroe, LA 71291

The Honorable Dustin Miller 1115 S. Union St. Opelousas, LA 70570

Dear Members of Legislature Leadership: On behalf of Johnson & Johnson Vision, I am writing to express our strong support for policies that prioritize patient eye health and safety and ensure that patients across the state of Louisiana continue to benefit from today’s competitive environment and the vital patient-doctor relationship. As one of the world’s leading contact lens manufacturers and pioneers in eye health research and development, we share the Louisiana Legislature’s commitment to encouraging continued innovation and competition, as well as expanding Louisianan’s access to quality care. That’s why we support: 1. Putting the eye care professional and patient at the center of care and advocating for routine, comprehensive eye exams, which help to ensure patients’ eyes remain healthy and that they are aware of and have access to the latest technologies. • Through a comprehensive eye exam, doctors can detect early warning signs of both vision-threatening ocular and more than 270 systemic conditions—from diabetes to cardiovascular disease— that may put a patient’s overall health at risk, even when a patient has no other symptoms. 2. Policies that honor a contact lens prescription as written and ensure patients receive the lenses authorized by their eye care professional. • Contact lenses are complex class II and III medical devices regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Medical devices, including contact lenses, are not freely interchangeable. Only the doctor can best determine what lenses are most appropriate lenses for each patient. 3. Eye care professionals’ strong oversight and authority to help ensure all patients receive a high and consistent standard of care as today’s eye health technologies evolve. • We believe that as eye health technologies evolve, they have an incredible capability to provide greater access and potentially better patient outcomes; however, we want to ensure the patient-provider relationship stays at the center of care and that patients continue to receive a high and consistent standard of care. At Johnson & Johnson Vision, we know that our own advancements in eye health technology are not possible without the fundamentals of health and safety, which remain at the core of our business. We thank you for your leadership on behalf of patients in Louisiana and for the chance to share our perspective. As we look ahead, we welcome the opportunity to work with the Louisiana Legislature and other eye health advocates—and to serve as a resource—as we look for new ways to promote patients’ eye health and safety, encourage future innovation, and preserve the vital doctor-patient relationship. For questions and more information, please contact Jessica W. Monroe, MPA, Director, State Government Affairs, at [email protected] and 225-205-3503. Sincerely, Mike Mayers, O.D., FAAO Director, US Advocacy Johnson & Johnson Vision