US glaucoma sufferers get Medicare relief:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Medicare has begun covering an annual dilated eye examination for elderly beneficiaries at high risk of glaucoma, federal health officials announced last week. The new coverage decision, effective January 1 2002, is consistent with recommendations from the National Eye Institute as well as from eyecare professional organisations and consumer groups. High-risk persons are defined as those with diabetes; those with a family history of glaucoma and African Americans aged 50 and above. The dilated eye test involves putting drops into the eye to enlarge the pupils so that an optometrist or ophthalmologist can see further inside the eye to check for signs of glaucoma.