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Bill would provide screenings for uninsured children
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A bill that would fund vision screenings and treatment for uninsured children was introduced in Congress last month.
The Children’s Access to Vision Care Act of 2003 (H.R. 3602) would provide $75 million in grants to the states for comprehensive eye examinations and follow-up treatment for children not eligible for Medicaid and not insured by private carriers. The bill was drafted by Rep. Sue Kelly and Rep. Vito Fossella, both Republicans of New York, with input from the American Academy of Ophthalmology and other organizations.
According to the AAO, 30 states already have mandatory vision screening programs, and 11 other states have vision screening programs for preschool children.
A similar bill titled the ‘Children’s Vision Improvement and Readiness Act of 2003,’ H.R. 2173, was introduced in June and is in the Subcommittee on Health. Both bills aim to obtain government grants to provide comprehensive eye examinations to children. The bills differ as to the economic limitations, eligibility and delegation of services.