In the letter below, which was published December 18 in the Chicago Tribune’s on-line edition, Dr. Janet Szlyk, executive director of The Chicago Lighthouse, and Charles Young, president of The Hadley School for the Blind, urge that health care reform legislation being considered by Congress include features benefitting people who are blind or visually impaired.

Chicago Tribune

Letters to the editor

Vision loss should be next major health care issue
10:19 a.m. CST, December 18, 2009

As the nation stands on the threshold of enacting the most far-reaching Health Care Reform in nearly 50 years, we feel that it's not too early to sound a clarion call on the next big health-care related challenge facing the Obama administration and the American people: the virtual epidemic in vision loss that many of the 76 million-member baby boom generation will experience in the years ahead.

Anticipating this challenge and preparing for it will enable us to better assist those Americans who will be losing their sight. We'd like to suggest some measures that could help alleviate the problem, which are not included in the current legislation working its way through Congress.

At the top of our list is Medicare coverage for services performed by vision professionals, including Orientation and Mobility Instructors and Rehabilitation Teachers. If someone needs a knee or hip replacement, which requires physical therapy, the services of the therapist are covered by Medicare. Yet, if someone loses his vision and needs the services of a vision professional, those are not covered. Yet, learning how to travel independently with vision loss and learning how to live safely and independently are just as important as physical therapy is to the rehabilitation process after joint replacement surgery. Another measure we strongly advocate is providing better access to prescription drug information. Currently, if someone who is blind or visually impaired needs a prescription, he or she cannot read the important details such as dosing instructions, potential side effects, and other information which the pharmacist includes as part of that prescription. They must rely on the pharmacist to read this information to them and hope they remember it, or, rely on sighted family and friends to help them. Simple to use, technological solutions exist that will make this information readily accessible to individuals with visual impairments. ScriptTalk, from En-Vision America, is one such device. Unfortunately, the current health care reform legislation contains no provisions to make such devices available to those who can benefit from them. These devices are quite expensive, but yet, are just as important for someone with a visual impairment as are devices for others with various health conditions which are covered by Medicare and other insurance.

Finally, parity in equipment coverage needs to be part of any reasonable health care reform. Currently, if you require a wheelchair, Medicare will pay for that. However, if you are living with vision loss and require a Video Magnifier in order to remain independent, Medicare or private insurance will not pay for that. There are numerous technological advances which can enable people who are blind or visually impaired to live independently and enjoy a great quality of life. Again, many of these devices are quite expensive and therefore, beyond the reach of those who could benefit. Yet, they are just as necessary for independence as the wheelchair is for someone who has a physical disability. Health care reform that is meaningful must require that the cost of equipment needed by people with visual impairments to live independently is covered the same as items assisting those with other disabilities.

-- Charles Young, President, The Hadley School for the Blind -- Janet P. Szlyk, Ph.D., Executive Director, The Chicago Lighthouse for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired

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