Feds approve optometry services for Medicaid eligible Am Samoans

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The American Samoa Medicaid State Agency announces that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid services has approved its State Planning Amendment to provide optometry services to provide Medicaid eligible beneficiaries in American Samoa, eyeglasses, contact lenses, prescription sunglasses and visits to the optometrist.

Sandra King Young, Medicaid Director explains, “We are very happy to announce this new benefit that I know will be a great help to so many. This new benefit allows Medicaid to enroll our only optometry service provider to provide eyeglasses and vision screening on island. Although vision services and care are available at LBJ, the hospital does not provide eyeglasses.

“Medicaid over the next couple weeks will finalize guidance for this new benefit. There is a cap and conditions on services and that will be explained once we issue our guidance—for example, Medicaid will only cover basic eyeglass brands, if a person wants brand name eyeglasses, they will have to pay the difference. Contact lenses is also a covered service in the American Samoa program but it is not a commonly covered benefit by insurers. Many of our student athletes are now using contact lenses in order to play sports and we wanted to help cover that for our children. There is also a limit on this benefit.

“We hope to launch this new optometry services benefit over the next couple weeks.”

(Source: American Samoa Medicaid State Agency)