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Puerto Rico passes mandatory childrens eye exam law
The children’s vision initiative gained further ground with the passage of mandatory eye exam legislation in Puerto Rico.
“Most of the learning problems in school are related to visual and hearing problems,” said Jose N. Lugo, OD, chairman of the Legislative Committee of the Puerto Rico Optometric Association, in an interview with Primary Care Optometry News. “Passage of this law will result in better performance in school.”
Improvement on original law
In 2000, Puerto Rico established Law 296, also known as the Children and Teenagers Health and Conservation Law. This law stated that all school-aged children and teens were required to have a vision screening, Dr. Lugo said.
However, health representative Jose Chico Vega (New Progressive Party), a legislator in the Puerto Rico House of Representatives, sought to amend the law to require full eye exams for all school-aged children by introducing Amendment Law 62.
“That law states that every private and public school, including preschools and Head Start programs, will require complete eye exams for children,” Dr. Lugo said. “The eye exam must meet the standards of the American Optometric Association and the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and the students must present evidence to their principal that they have had the exams.” The children are required to have an eye evaluation each school year.
At the time of the amendment’s introduction, Rep. Chico was in a minority position in the House, Dr. Lugo said, making it difficult to pass the amended legislation. “Now he is in good standing. He is in the majority in the House, and he passed that law,” Dr. Lugo said.
Gov. Anibal Acevedo-Vila officially enacted Law 62 on Feb. 17. It additionally requires that an eye care professional be a member of the Physical Evaluation Panel of the Department of Education of Puerto Rico.
The panel, which will be appointed by the Puerto Rico Secretary of Education, will be composed of a pediatrician, an occupational therapist, an eye health professional (either an optometrist or ophthalmologist) and a speech pathologist. The purpose of this panel is to evaluate the results and make recommendations to the Puerto Rico Department of Education, Dr. Lugo noted.
Fighting opposition with education
Organized ophthalmology expressed opposition to the amendment, Dr. Lugo said, and made attempts to exclude optometrists as providers of the mandatory exams. “The ophthalmologists tried to take optometry out of this law,” he said. “We had to get the necessary lobbyists to keep optometry in the law.”
Dr. Lugo said the InterAmerican School of Puerto Rico School of Optometry was instrumental in passing the legislation, particularly in terms of educating the legislators. The school presented a study that showed that nearly 20% of children in the public school system have an eye disorder that requires correction or treatment.
“The school made a very good effort here. It was a good orientation tool with the legislators,” he said. “They explained the difference between a screening and a complete eye health exam, and we have to thank them. They did a lot of great work with this law.”
Dr. Lugo said the school explained the frequency with which vision screenings yield false results, which may cause serious visual problems to go undetected. “I think that was important,” he said. “With the comprehensive eye exam, the students will be better provided with good eye health care.”
The legislation will take effect immediately for next school year 2006-2007, Dr. Lugo said. “We are pleased with it,” he said.
For more information:
- Jose N. Lugo, OD, is chairman of the Legislative Committee of the Puerto Rico Optometric Association and past-president of the Puerto Rico State Regulatory Board. He can be reached at 65 East Domingo Caceres St., Carolina, PR 00985; (787) 767-2828; fax: (787) 257-0590; e-mail: owcarolina@prtc.net.