As you may know, beginning January 1, nearly all children in the U.S. will have coverage for annual eye exams, follow-up care, and treatment such as eyeglasses from their local doctor of optometry. For many families, this coverage will be embedded within your basic medical insurance and not as a stand-alone benefit, as was previously the case. This coverage is through an Optometric Care ACA children’s Health Benefit, deemed essential to a child’s overall health.
While some have suggested a comprehensive annual exam is not necessary as long as a child is receiving vision screenings, there is no valid screening method to identify most children with vision problems. Vision screenings miss more problems than they find. A study funded by the National Eye Institute found even the most highly-trained screeners using top-of-the-line equipment will miss one-third of all learning-related eye and vision problems in children.
The American Optometric Association (AOA) writes about the changes and how they can benefit you and your child in this article: Health Reform Offers Better Children’s Vision Care in U.S. I hope that you find this information helpful as you ensure that your children receive the very best in pediatric vision care.
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