Eye Exams - get a baseline exam at age 40

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology everyone should get a baseline eye exam at age 40, even if they do not have any risk factors for eye disease.

They recommend a screening exam during a regular pediatric appointment before age three. And suggest children have eye screenings between the ages of 3 and 19, then at least one full exam by age 29 and two more full exams by age 39. Various risk factors and chances of injury to the eyes can make more frequent exams necessary, but these are the baselines.

Then at age 40 it is recommended that everyone have a baseline exam even if they have no signs of trouble or risk factors. 40 marks a point when doctors can detect early signs or disease or vision changes that are starting to occur and can discuss proper times between follow-up exams with the patient.

Starting at age 65 it is important for the eyes to be examined on a yearly basis to watch for cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration among other age related eye issues.

For more information see Eye Exams at the American Academy of Ophthalmology website.

Can you be billed for a medical error? Maybe

Does your State charge you if your doctor operates on the wrong body part, or worse, performs a surgical procedure on you that was intended for another patient? You might be as surprised as I am by the number of States where there are no, or limited, policies for the billing of medical errors.

Take a look at the MSNBC article on bills for medical errors and check out their interactive map that can help you find out what your State's policy on medical errors is.