Bottom Line: Traditional Medicare doesn't cover eyeglasses except after cataract surgery and changing the policy has been discussed. Recent estimates of eyeglass use by Medicare beneficiaries could shed light on the implications of any policy change. A new study estimates 92 percent of Medicare beneficiaries 65 or older (an estimated 40.5 million people) reported using eyeglasses for distance or near vision correction in 2015, a frequency of eyeglass use that has remained stable. Researchers noted sociodemographic differences between those who did or didn't report using eyeglasses.
Authors: Brian C. Stagg, M.D., University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, and coauthors
To Learn More: The full study is available on the For The Media website.
(doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2018.2524)
Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
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Journal
JAMA Ophthalmology