Abstract:
More than twelve million US adults ages forty and older are affected by vision impairment, and projections suggest that this number will double by 2050. Although most vision impairment can be eliminated with corrective lenses, many adults lack access to routine eye care. In this study, we analyzed detailed state-by-state Medicaid policies for 2022 and documented variability in coverage for adult vision services. Most fee-for-service Medicaid programs covered routine eye exams, although many did not cover glasses (twenty states) or low vision aids (thirty-five states), and about two-thirds of states with routine coverage required enrollee cost sharing. Managed care plans generally provided consistent or enhanced coverage relative to fee-for-service programs, although coverage sometimes varied between plans within a state. We estimated that about 6.5 million and 14.6 million adult enrollees resided in states without comprehensive coverage for routine eye exams and glasses, respectively. These findings reveal important gaps and opportunities for states to increase access to routine vision care.
摘要:
超过1200万年龄在40岁及以上的美国成年人受到视力障碍的影响。预测表明,到2050年,这个数字将翻一番。虽然大多数视力障碍可以用矫正镜片消除,许多成年人无法获得常规的眼部护理。在这项研究中,我们分析了2022年各州的详细医疗补助政策,并记录了成人视力服务覆盖范围的差异.大多数按服务收费的医疗补助计划都涵盖了常规的眼科检查,尽管许多人没有涵盖眼镜(二十个州)或低视力辅助(三十五个州),大约三分之二的例行覆盖州需要参保人员分摊费用。相对于按服务收费计划,管理式照护计划通常提供一致或增强的承保范围,虽然覆盖范围有时在一个州内的计划之间有所不同。我们估计,大约有650万和1460万成人参与者居住在没有全面覆盖常规眼科检查和眼镜的州。分别。这些发现揭示了各州增加获得常规视力护理的重要差距和机会。