ABSTRACT
Vision loss that cannot be corrected medically, surgically, or by refractive means is considered low vision. Low vision often results in impairment of daily activities, loss of independence, increased risk of fractures, excess health care expense, and reduced physical functioning, quality of life, and life expectancy. Vision rehabilitation can enable more independent functioning for individuals with low vision. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recognizes the importance of rehabilitation for achieving medically necessary goals but has denied Medicare coverage for vision assistive equipment that is necessary to complete these goals, although they provide coverage for assistive equipment to provide compensation for other disabilities. We believe that this is discriminatory and does not comport with congressional intent. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services should provide coverage for vision assistive equipment, allowing beneficiaries with vision loss to benefit fully from Medicare-covered rehabilitation to achieve the cost-effective results of these services.
Subject(s)
Blindness/rehabilitation , Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S./legislation & jurisprudence , Insurance Benefits/legislation & jurisprudence , Insurance Coverage/statistics & numerical data , Sensory Aids , Vision, Low/rehabilitation , Visually Impaired Persons/rehabilitation , Activities of Daily Living , Aged , Health Promotion , Health Services Needs and Demand , Health Services Research , Humans , Insurance Benefits/statistics & numerical data , Middle Aged , United States , Vision ScreeningABSTRACT
Rapid advances in information technology have dramatically transformed the world during the past several decades. Access to computers and the World Wide Web is increasingly required for education and employment, as well as for many activities of daily living. Although these changes have improved society in many respects, they present an obstacle for visually disabled patients who may have significant difficulty processing the visual cues presented by modern graphical user interfaces. This article reviews the specific barriers to computer and Web access faced by visually disabled patients, describes clinical evaluation methods, summarizes traditional low vision methods as well as newer assistive computer technologies for universal accessibility, and discusses emerging technologies and future directions in this area.
