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Saturday, February 03, 2007According to a study published today in the journal Ophthalmology, poor vision is costing Medicare more than $2 billion per year in non-eye related maladies and healthcare needs. As a result, the American Academy of Ophthalmology is calling for Medicare and other medical insurance plans to place a stronger emphasis on providing preventive eye care for all Americans. “With the soaring costs of health care, this study is an important reminder that preventing vision loss saves both sight and money,” said H. Dunbar Hoskins, MD, executive vice president for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. People with poor vision are more accident prone, except for Mr. Magoo. The study does show higher non-eye medical costs for the elderly with poor vision, but the question is how preventable are the eye diseases involved? Macular degeneration is the most common cause of declining vision in the elderly, but the only prevention recommended is vitamins - not something that requires a doctor. Preventing cataracts also doesn't require regular eye exams - although detecting them does. Most insurance companies already pay for diabetic eye exams and treatment. So the question remains, will paying for preventive eye exams - that is, eye exams in people with no noticeable vision problems or underlying health problems, save money in the long run? Maybe not. posted by Sydney on 2/03/2007 03:06:00 PM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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