Poor health insurance hits US testing rates

Research showed that health insurance correlated with higher rates of vision testing in children aged 3 to 17 years in the USA, with a focus on 3–5-year-olds.  

A study conducted by the University of Michigan, published by JAMA Ophthalmology, found only around 30.7% were vision tested by their primary care provider.  

Researchers said this builds on findings of an association between insurance status and unmet eye care needs and future work should focus on improving vision screening rates. 

The likelihood of a child being tested decreased by 41% if they were uninsured, and by 24% if publicly insured, compared to private health insurance. Among children aged 3 to 5 years, less than half of those with private insurance received testing.