Is Universal Vision Care Coverage the Best Way to Get People to See Their Eye Care Providers?

In this issue of Archives, Lee et al¹ present a report on the relationship between insurance coverage and recommended visits to ophthalmologists or optometrists. They find several important predictors of such visits, one of which is health insurance coverage. In their conclusion, they call upon vision care professionals to assume a role as advocates for universal health insurance coverage, in particular vision care insurance, for all Americans. They assert that providing universal vision care coverage would insure that financial resources are no longer a barrier for those seeking access to a vision care provider. However, we must also consider whether this would indeed be the most effective method to achieve the social goal of increased use of vision care services.