Did you know that over half of all Americans—75% of adults, nearly 198 million people—live with correctable vision loss that a simple pair of glasses could fix?
The Hidden Crisis
Since 1965, Medicare has labeled glasses as “not medically necessary” because they are not immediately life-saving like heart surgery. But that thinking is outdated and wrong. Adults with uncorrected vision are 46% more likely to crash their cars. Vision loss also contributes to 500,000 emergency room visits from falls every year, costing our nation $10 billion. Over 2 million Americans cannot work or drive because their glasses are broken or completely unaffordable, draining $33 billion in productivity from our economy.
Calling glasses a luxury is an insult. For millions of people, losing access means total isolation. They cannot read their mail, medication labels, or even phone screens. They see only shapes and colors.
Middle-class Americans suffer the most. They earn too much to qualify for aid but not enough to easily afford $200 markups on glasses that cost $2 to $10 to make. They face impossible choices between safe tires for their car or the vision needed to drive it safely. That is not living.
Demand Change Now
We have the power to fix this. Sign this petition to demand that our government recognize correctable vision loss as medically necessary. No more treating glasses like a luxury item. Treat it like wheelchairs and prosthetics Medicare already covers. Vision loss and hearing loss both need recognition as medical necessities.
Our simple request: Create a portal on Medicare.gov open to every American, regardless of income. People could apply for subsidized eye exams, get temporary coverage, and order shipped glasses every two years, with emergency replacements available for those who need them most. The government knows best how to make this work.
This petition empowers you, the taxpayers and voters, to correct a 60-year-old wrong. Sign now. Share everywhere. Demand they listen to over half of America.