Maddie close up

By Abbey Rogers

With 80% of learning occurring through a child’s eyesight, accessing preventative vision care and treatment is important for proper child development. Did you know there are specific vision services through Medicaid that have the potential to increase a child’s eye care services?

Under the Early Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment Services (EPSDT) benefit package, children eligible for Medicaid can receive annual vision and hearing examinations, as well as corrective lenses until they are 20 years of age.  In addition to these services, a lesser-known detail of this benefit is if glasses are lost, broken, or stolen, they can be replaced at no charge to the child or family. This means that instead of being visually impaired due to a lost or broken pair of glasses until their next eye exam, children can receive replacements through Medicaid.

Vision impairment at a young age can cause interruptions in learning and development which can be difficult to correct.  Any questions or concerns regarding lost, stolen, or broken eyeglasses should be discussed with your provider to ensure your child has clear vision for learning in the classroom.

If you would like more information, you can call Medicaid Member Services at 1-800-635-2570.

If you are a member of a Managed Care Organization (MCO), you can call their member service lines for assistance:

Aetna – 1-855-300-5528

Anthem – 1-800-880-2583

Humana – 1-855-852-7005

Passport – 1-800-578-0603

WellCare – 1-877-389-9457

To access information about this benefit and more, visit the Center for Medicare and Medicaid’s EPSDT guide here.

For more information on EPSDT services, visit Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services page here.