Sullivan Bill to Increase Vision Screening for Children Unanimously Approved by House Energy and Commerce Committee

Sullivan Bill to Increase Vision Screening for Children Unanimously Approved by House Energy and Commerce Committee

Today, Congressman John Sullivan issued the following statement after the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously passed H.R. 577, the Vision Care for Kids Act of 2009 - legislation which will increase access to vision screening for uninsured children who otherwise might not receive the care they need. Congressman Sullivan is the lead House Energy and Commerce Republican sponsor of this important bill - which will now move to the full House where were it awaits further consideration. This legislation passed the House in the 110th Congress, but was not considered in the Senate.

"Millions of children in the United States suffer from vision problems, many of which go undetected because of the lack of access to and the affordability of proper eye care. This legislation will bridge a chief gap in vision care - children who face undetected vision problems verses children who are able to receive treatment for their vision problems before it is too late."

H.R. 577 aims to combat undiagnosed and untreated vision problems. Uninsured children often do not have the financial resources for diagnosis and follow-up treatment. The Vision Care for Kids Act would complement existing state efforts by authorizing $65 million in federal grant funding from 2010 through 2014 for eye examinations and follow-up treatment for uninsured children who fail a vision screening.

Vision problems in children range from common conditions, such as refractive errors, amblyopia ("lazy eye"), and strabismus ("cross-eyed"), to more serious conditions, such as retinoblastoma (a malignant tumor on the retina), congenital glaucoma and infantile cataracts.

"Many serious ocular conditions are treatable if identified in preschool and early school-aged years and early detection provides the best opportunity for effective treatment. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only one in three children in America receives eye care before their sixth birthday and approximately 1.8 million children under the age of 18 are blind or have some form of visual impairment. Children who have undiagnosed vision problems can have difficulties in school and be wrongly labeled with learning disorders. The Vision Care for Kids Act seeks to change that and get all kids the vision care they need."

Source