Vision Impairment, Insurance Coverage, and Out-of-Pocket Spending
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By
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Mst Sadia Sultana
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Melissa McInerney
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Michel Boudreaux
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Fei Yu
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Anne L. Coleman
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Brandy Lipton
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June 22, 2026
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Clinical Scorecard: Insurance Coverage, Out-of-Pocket Costs, and Vision Impairment Trends
At a Glance
| Category | Detail |
|---|
| Condition | Vision Impairment |
| Key Mechanisms | Insurance coverage trends and out-of-pocket medical spending |
| Target Population | Adults aged 19 to 64 years with and without vision impairment |
| Care Setting | Publicly available, deidentified data analysis |
Key Highlights
- Over 7 million people in the US are affected by uncorrectable vision impairment.
- Uninsured rates among adults with vision impairment declined from 15.1% to 10.1% from 2014 to 2024.
- Medicaid coverage increased significantly among adults with vision impairment.
- Out-of-pocket spending for adults with vision impairment decreased but remained high compared to those without.
- Adults with vision impairment have higher healthcare spending for services related and unrelated to eye care.
Guideline-Based Recommendations
Diagnosis
Management
Monitoring & Follow-up
Risks
Patient & Prescribing Data
Adults aged 19 to 64 years with self-identified vision impairment
Increased Medicaid coverage may have contributed to lower cost sharing.
Clinical Best Practices
- Monitor trends in insurance coverage and out-of-pocket costs for adults with vision impairment.
- Consider the implications of different insurance types on healthcare access and costs.
Related Resources & Content
