Could Utahns on Medicaid soon have access to eye glasses?

| The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published Mar 06 2013 09:23 am • Last Updated Mar 06 2013 08:42 pm

Adults on Medicaid in Utah have been without eye care since the start of the recession. A bill to restore vision care, however, is one step away from final passage.

A private managed care company has said it can provide those services at no extra cost to the state, said the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Ronda Menlove, R-Garland. The company would extend vision care to all Medicaid enrollees using the same amount of funding now spent on eyeglasses for children.

HB329 would direct the state Department of Health to request competitive bids, and if those bids come in budget-neutral, sign a contract.

The bill was unanimously approved Wednesday by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and placed on the consent calendar of the Senate. It has already passed the House.

— Kirsten Stewart

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