(PRESS RELEASE) SACRAMENTO, CA — California is falling alarmingly short in providing primary eye care to school-age children enrolled in Medi-Cal, according to a new report from the California Optometric Association (COA). In response to this eye care crisis, the organization is sponsoring AB 2756 (Ahrens) to strengthen oversight, improve accountability, and expand access to comprehensive eye care services for children across the state.
“No child should struggle in school simply because they can’t see the board or read the page,” said Dr. Rachelle Lin, COA President. “Children enrolled in Medi-Cal are entitled to comprehensive eye exams and prescriptions for eye glasses, yet the data shows the vast majority of kids are not receiving crucial vision care services. AB 2756 provides an opportunity to strengthen oversight and accountability to ensure California kids can access the eye care they need to see clearly and succeed in school.”
The new 2022-2024 statewide report raises serious concerns about children’s access to crucial eye care services across the state, finding:
- California faces an unseen crisis in children’s health – 84 percent of school-age children (those from 5-18) with Medi-Cal are not receiving basic primary eye care services
- Statewide rates have declined over the past decade, dropping from 19.2 percent in 2015-16 to 15.8 percent in 2022-2024
- Medi-Cal managed care plans in 47 counties served lower shares of children with Medi-Cal than they did seven years ago
- For 23 counties’ Medi-Cal plans, the percentage of children seen for primary care eye services has fallen by more than 50 percent
Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens shared, “A young student who cannot see the printed words in an assigned book or written on the white board of their classroom will struggle to learn and live up to their potential. Despite California already paying for eye care for kids enrolled in Medi-Cal, 84% of these young people aren’t receiving vision exams many need to help ensure their success in school. My legislation will create transparency and accountability to ensure California kids are receiving the vision care they need – and we already pay for – in a timely manner.”
AB 2756 proposes to:
AB 2756 creates accountability within Medi-Cal’s vision benefit by ensuring standardized reporting, equity-based data stratification, public transparency, and measurable annual benchmarks. It allows the state to track whether children and adults are receiving eye examinations and glasses in a timely manner, monitor provider capacity, and identify systemic barriers to care. Most importantly, the bill establishes a data driven framework for continuous improvement, ensuring that access to vision services measurably increases over time and that children do not fall behind in school due to preventable and treatable vision problems.
