Low-income New Yorkers may soon be able to see better thanks to legislation that seeks to fill a long-standing gap in health insurance plans.
The City Council approved a bill on Thursday that provides a free eye exam as well as eyeglasses to residents whose annual income is within 250% of the federal poverty level. Under those guidelines, the program would be eligible to a single individual earning up to $35,000 a year and $70,000 a year for a family of four.
Councilmember Justin Brannan, who introduced the bill, said that as many as 1 million city residents could receive the benefit. The legislation will now go before Mayor Eric Adams, who is expected to sign it.
"The administration supports ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to eye care and we're glad that Council shares that goal," said Kate Smart, a spokesperson for the mayor. "The city provides eye care in a number of ways, including through Health + Hospitals, our public health care system, and in public schools."
Although other cities offer versions of free eye care benefits to targeted groups, New York City would be the first in the country to pay for both an eye exam and eyeglasses.
The bill had strong support, with 19 sponsors, including Brannan.
Brannan said the legislation arose out of his own vision problems: Nearly 10 years ago, he was diagnosed with a rare eye condition that resulted in blindness in his left eye. Under his health insurance, he was able to receive a cornea transplant that significantly improved his vision.
He said the experience left him thinking about the swath of poor New Yorkers who have neglected to take care of their vision, in part because of costs. Only around half of all adult Americans have some form of vision insurance, according to a 2020 consumer study by the Vision Council.
At the same time, good sight and eye health is considered integral to people’s well-being and life trajectory.
“It changes your whole life,” Brannan said. “I went from having 35 years of 20/20 vision and never having to wear glasses. And all of a sudden, I couldn't drive at night because I couldn't see.”
The program would not cover treatments such as the one Brannan received, but he said the eye exams would at least enable people to catch undetected eye problems.
The councilmember could not provide an estimate on how much the benefit would cost the city. He is hoping that private companies like Warby Parker, the trendy New York City-based eyewear retailer, might sign on to donate frames as part of a public-private partnership.
It would not be unprecedented. In 2015, Warby Parker agreed to donate glasses to 20,000 public school students for four years.
This story has been updated since the City Council approved the bill.
