NJ Spotlight published the following article on January 27, 2014. To read the full article, click here.
ACA MANDATE MAKES MORE KIDS ELIGIBLE FOR COMPREHENSIVE VISION CARE
MEIR RINDE | JANUARY 27, 2014
Vision problems in children can lead to serious difficulties in school and life, from poor reading comprehension and test scores to higher rates of juvenile delinquency and unnecessary placement in special-needs programs, especially among poor children.
New Jersey schools are required to provide students with periodic vision screenings, but optometrists argue that they often don’t result in needed treatment.
Screenings at schools and in pediatricians’ offices, while less expensive and easier to administer, typically are limited to checking how well a child can read an eye chart and other tests of visual acuity.
Even when those screenings flag children for poor vision, their parents often do not take them to the eye doctor, because of the cost or for other reasons.
But the dynamics of pediatric eye care may begin changing this year, as families start taking advantage of the new pediatric vision benefit in the Affordable Care Act. Under the law, Americans are now required to have health insurance and all policies must cover vision care for children – including comprehensive eye exams – at no additional cost.