Who Qualifies and How Veterans Get Them

Veterans enrolled in Department of Veterans Affairs health care are covered for routine eye exams, but eyeglasses come with conditions. VA says it will cover the cost of eyeglasses “if you meet at least one of the requirements” it lists. Sean Loosen, a veteran and CEO of PDS Optical, a company that supplies prescription eyeglasses to the VA, described the process to Military.com from the patient’s point of view.

Who Qualifies

VA’s vision care page and the federal regulation on eyeglasses, 38 CFR 17.149, set the same categories. VA furnishes eyeglasses only to veterans who are otherwise receiving VA care. A veteran qualifies with any one of the following:

• A service-connected disability rated as compensable, meaning one for which VA pays disability compensation.
• Former prisoner of war status.
• A Purple Heart.
• Benefits under 38 U.S.C. 1151, which covers disability from VA care or training.
• An increased pension because of being permanently housebound or needing regular aid and attendance.
• Vision problems caused by an illness or injury, or the treatment of one, while receiving VA care. VA’s examples include stroke, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, vascular disease, cataract and other eye, ear or brain surgery, a reaction to prescribed medicine, and traumatic brain injury.
• A functional or cognitive impairment severe enough to make everyday tasks hard.
• Vision or hearing loss severe enough that eyeglasses are necessary for the veteran to take an active part in medical treatment.

The regulation excludes normally occurring vision changes from the impairment category. A veteran whose only issue is ordinary age-related vision change does not qualify under that category.

Routine Eye Exams

Exams are a separate benefit. VA says it covers routine eye exams and preventive vision testing, such as glaucoma testing, for veterans with VA health care benefits. To schedule, contact your VA primary care provider or the nearest VA medical center or clinic. Loosen, who gets his care at the VA in Rochester, N.Y., said he books an annual exam each year.

What Happens at the Clinic

Loosen, a former Army officer and combat veteran, described the process. A veteran sees the optometrist first, then goes to the eye clinic to meet an optician, who fits the glasses. “You can pick them out,” he said. The order then goes to a lab. Loosen said PDS Optical has labs in Louisville, Kentucky, the location of its headquarters, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

For questions about eyeglasses, VA says to contact the prosthetic representative at the nearest VA medical center or clinic. VA’s page describes no separate application.

How Long It Takes

VA’s page gives no timeline. Loosen offered two figures, drawn from his experience and his company’s. On the exam, he said he waited “maybe four weeks or so” for an appointment when he had a problem with his eye. That is one veteran’s example, not a VA standard.

On the glasses, he spoke for his company. “If you qualify for eyeglasses through the VA, we can get those out to you within three to five business days,” Loosen said. That window applies once the order is placed. It does not include the wait for an exam.

Disclosure and Next Steps

PDS Optical is a VA contractor, and Loosen’s comments reflect his company’s work. His description of the process and turnaround is his account, and VA’s page does not state a timeline.

Veterans who think they may qualify can start by asking their VA primary care provider or the eye clinic at their medical center. Loosen’s advice to veterans is to get into the VA system and use it. “We’ve earned this,” he said of the benefits.

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