Fouad Melamed, OD Los Angeles Eye Doctor

We have had a lot of new people visit our websites over the last month, as well as our office in the Los Angeles Area. As a result, we have had several questions about whether Melamed Eye Care Accepts Aetna insurance for the service offered at our company. I am more than happy to tell all the people who visit my blog, or my website for the company, that we do accept Aetna Insurance for your vision care needs.

If you have a standard policy for vision from Aetna insurance, or your company uses Aetna as a TPA (third party administrator) then your typical plan should have vision coverage is for routine eye exams, glasses, and contacts. This type  of vision plan takes care of most people’s need for vision care by a Los Angeles Eye Doctor.

If you have an Aetna health care insurance, or PPO insurance, then your plan can cover medical eye visits, red and dry eyes, glaucoma, and other such medically related issues for your eyes. Minor eye injuries, like a corneal abrasion, can also be covered under this type of plan. The big difference here is that the Aetna Vision Plan takes care of the routine things.

If you would like to have more information about Aetna Insurance, and how you can use that with Melamed Eye Care, I invite you to check out our Aetna Insurance Page on Melamed Eye Care.com. Talk to you again soon.

Dr. Melamed

Los Angeles Area Eye Doctor

Sixty percent of children identified as problem learners actually suffer from undetected vision problems, according to a 2009 study by the American Optometric Association (AOA). Undetected and untreated eye disorders, such as amblyopia and strabismus, can result in delayed reading and poorer outcomes in school.

Studies indicate that visual factors are better predictors of academic success than race or socioeconomic status. However, one in four school-age children suffers from vision problems that could have been treated if the child had been properly examined.

Unfortunately most kids do not receive a comprehensive eye exam before they enter school. Many with vision disorders fall through the cracks of “pediatrician vision screenings” and assume an “eye exam” has been performed. Yet in fact, a comprehensive eye exam by an optometrist measures more than just visual acuity at distance. Optometrists not only measure vision at distance and near, but measure the child’s processing of letters numbers, movements of objects, and the abilitly to use the eyes together (a necessity for the 3D age we are in). In addition, the health of the eyes, a window into the internal health of a child is checked thoroughly with the retinal exam.

Children who are successfully treated for their eye problems show increased performance in school. Studies find that the provision of eye glasses and vision therapy to children is correlated with improved grades and higher scores on standardized tests.

The American Optometrist Association (AOA) based on science and studies, recommends that infants should have their first comprehensive eye exam at 6 months of age. This exam is a specialized exam that the optometrist can look for any abnormalities and risk factors with the parents. Children then should have additional eye exams at age 3, and just before they enter the first grade – at about age 5 or 6.

For school-aged children, the AOA recommends an eye exam every two years if no vision correction is required. Children who need eyeglasses or contact lenses should be examined annually or as recommended by their optometrist.

Sources:
Archives of Opthalmology 2003; 121:1141-1147
Vision Council of America.
American Optometric Association.

Recent studies have some very positive news to report regarding diabetes and vision. Today’s diabetics can expect to have better vision than those people who were diagnosed in the late 1960’s. There have been significant strides made in finding optimal ways to control blood sugars and in treatment of diabetic eye disorders as they occur.

Each decade that has passed since 1970 has found fewer diabetic eye complications. This is strictly due to the increased diligence of keeping blood sugars at a lower level to prevent eye tissue damage and yearly eye exams to monitor even minute changes in the eye.

The decreased levels of diabetic eye complications are certainly great news for all those who have diabetes or those who will have the disease. If you have diabetes, the evidence is clear. Keeping your sugars under tight control is crucial as is keeping your yearly appointment to have your eyes examined.

In today’s busy world it is easy to let that eye appointment slip by. It can be a bit of a bother to find someone to drive you home after you have your eye dilated. However, the diabetic eye exam is so important in finding early diabetic changes in the eye. It is at this early stage in the progression of the disease that treatment can be the most effective.

New progressive treatments and therapies for diabetic eye complications are decreasing the number of diabetic eye visual impairments. Laser therapy and steroid injections are just two of the treatments that have helped to decrease visual loss from diabetic retinopathy.

So what can you expect at your yearly eye exam? Your eye care professional will check your visual acuity with the eye chart. Then there will be a general inspection of your eye to get a feel for the overall health of your eye. Some general questions will be asked about any vision problems, any eye discomfort you might be having. Your eyes will also be checked for glaucoma and cataracts.

Your eye care professional will then do the dilated exam. Drops will be placed in your eyes to dilate the iris or colored part of the eye. This will allow a thorough examination of the back of the eye. While cursory exams of the eyes are done before the dilating drops are inserted, it is this part of the exam that will really let your doctor check the health of your eye.

It is this part of the exam that is so important for not only diabetics but other patients as well. Your doctor will check for any damage or changes that are out of the ordinary.

After the dilated exam your eyes will be sensitive to light for several hours and focusing on objects will be very difficult initially. Be sure to bring sun glasses with you to your visit as well as someone to drive you home. The inconvenience of having your eyes dilated will last for a few hours as compared to the health benefits, which will last for your lifetime. This is one essential examination you can’t afford to miss.