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Mission Statement
The California Vision Foundation is dedicated to preventing vision loss and enhancing eye health through public education and the provision of services to medically underserved Californians.
2011 CVF BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Robert Gordon, OD – President
John Larcabal, OD – President-Elect
Candi Kimura, OD – Secretary
Philip Ong, OD – Immediate Past President
Rebecca Kammer, OD – Board Member
John Lee, OD – Treasurer
William Lee – COLA Representative
Dawn Miller, OD, FAAO – Board Member
Dana Nakagawa, OD – Board Member
Jan Cooper, OD, FAAO – COA Board Liaison
Michelle Harvey – COA Governance Coordinator and CVF Administrator
California Vision Project
The California Vision Project is a non-profit, optometric charity designed to provide low-income, uninsured families throughout the state of California with free comprehensive eye exams and low cost glasses.
CVF would like to thank the following organizations for their generous support:
History
The Kentucky Vision Project first began providing free eye exams and low cost glasses to low-income patients throughout Kentucky in 1985. The program quickly spread throughout the country and a similar program began operating in California in 1989. In 1991, the American Optometric Association (AOA) formed Vision USA to administer the program nationwide. California joined the Vision USA program shortly thereafter, in 1992. Administrative duties, such as screening and assigning patients, as well as national publicity campaigns were handled by Vision USA. Patient screenings began every January, and all appointments were scheduled for the following March. In 2000, Vision USA, California legally changed its name to the California Vision Foundation. In 2001, administrative duties for the California program were taken over by COA staff and the program began to operate on a year-round basis.
| 1985 | Kentucky Vision Project begins providing free eye exams and low cost glasses to low-income patients from Kentucky. |
| 1989 | California develops program similar to Kentucky Vision Project. |
| 1991 | American Optometric Association forms Vision USA to administer program nationwide. |
| 1992 | California program joins Vision USA. |
| 2000 | Vision USA, California legally changes name to California Vision Foundation. |
| 2001 | California Vision Project begins screening and assigning patients in-house at the COA Sacramento office. Patients are now seen on a year round basis, rather than only during the month of March. |
Program Operation - California Vision Project
As of January 1, 2010 the California Vision Project is implementing the following change:
Effective January 1, 2010 applicants applying to the California Vision Project (CVP) will be required to pay a $10.00 non-refundable administrative fee (per person applying) that will
accompany their application. This fee will replace the $20.00 fee that was collected by our volunteer optometrist’s office when the CVP patients received glasses through the program.
The doctor’s offices will no longer need to collect payments for glasses from the patients unless a lens add on is necessary. Please note that CVP only covers single vision plastic or
flat top bifocal plastic (ft-28/ft-25) lenses. Any job beyond single vision and bifocal lenses will need prior approval from the California Vision Foundation office, will only be issued
if deemed medically necessary and will require the doctor’s office to collect an additional fee from the patient. Please note that Rimlon (grooved rimless) are not covered and will require
the ODs office to collect a $15.00 payment from the patient and forward it to the CVF office.
Please be sure to continue to complete the patient information form for each patient your office is assigned to. When complete, click here
to report results (user id: pif, password: entry) or send photocopy ASAP to: California Vision Foundation, 2415 K Street, Sacramento, CA 95816 or via fax at 916-448-1423.
If you have any questions regarding the changes to the project please call Michelle Harvey, COA Governance Coordinator and CVF Administrator at 916-266-5022.
Applications
are available in both English and Spanish. Download an application here:
Or call the COA office at (800) 877-5738 to have one mailed or faxed to you.
After completion, applications can be mailed to the COA office in Sacramento: 2415 K Street, Sacramento, CA 95816, or faxed to (916) 448-1423.
Applicants are screened for eligibility, and those who are approved are matched with an optometrist from their area. Monthly mailings are used to notify both patients and doctors when assignments are made. Patients are mailed the name, address and phone number of the optometrist they are assigned to, and are given 60 days to call to schedule an appointment.
Comprehensive exams and, in most cases, spectacle frames are donated free of charge by volunteer optometrists. ClearVision Optical provides frames to those optometrists who are unable to supply frames for CVP patients. Lenses are produced by a number of COLA laboratories throughout the state at a reduced fee. Courier service is provided free of charge by Consolidated Routing.
CVF is supported by in-kind donations from California optometrists and local optometric societies of the California Optometric Association, patient payments, and grants from organizations, such as The California Wellness Foundation.
Eligibility
To be eligible for an exam through the California Vision Project, patients must qualify as low-income (based on a sliding scale, which includes number of household members and gross annual income), must not have had an eye exam in the past two years, must not have any insurance (public or private) that covers vision services, and must submit a $10 non-refundable administrative fee to accompany their application.
We will be constantly updating this website,
so
check back often!
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California
Optometric Association • 2415 K Street, Sacramento,
CA 95816 (800) 877-5738 • contact@coavision.org• www.coavision.org |