January is Glaucoma Awareness Month

Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness in the U.S., surpassed only by poorly controlled diabetes. Because the disease often progresses silently, with no warning or symptoms, the National Eye Institute estimates that up to one-half of the approximately three million Americans with the disease don’t even know they have it.
While anyone can get glaucoma, certain groups of people are at higher risk for the disease. These include African-Americans and Hispanics, and people with diabetes, who are nearly twice as likely to develop glaucoma as people without diabetes.

Glaucoma screening can lead to early detection and treatment, which can prevent, slow or stop vision loss from the disease. Medicare covers annual glaucoma screening for the following people considered to be at high risk:

· Individuals with diabetes;

· Individuals with a family history of glaucoma;

· African-Americans over the age of 50, and

· Hispanics 65 and over.

Medical advances have made it easier to diagnose and treat glaucoma before even moderate vision loss occurs. Because glaucoma progresses with little or no warning signs or symptoms, and vision loss from glaucoma is irreversible, it is very important that people at high risk for the disease receive annual screening, and that those who have it are treated and monitored routinely.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is dedicated to raising awareness about Medicare’s preventive benefits, including glaucoma screenings. Here are additional resources to help you learn more about Medicare’s coverage of glaucoma screenings and Medicare’s preventive benefits:

· http://www.cms.hhs.gov/GlaucomaScreening/ to learn more about Medicare and annual glaucoma screenings.

· Call Medicare toll-free at: 1-800-Medicare, or visit www.medicare.gov to order copies of “Staying Healthy: A Healthier U.S. Starts Here,” (publication #11308). This brochure provides a checklist of Medicare’s preventive benefits. On the web, select “Find a Medicare Publication” under “Search Tools.”