The Integrated Philippine Association of Optometrists (IPAO) and the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) are working to finalize coverage guidelines for optometric services and prescription eyeglasses by the end of November this year.

This, after House Resolution No. 1623 urged PhilHealth to include optometric services worth PHP4,000 in its benefit packages, emphasizing the importance of eye care in Filipinos’ lives.

“HR No. 1623 paved the way and advocated for Filipinos’ right to comprehensive optometric services and free prescription eyeglasses to improve productivity and reduce the financial burden of the Filipinos,” IPAO chairman Charlie Ho said in a news release Monday.

The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness Vision Atlas and the Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health report stated that 90 percent of vision loss can be prevented or treated if detected early.

The Philippine Eye Research Institute also reported that 16 percent of high school students have an error of refraction, 90 percent of which have myopia or near-sightedness.

Ho said about 28 million Filipinos suffer from presbyopia or difficulty seeing near based on IPAO’s estimates.

“Several Filipinos visit their eye care professionals only when vision loss begins to manifest or when it’s too late for any intervention,” he said.

“PhilHealth’s expanded program to cover preventive optometric services and prescription eyeglasses comes very timely as it will benefit millions of Filipinos.”

To ensure that PhilHealth’s coverage for preventive eye care and optometric services is on track, Ho said that all members of the technical working group are committed to helping the DOH and the PhilHealth on the creation and implementation of the free prescription eyeglasses and optometric services guidelines. (PNA)