ALERT LowVision
Is low vision care costly?
Cynthia Stuen, CPNP, chief professional affairs
officer at Lighthouse International, reports that
the answer is both no and yes. A clinical exam by a
low-vision specialist (optometry or ophthalmology)
may be in the $100–300 range; private insurance
will probably reimburse this. Medicare, the
insurance covering many people with MS, covers
eye exams “secondary to disease,” but not routine
eye care. Medicare will not cover devices to
compensate for low vision. They are not considered
“durable medical equipment” and most insurance
companies follow the Medicare pattern. While
some aids (like a talking wristwatch or a large print
calculator) are modestly priced, major equipment
such as a CCTV to magnify reading materials costs
over $1,000.
Some state vocational rehab programs will sub-
sidize equipment to help a person keep or seek
employment, especially if the person is “legally
blind,” Stuen noted. The specific definition varies
from state to state. Call us at 1-800-344-4867 for
details.
Bottom line
Like almost everything MS, vision problems
tend to come and go, so flexibility helps. So does
humor. “Texting is a big challenge,” Ellen Kampel
said, “because there’s no spell check and you can’t
enlarge the fonts. I texted my daughter to pick up
chocolate milk … and she called to ask what on
earth is crocodile milk!”
Winston Davis is a freelance health writer based in
Brooklyn.
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