March 9, 2020
Berkeley, CA – On Monday, eye doctors and optometry students held a news conference to bring life-saving news to Bay Area residents who are enrolled in Medi-Cal. California is now providing eyeglasses to adults as a covered benefit in the Medi-Cal program. That means enrolled adults can not only visit an eye doctor for a comprehensive eye exam, but now they can receive eyeglasses or vision aids at no cost every two years.
“As the diabetes epidemic is exploding across California, we should be doing more, not less, to connect Californians with comprehensive eye examinations that can detect early signs of diabetes. That’s why restoring Medi-Cal participants’ ability to access eyeglasses is so impactful – the estimated two million Californians on Medi-Cal who need glasses are more likely to obtain essential eye exams that can save their lives,” said David Redman, O.D., Chair, COA Legislation-Regulation Committee. “In 2018, just one year, optometrists found over 301,000 cases of diabetes in Americans who didn’t know they had the disease.”
California cut coverage for eyeglasses’ and vision aids in the Medi-Cal program during the great recession, leading too many Californians to put off a trip to the eye doctor. The state budget approved by the legislature and signed by Governor Newsom’s restores the benefit beginning in 2020.
At the event, optometrists who are leaders of the California Optometric Association and experts from UC Berkeley’s School of Optometry explained how Californians enrolled in Medi-Cal can access the benefit and why the opportunity for new eyeglasses makes a difference in California’s fight against diabetes and other costly, deadly chronic diseases.
“Restoring this important benefit means Californians with low incomes are not only more likely to have accurate eyeglass prescriptions to help them see, but are also more likely to obtain the comprehensive eye exams that can detect diabetes, hypertension, and other diseases that can cause vision loss or be life threatening,” said John G. Flanagan, PhD, DSchc , FCOptom, FAAO, Dean and Professor of Optometry and Vision Science, University of California Berkeley School of Optometry. “One in three Californians participate in Medi-Cal, making this opportunity for eyeglasses a potential game-changer in our state’s fight against diabetes and keeping Californians healthy.”
Early detection is critical for the populations most at risk, especially Latinos and Black Californians.
“More than half of Californians are living with or at risk for diabetes; with Latin and African Americans at twice the risk of other ethnicities,” said Loukia Hadjiyianni, 3rd year optometry student, UC Berkeley School of Optometry. “I am proud to be a part of a profession that stands up for Californian’s with low-income or disabilities who are often under-served by the healthcare system; I am proud to play a part in keeping patients living longer and healthier lives.”
Vision benefits are covered for those with full-scope Medi-Cal benefits. For information about Medi-Cal eligibility, individuals can contact their county human services agency. Individuals can apply for Medi-Cal here: http://dhcs.ca.gov/mymedi-cal.
Alameda County Social Services Agency
24100 Amador St.
Hayward, CA 94544
(888) 999-4772
Alameda County Social Services Website
Contra Costa County
Employment and Human Services Dept.
Workforce Services Bureau
(Please call for nearest office location)
(800) 709-8348 Medi-Cal
Contra Costa County Human Services Website
Marin County
Dept. of Health & Human Services (Public Assistance)
120 N. Redwood Dr. -West Wing
San Rafael, CA 94903
(877) 410-8817
Marin County Health and Human Services Website
City & County of San Francisco
Human Services Agency
SF Benefits Net
1440 Harrison St.
San Francisco, CA 94120
(415) 558-4700
(855) 355-5757 Toll Free
San Francisco Human Services Website
San Mateo County
Human Services Agency
400 Harbor Boulevard, Building “B”
Belmont, CA 94002
(800) 223-8383 Toll Free
San Mateo Human Services Website
Santa Clara County
Social Services Agency
Assistance Application Center
1867 Senter Road
San Jose, CA 95112
(408) 758-3800
(877) 962-3633 Automated
Santa Clara Social Services Website
COA Champion Supporters:
Copyright © 2024 California Optometric Association. All rights reserved.
Chief Strategy Officer
Dr. Lance Anderson is the Chief Strategy Officer at PECAA, where he is engaged in all aspects of company strategy. He co-founded PECAA in 2007 and helped lead the organization as it grew from a small local Portland study group to a national alliance of independently owned eye care practices. He served as a board member of Rev-360 from 2015 – 2021 and helped oversee the management and successful sale of Revolution EHR, Visionary Partners, and eventually PECAA.
He earned his Doctor of Optometry degree from Pacific University in 1991. He started his own optometry practice in 1993 in Hillsboro, OR, and was able to grow the practice into a busy three-doctor clinic. He retired from clinical care in 2021 and then moved to New York City where he was tasked with helping to integrate PECAA with the HEA buying group. He recently moved to Nashville, TN where he will continue to be actively involved in creating the future vision for PECAA as it is integrated into the VSP family of businesses.
Chief Member Experience Officer
Dr. Justin Manning is the Chief Member Experience Officer at PECAA, where he leads the member experience team, encompassing member education, the Member Business Advisory services, Events, and the Cold Start program. He is the founder and host of the Practice Advantage podcast. Prior to joining PECAA, he founded The Keratoconus and Scleral Lens Institute at Bettner Vision in Colorado Springs, and eyeLeader, a consulting company focused on leadership development, technology in eyecare, and population health.
He has contributed to Review of Optometric Business and has lectured nationally and internationally on specialty contact lenses, design thinking, population health, and the patient experience. He earned his Doctor of Optometry degree from The Ohio State University and completed a residency in Geriatric Optometry at the VA Puget Sound Healthcare System in Tacoma, WA, a Master of Public Health degree at Salus University, and a graduate certificate in Customer Experience from the CU Boulder Leeds School of Business. He is driven to help all independent eye care professionals grow their businesses and enjoy their practices every single day.
About information
About information
About information