US introduces law protecting children's vision

The Vision Care for Kids Bill of 2009, legislation to provide vision care to children without health insurance, has been introduced in the US after being approved both by the Senate and by the House of Representatives.

The bill, which attracted bipartisan support, provides $65 million over five years in the form of grants to make comprehensive visual examinations and treatment available to uninsured children across the United States. Formerly, such funding was only available on a statewide level.

The move has been welcomed by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, Prevent Blindness America, the American Optometric Association and the Vision Council of America.