Pilot Program To Help Provide Low-Income Kids With Eye Care Sees Success
Vision to Learn’s vans, staffed by an optometrist and an optician, visited more than 1,200 schools in 25 districts throughout L.A. County. The program targeted schools that had at least 65 percent of their students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunches based on their household income
The California Health Report:
Fewer Low-Income Kids Are Getting Vision Check-Ups, But L.A. Pilot Program May Help
A pilot program in Los Angeles County to boost the number of kids receiving vision care through the Medi-Cal program appears to have succeeded, even as utilization of such services has seen a sharp decline in recent years. The mobile vision pilot program operated from January 2015 to June 30 of this year. It relied on vans that visited schools throughout Los Angeles County and provided eye exams to students. The state funded the $2 million program, which was overseen by the county’s two major Medi-Cal insurers, L.A. Care Health Plan and Health Net, in conjunction with the Los Angeles-based charitable organization Vision to Learn. Vision to Learn’s vans, staffed by an optometrist and an optician, visited more than 1,200 schools in 25 districts throughout L.A. County. More than 31,000 eye exams were provided, and more than 24,000 eyeglasses were fabricated for the children. (Shinkman, 9/12)