Individual Poor Eyesight is Expensive for Everyone

Most everybody has giggled at Mark Twain's categorization of falsehoods: lies, damned lies, and statistics.

Well, did you ever hear Mark Twain's other quote about statistics? I like this one even better:

"People commonly use statistics like a drunk uses a lamp post; for support rather than illumination."

This blog post is going to toss around some huge numbers - hope you're ready to receive them!

A lot of Americans have trouble seeing:

• 10M are visually impaired


• 5.5M of the visually impaired are elderly


• 1.3M are legally blind


• 185K are totally blind
  

It is easy to comprehend that this large population of disabled people generates substantial health care costs related to their eyes, but published statistics now demonstrate that these same folks with vision problems also have far more expensive (non-eye related) health care costs compared to people with good eyesight. It's a double-whammy.

Data collected from Medicare records observed this trend in senior citizens, however, the same phenomenon likely affects all age groups. Researchers have calculated that Medicare recipients with poor vision cost the system an additional $2 billion in non-eye related healthcare needs. On average, individuals with below average eyesight drain the Medicare system an extra $3300 per person per year.

It appears that many Medicare members do not receive adequate eyecare. For example, less than 45% of Medicare diabetics have had an eye examination. Outrageous! How can anybody diagnose and treat diabetic retinopathy if nobody is screening for it? The same applies to macular degeneration, glaucoma and cataracts.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology is making a proposal that is intended not only to help seniors get better eyecare but also save future billions for Medicare. Timely identification of eye problems in eligible Medicare recipients can help preserve the precious vision of these beneficiaries and keep them off the high-spender rolls.

Congress has already budgeted the funds for primary care vision screening exams but they are not widely publicized. AAO is calling on Medicare administrators to be more diligent in identifying seniors in need of ophthalmic services because it serves the best interests of our society and it benefits our struggling Medicare system.

Related Topics:

• How to Be Your Own Health Advocate
• How Will the Election Affect Medicare?

Technorati Tags: medicare, vision, healthcare, prevention

Image: Library of Congress (Public Domain)