Eyeglasses Could Improve Global Economy by $225 Billion, Says EYELliance

World Economic Forum, Social Entrepreneurs, and EYElliance have reported that by improving the vision of 2.5 billion people the world's economy will grow $225 billion. The report, entitled  Eyeglasses for Global Development: Bridging the Visual Divide, notes that of the 4.5 billion people who need vision correction, only 1.9 billion actually correct their eyesight. Over 2.5 billion people still live with uncorrected poor vision, and its social and economic consequences. 95% of them live in developing countries where they lack awareness of the impact of poor vision and access to basic vision care solutions, according to a press release from Essilor, a stack-holder in Eyelliance.

In 2015, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and inclusive businesses collectively distributed less than 8 million pairs of eyeglasses in developing countries. Essilor accounted for 20% of these eyeglasses.

"Political will, investment and the engagement of private sector actions can overcome barriers to solving the problem at scale. In 2015, only $37 million, or two cents per person affected, was spent to solve this problem," noted the report's bullet points.

To read a PDF of the report, click this link:   Eyeglasses for Global Development: Bridging the Visual Divide.

Eyeglasses Age Sports Legions, According to Sports Illustrated

Yesterday was "National Eyewear Day, which is definitely just a made-up holiday. But it gives us an excuse to imagine what the biggest names in sports would look like if they wore glasses. Basically, they’d all look about five years older." That's the opening of a picture essay in Sports Illustrated. Read more.

Roman Eye Doc Gets Papal Publicity

"Even the most ho-hum errands become extraordinary if it’s the Pope who’s running them. And it is no different for Pope Francis, who popped in to his eye doctor on Thursday to get some new lenses and attracted a mob of onlookers in a matter of minutes." So goes the post on the Catholic News Service. Read more.

Warby Parker Donates One Million Eyeglasses

"On Wednesday, Warby Parker announced a milestone involving another good thing it does," reports Wired. "For every pair of glasses sold, the company donates another pair to VisionSpring, a charity that trains people in low-income communities around the world to conduct eye exams and set up businesses selling glasses for a few bucks a piece. Warby says that, as of now, it has donated one million pairs of glasses." Read more.

New from Tura’s crush and oio

Tura, Inc., has launched “new styles for its popular crush and oio brands, which are being promoted in the month of June with an attractive back-to-school offer,” according to Midwest Lens. “Oio eyewear is known for its stylish shapes that are playful, colorful and textured. The brand focuses on adventurous kids and tweens who want to emulate their older siblings, but also wish to express their individuality. The two new oio designs capitalize on the popular vintage and color-blocking trends this year. Each acetate style is retro-inspired with a fun pop of color at the temples. Fully equipped with spring hinges, these styles are ideal for kids on the go!” Read more.

IRS Exempts Eyewear and CLs from Excise Tax

Financial advisers McGladrey.com note that "the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act contains a 2.3 percent excise tax on the sale of taxable medical devices. While the tax is scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2013, there remains considerable uncertainty regarding the types of transactions and taxpayers that the tax will apply to....Several products [though] are specifically excluded from the definition of taxable medical device, including eyeglasses, contact lenses and hearing aids," according to a recent IRS ruling. Read more.

Liquid Crystal Glasses Go Nationally Later This Year

There's a cute NYTimes post about the new electronic spectacles, called emPower, that PixelOptics unveiled recently. As you may remember the liquid crystal lens varies its thickness on the wearer's command, enabling him/her to have reading or distance glasses on demand. The article reports that “to call up reading power..., users touch the side of the frame. Batteries in the frame send along a current that changes the orientation of molecules in the crystals....The glasses... will be on the market this spring — first in Virginia and North Carolina, and later in the year nationally, said Dr. Ronald Blum, an optometrist and the company’s president. The estimated price, $1,000 to $1,200, will include frames, lenses, coatings and charger.”

If Health Care Reform Repealed, Vision Care Compromised

In a post on HuffingtonPost, it was reported that "in light of this call to action it is disappointing that repealing health reform is at the top of Speaker Boehner's agenda for the new Congress. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, health reform will not only reduce the budget deficit in the next ten years by more than $100 billion, it also will ensure that an estimated 32 million Americans who are uninsured or underinsured can get high quality, affordable health coverage they can rely on." 

But what is the consequence to opticians, ECPs, and their patients? The answer: "Insurers would not have to cover vision care services or eyeglasses for children even if it is impossible for a child to be successful in school if they can't see."