Vision screenings to identify eye issues in children and young adults.

WASHINGTON, D.C. AND SAN FRANCISCO – October 5, 2011 – A coalition of medical doctors is recommending regular eye screenings for children and young adults as an evidencebased, cost-effective plan for providing vision benefits mandated by the Affordable Care Act. The American Academy of Ophthalmology, along with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, outlines specific eyerelated services in Children and Vision Care, presented to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The agency is in the process of defining an essential health-benefits package – including pediatric vision care – that must be included in qualified health plans available through state insurance plan exchanges, called for in the Affordable Care Act.