Eye Exams for Kids

Smiling girl putting on glasses with blurry eye chart behind herAugust is National Eye Health Exam Month. In Monday’s blog post we discussed 5 Things to Do to Get Your Child’s Health in Order Before School Starts. Taking your child in for their well visit is important, but it’s also extremely important that you get your child’s vision tested regularly. And what better time to do that than before the start of the school year?

If your child has a vision problem, they will have a very difficult time learning. If they can’t see the board they won’t catch everything the teacher has to say and will miss key information. Today, we will discuss the importance of getting regular eye exams, when should you get your kids eyes examined, and how to find out if you have vision coverage through your insurance.

They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. Your eyes can tell a lot about your overall health. Disorders, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, can be detected through a simple eye exam. A regular eye exam can also be important for preventing conditions like cataracts. These conditions are typically more common with age, but it never hurts to start getting eye exams at a young age as it is key for prevention. However, there are other eye conditions that are common in children. A lot of kids often times have a lazy eye, which requires patching in order to prevent future issues. Good vision won’t only be helpful in school, but it will also be helpful on the ball field. Having their eyes checked will increase their hand-eye coordination making sports a little easier.

If your child doesn’t seem to have any problems with their vision, or asymmetry in their eyes, it is probably safe to wait until around age five to get them their first eye exam. This way any vision issues can be fixed before starting kindergarten so they are able to learn. However, if you notice issues with their vision before the age of five schedule an appointment, the earlier you correct something the easier it will be. If your child does have vision problems, it’s important that they get an eye exam annually to make sure their prescription still works for them.

So how do you know if your insurance covers eye exams for children? First and foremost, you must look at your individual plan. You can call your insurance provider and ask if that is a benefit under your plan. Adult vision care typically isn’t covered under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), however, pediatric vision care is a required benefit on all ACA plans. This applies for all children covered on the plan who are under the age of 19.

Taking care of your child’s eye health is just as important as their physical and mental help. So when you schedule your child’s well visit before the school year starts make sure you also schedule them their annual eye exam!

 

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