Vision Preservation Act of 2005

Bill: 109-hr-2671
Sponsor: Rep. Green, Gene [D-TX-29]
Introduced: 2005-05-26 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Administrative procedure
Ambulatory care
Blind
Block grants
Case management
Child health
Clinics
Coinsurance
Community health services
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Cost effectiveness
Department of Health and Human Services
Diabetes
Disabled
Economics and Public Finance
Epidemiology
Eye care
Families
Federal aid to health facilities
Federal aid to research
Finance and Financial Sector
Government Operations and Politics
Governmental investigations
Health education
Health insurance
Health planning
Hospital care
Law
Maternal health services
Medical economics
Medical fees
Medical personnel
Medical research
Medical screening
Medical tests
Medicare
Minorities
Minority health
Optometry
Performance measurement
Physicians
Preventive medicine
Public service advertising
Quality of care
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
Standards
Women

Summary:
action_date: 2005-05-26
text: 
Vision Preservation Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to expand and intensify programs to increase awareness of vision problems, including: (1) activities to establish a solid scientific base of knowledge on the prevention and control of vision problems and related disabilities; (2) research within CDC on the prevention and management of vision loss; and (3) programs targeted to prevent vision loss, treat eye and vision conditions, and rehabilitate people of all ages who are blind or partially sighted in underserved and minority communities.
 
Amends the Social Security Act to include within the maternal and child health service block grant program the introduction of core performance measures on eye health by incorporating vision screening standards into state programs.
 
Requires the Director of NIH to expand, intensify, and coordinate programs for the conduct and support of research with respect to vision loss prevention and vision rehabilitation.
 
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for vision rehabilitation services.
 
Requires the Secretary to: (1) conduct a study on barriers faced by medically underserved populations to vision services that are covered under the medicare program, including vision rehabilitation and other vision-related services; and (2) enter into an agreement with the Institute of Medicine to study the cost benefit of providing a universal dilated eye exam under the medicare program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-06-17
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2005-06-15
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2005-05-26
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-05-26
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-05-26
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-05-26
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1113-1114)
action_date: 2005-05-26
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2005-05-26
text: Introduced in House