The Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) fee for health insurers that provide stand-alone vision plans (SAVPs) would be lifted under legislation that U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci (R-OH) recently introduced.
The Protecting Consumer Access to Vision Care Act of 2017, which Renacci introduced with bipartisan support from U.S. Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA), a medical doctor, would strike the health insurer fee for SAVPs to improve access to eye insurance and to prevent costs from being passed on to consumers.
“Access to vision care is critical, especially for those 88 million Americans who are served by SAVPs, with over 4 million covered in Ohio alone,” Renacci said. “Since vision plans provide limited-scope health coverage, they are not subject to ACA market reforms and therefore should be exempt from other ACA taxes and fees. In fact, unlike other traditional health insurance subject to the fee, SAVPs are excluded from being offered directly on the exchanges per the ACA.”
As a doctor, Bera said he understands how important eye health is to an individual’s whole health.
Stand-alone vision plans cover routine eye exams and can sometimes reveal other conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, tumors, and undiagnosed strokes, he said.
“This simple, bipartisan idea puts the patient first and helps keep care affordable for seniors and families,” Bera said. “These fixes are exactly the kind of reform both Democrats and Republicans can get behind.”