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Act seeks funding for childhood vision screening, care
WASHINGTON — An act introduced in Congress seeks to address the rate of untreated vision disorders among children, the American Academy of Ophthalmology announced in a news release.
The “Vision Care for Kids Act,” which was introduced by Sen. Christopher Bond, R-Mo., seeks funding to help provide follow-up diagnoses and treatments for children who fail vision screening tests. If enacted, the act would provide state grants for eye examinations and additional treatments for uninsured children or those without adequate health plan coverage.
The AAO helped create the act, along with the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS) and other eye care organizations. The AAO said it strongly supports the act and that the legislation complements individual state programs that identify vision problems in preschoolers.
Currently, 31 states and the District of Columbia have mandatory vision screening programs. Eleven additional states recommend screening for preschool children, according to the release.
This legislation also complements the Children’s Healthy Vision Campaign, an effort initiated by the AAO and also supported by AAPOS and the American Academy of Family Physicians, which promotes routine childhood vision screenings, according to the release.