PBA Advocacy Alert on Eye and Vision Health

Be a Voice for Vision! Vision and eye health must be part of meaningful health care reform adopted by Congress and the Administration. The U.S. House and Senate will return from Congressional recess on September 8 and, once again, consider health reform legislation. Tell your Representative and Senators that Vision and Eye Health must be part of health care reform legislation! Go to: https://secure2.convio.net/pba/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=170.

Patients Finding it Difficult to Treat Eye Disease Without Health Reform

Many patients routinely skip medications, postpone needed surgeries or skip treatments altogether because, whether insured or not, they cannot afford health care treatment. No medical condition is immune to this situation, including eye disease and vision health. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) ran a Frontline episode called Sick Around America earlier this year highlighting individuals who were insured, under-insured and uninsured. One of the patients interviewed is forgoing cataract surgery because she cannot afford the surgery with her current insurance plan. To watch Sick Around America, go to:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundamerica/view/

Recently, a woman from North Carolina wrote in to CNN with her concerns about eye care under health care reform (http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/08/17/cnn-truth-squad-no-eye-care-until-youre-blind-in-one-eye/#more-64934) as some health care reform rumors suggested that patients with Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) would not have coverage for surgery until they were blind in one eye. This is false.

Prevent Blindness America is working hard to educate policymakers and the public about the importance of vision and eye health provisions under health care reform legislation. For more information about Prevent Blindness America and our advocacy positions, go to: http://www.preventblindness.net/site/PageServer?pagename=advocacy_home&AddInterest=1161.

August Congressional Recess

The U.S. House of Representatives has adjourned for August recess, and the U.S. Senate is expected to adjourn on August 7. Prevent Blindness America has asked our grassroots and grasstops advocates to attend town hall meetings over the August recess to talk to Members of Congress about the importance of eye and vision health and ask how eye and vision health are addressed in health care reform legislation before both chambers. We are grateful to have such strong vision advocates who call upon Congress to support eye and vision health. Both the House and the Senate will reconvene on September 8.

For more information on Prevent Blindness America, go to http://www.preventblindness.org/.

House and Senate Completing the FY 2010 LHHS Appropriations Process

The House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee and full Appropriations Committee have passed FY 2010 LHHS appropriations. The Senate LHHS Subcommittee marked up FY 2010 appropriations on July 28, and the full Appropriations Committee is expected to vote this afternoon.

Both the House and Senate approved $3.229 million in funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Vision Health Initiative for FY 2010. Prevent Blindness America is proud of the 34% increase the Vision Health Initiative received under FY 2009 appropriations. The small increase for FY 2010 is not surprising given the current economic climate. We will continue to work hard to grow this important program as we seek to preserve sight and prevent blindness.

I would like to thank our grassroots advocates for sending over 1300 advocate emails to House and Senate Members on behalf of our FY 2010 appropriations request for the Vision Health Initiative. Thank you vision advocates!