[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 61 (Wednesday, May 5, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E754]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNIZING MAY AS HEALTHY VISION MONTH

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                           HON. MIKE McINTYRE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 5, 2004

  Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize May as Healthy 
Vision Month and to highlight the important recommendations of the 
Vision Problems Action Plan, a National Public Health Strategy as a way 
to prevent blindness and vision loss.
  As Proverbs 29:18 states, ``Where there is no vision, the people 
perish.''
  As the son of an optometrist and someone who has focused carefully on 
proper eye care, I know that good vision is critical to conducting 
activities of daily living. Vision not only affects our ability to 
learn and work, but it also affects our ability to adequately 
communicate with others. Therefore, it is essential that we in Congress 
have the foresight and insight to put forth measures that will improve 
our eyesight. And, by encouraging awareness, early diagnosis and 
prevention of eye disorders, I am confident that we can.
  First, it's about having the foresight to recognize the problems 
associated with eye disorders. Unfortunately, far too many people are 
at risk for losing their eyesight. In fact, more than 80 million 
Americans have a potentially blinding eye disease, 3 million have low 
vision, 1.1 million are legally blind, and an additional 200,000 are 
more severely visually impaired. In my state of North Carolina, over 6 
million people over the age of 18 have some case of vision impairment 
or age-related eye disease. However, despite the fact that half of all 
blindness and some eye disorders can be prevented, far too many people 
do not access the care they need. If nothing is done, the number of 
blind and visually impaired individuals will double by 2030.
  That is why it is so important that we have the insight to address 
these concerns now. And, what better way to do that than to highlight 
May as Healthy Vision Month--a national eye campaign to raise awareness 
about the various conditions that can affect eyesight and cause vision 
loss. A component of Healthy People 2010, this initiative will 
undoubtedly serve as a catalyst to highlight the horrors of serious 
vision problems.
  Additionally, it is important that we highlight the recently released 
report, Vision Problems Action Plan, a National Public Health Strategy. 
Developed by a coalition of leading eye health experts, including 
Prevent Blindness American, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, Lighthouse International, the American Optometric 
Association, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology, this report 
will provide our nation with a framework for preventing vision loss.
  In addition to its focus on preventing vision loss, this 
groundbreaking study also recommends that in order to reduce the 
occurrence of vision loss and its accompanying disabilities, our nation 
must concentrate on access to care and treatment including 
rehabilitation and research. The report also states that we must ensure 
that vision problems at the National Eye Institute and Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention have the resources they need to improve 
communication and education campaigns and prevention research.

  To better ensure access to and the availability of treatment and 
rehabilitation services for individuals with vision loss, the report 
recommends the importance of supporting programs at the Centers for 
Medicaid and Medicare Services and the Department of Health and Human 
Services that remove barriers and improve access to eye exams currently 
covered under Medicare, such as diabetic eye exams and glaucoma 
detection for high risk populations.
  The report also recommends bolstering our research efforts to improve 
our understanding of the eye and visual system in health and disease, 
as well as developing the most appropriate and effective means of 
prevention, and access to treatment and rehabilitation.
  Finally, it's about improving our eyesight. Working in conjunction 
with Healthy Vision Month, the Vision report will undeniably provide 
the roadmap that is necessary to raise awareness about vision loss, 
provide individuals with the tools they need to prevent it, and give 
hope to the millions already suffering from vision loss that better 
treatments can and will be found. I applaud those who played an 
integral role in developing this report, and I look forward to working 
with my colleagues to adopt its recommendations.
  As a member of the Congressional Vision Caucus, I recognize the 
severity of eye disorders and the risks associated with not having 
regular check-ups. At the very least, proper eye care should be a basic 
component of adequate health care. Today, I stand committed to making 
it a national priority.

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