Will cover the cost of one eye examination year 365 days. Will cover eyeglasses. Contact lenses are not covered. Participation is voluntary in most counties due to a provider shortage. Access to physicians also is limited because a majority of the state is rural.
Many regions have only one doctor, and some have none.
In counties without a doctor, clients receive services either from a nurse practitioner or from a doctor who visits for limited periods at a time. Idaho has limited managed care enrollment. In fact, HMOs cover only 7.1 percent of the privately insured population. Managed care expansion has been slow because the state is largely rural and health care costs are relatively low. If the beneficiary is unable to choose a provider, the Department of Health and Welfare assigns one.