Friday, May 9, 2025
5/9/2025
Impact of routine eye care coverage on access to eye care and fall-related outcomes among low-income Medicare enrollees - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Vision problems are prevalent among older adults, with about 92% of Medicare enrollees ages 65 and older using vision correction, and 39% of Medicare enrollees who use vision correction reporting trouble seeing even with eyeglasses. Visual impairment is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, including an increased risk of falls and hip fractures. While most fee-for-service Medicare enrollees do not have coverage for routine eye exams and glasses, some low-income Medicare enrollees have comprehensive vision coverage if they qualify for full Medicaid benefits (“dual eligibles”) and reside in a state with a Medicaid program that covers vision services. The objective of this proposal is to use quasi-experimental methods to estimate the effect of Medicaid coverage of routine eye exams and glasses on eye care access and fall-related outcomes among dual eligibles during 2000-2019. The central hypothesis is that coverage of vision services will increase eye care visits and reduce the risk of falling by improving vision. The central hypothesis will be tested by pursuing three specific aims: 1) to examine the effects of Medicaid vision benefits on measures of access to eye care and vision including eye care visits, unmet needs for glasses, out-of-pocket spending on routine eye care, self-reported trouble seeing, functional limitations due to vision, and Medicare claims-based measures of past-year treatment for glaucoma, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration; 2) to examine the effects of Medicaid vision benefits on fall-related outcomes including self-reported falls, fall-related injuries, and activity limitations due to fear of falling and administrative measures of treatment for falls; and 3) to evaluate the effects of Medicaid vision benefits by sex, race and ethnicity, diabetes diagnosis, and by Alzheimer’s disease, related dementias, and memory loss. The research proposed in this application is innovative because it will use several complementary data sources including linked survey and administrative claims data to examine measures of eye care access and fall-related outcomes, compile a comprehensive database of Medicaid vision benefit policies over a more than 20 year period to be shared with researchers, combine a quasi-experimental approach with a 9 year panel of individual longitudinal data, and apply newly developed methods to address variation in the timing of state policy changes. The proposed research is significant because the number of adults ages 65 and older is projected to more than double over the next 40 years. Correspondingly, the prevalence of vision problems and injurious falls is likely to increase significantly over this period. The proposed aims will produce the first estimates of the effects of Medicaid vision benefits on eye care access and fall-related outcomes among dual eligibles. The public health impact of this research will be to provide critical, timely, and policy relevant evidence on the effects of increased access to vision care among older adults and the role of public health insurance.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).