Rural health centers often lack eye-care services

Add limited access to eye-care services to the list of rural health issues, says an analysis from George Washington University. The article from Ophthamology Times, “Assessing the Need for On-Site Eye Care Professionals,” says GWU found community health centers across the country are severely lagging in their access to comprehensive eye exams for rural and low-income populations.

Federally funded community health centers have improved some situations, but GWU reports that 70 percent of those centers do not offer on-site vision care services. The American Optometric Association is beginning to pay more attention to the disparity and has been working to expand access to eye-care through community health centers. The analysis listed several key barriers to providing on-site eye-care, including inability to afford space and equipment and difficulties with Medicare and Medicaid coverage and reimbursement. Read more here.