Many Americans do not have access to a simple but life-changing device: eyeglasses.
In a 2017 survey, nearly 1 in 10 Americans who reported needing glasses said they could not afford them. More than 2 million children in the United States also do not have the glasses they need, according to an estimate from the nonprofit Vision To Learn. Expanding eye care coverage for adults and vision assessments for kids could help get more people the care they need to improve their vision, researchers argue.
Though glasses frames are relatively inexpensive to make, they are sold at a huge markup. Simple eyeglasses cost as little as $1 to make. Acetate frames, popular and lightweight frames made from plastic and metal, cost $20 to make but commonly are sold for around $91 online, according to Consumer Reports. For customers buying in-store, the price jumps to $234. And though eyeglasses are technically considered medical devices, they may not be covered under general health insurance.
"In my clinic, the number one question that my patients ask me after I prescribe them glasses is: Will my insurance cover this?" says Olivia Killeen, MDan ophthalmologist at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center. "For many of them, the answer is no."
