Last Friday, Health Minister Monica Garcia announced that one of the government’s proposals is for glasses and contact lenses to be covered by Social Security at some point during the legislature. There is no specific measure and at the moment this is nothing more than the intention of the ministry.
However, it is interesting that eye health (not ophthalmic coverage) is, along with dental health, one of the necessary disciplines. which are not fully covered by social security, with the exception of specialist diagnosis. And considering the cost of glasses and contact lenses for individuals and families, it’s an interesting proposition.
Moreover, this happens for a simple reason. In Spain, 70% of the population, that is, 7 out of every ten Spaniards, use glasses and contact lenses to see correctly in everyday life, either constantly or in certain situations. for example, for reading or being near a screen. This will directly mean that the measure to be implemented will directly benefit almost 30 million people.
Monica García also noted that this measure, about which she did not give further details, will be implemented by the Ministry of Social Rights and Consumer Affairs. It is still unknown what the application window will be like, and what characteristics the measure will have once it is launched. Perhaps the most important section relates to cost. Not so much in the total amount that this measure might cost, but in the portion that health care will be financed and under what conditions.
Without details about glasses and contact lenses covered by Social Security.
Does this mean that once launched, glasses and contact lenses will not incur additional costs from Social Security? Will only part of the project be funded? Will it depend on income? These are just some of the questions that Monica Garcia’s proposal leaves.
For now we’ll have to wait have a pre-priced proposal and know all its technical detailsbut on paper everything seems to indicate that this will be a very attractive measure for the user.
In Europe, some countries have already taken similar measures. For example, in France, the cost of glasses has been reduced and free replacement is allowed for people over 16 years of age, within the final price threshold. In Germany, families are reimbursed for the cost of glasses for minors or people with severe visual impairments. In the UK, there are vouchers available for certain groups to reduce the cost of glasses. However, no country in our surroundings offers 100% discounts on the cost of glasses and contact lenses without any discrimination.
Source: Hiper Textual
