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The American Medical Association (AMA) recently agreed with the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) that myopia is an increasing public health concern warranting improved screening in children and prevention efforts, according to a news release from the AAO. Although myopia is not currently considered a disease by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, insurers, or public health programs, the AMA’s support is clear evidence that the disease-model view of myopia has grown beyond the eye care community into the healthcare system overall. AAO has been sounding the alarm on nearsighted kids since 2021, and it generally appears to use a disease framework for myopia, viewing it as a condition requiring active management, rather than solely as a refractive error to be corrected with glasses. For its part, AMA also advocates for support in the form of insurance coverage and treatment reimbursement.
Look here: In the United States, the number of nearsighted people has nearly doubled over the last 50 years to about 41.6% of the population, and the condition is associated with meaningfully elevated risk of retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataracts, and myopic maculopathy, according to the AAO release. The academy also notes that there are evidenced-based treatments available to slow myopia in children and teenagers, such as eyeglasses, contacts, and atropine eye drops. For urgent care, the growing prevalence of myopia might mean establishing relationships with eye care referral partners.