Experts worry health care reform will affect quality of vision care

November 2, 2009

The place of eye care in the government's new health care plan continues to be contentious. Last month, the American Optometric Association (AOA) and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AOA) sent a joint letter to congress expressing their concerns over reforms that might make eye care less accessible to American children.

The organizations are concerned with stand-alone vision plans, which families on a budget might be tempted to skip.

In response to the debate, AOA leaders and executives of managed-vision company VSP Vision Care had an inperson meeting on October 24 to discuss the reform.

"Stand-alone vision plans are part of a healthy marketplace - the system isn’t broken,"said Dave Holmberg, president of HVHC, the parent company of Davis Vision, one of the nation’s largest managed vision care companies. "Through it, consumers and decision-makers can go with premium options or value options, choosing what’s best for them."

Regardless of the plan they choose, it’s important for American families to schedule regular visits with an eye care professional. According to the AOA, regular check-ups are especially important to the eye health of children, as many eye problems are more easily treated if caught early.

The AOA recommends that children have a thorough eye exam by age three and another at age five.