Doctors’ Notes
BackInstrument-Based Vision Screening
You’ll be seeing lots of great new options and features at Kids Plus in 2018, and this is one of our favorites: instrument-based vision screening as part of our routine Well Visits, starting at 12 months of age.
Instrument-based screening allows us to check for amblyopia, a decrease in vision of one eye compared to the other. Early detection is critical to long-term healthy vision.
Starting at the 1-Year Well Visit, and continuing through the 5-Year Well Visit, we will use instrument-based screening, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology. After age 5, most kids can reliably participate in screening with old-fashioned vision charts. For those who can’t, we may still be able to use instrument-based screening.
Because this screening is recommended as a routine part of annual check-ups, it should be covered by your insurance — without requiring a co-pay, and without being applied to your deductible. That said, we know insurance companies can take a while to get on-board with any new service. We and other pediatricians in Pennsylvania are working to encourage all insurance plans to cover this valuable screening exam.
If your insurance plan doesn’t cover the screening, you should educate them on both the importance of the screening and the fact that it’s required to be covered, under Bright Futures Guidelines for routine pediatric preventive care. (If your insurance plan doesn’t cover the screening, you’ll be responsible for the cost of the screening. It’s a valuable investment in your child’s long-term vision health.
As always, if you have questions, we’re happy to help. And we’re thrilled to provide yet another important health screening for your children!
Dr. Springer is one of the physician owners of our practice.