Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — In a press release issued yesterday, director of the American Samoa Medicaid State Agency, Sandra King Young, announced that the local Medicaid office would open up enrollment for vision benefits services with their new local provider MyVision Eye Center, Dr. Laloasi Petaia-Steffany, on Tuesday, September 6, 2022.

 “We are very grateful to be able to finally provide to our eligible beneficiaries, new vision services that provide Medicaid coverage for eye consultation appointments, prescription eyeglasses, prescription sunglasses and contact lenses. Eligible beneficiaries must be bona fide residents living in American Samoa with American Samoa as their primary residence,” King Young said in the announcement, adding “For now, only US Nationals, US Citizens, US Permanent Residents (green card holders) and all children under the age of 21 years are eligible beneficiaries.”

Because this is a new service, there are new procedures to access these services and the Medicaid office will start to screen eligible patients starting Tuesday, September 6. This screening will provide prior authorization to allow patients to access vision care services to be covered by Medicaid at the MyVision Eye Center.

The Medicaid program will start enrolling only children first during the month of September. Parents who have children with eyeglass needs or feel their children should seek vision consultation are encouraged to seek Medicaid enrollment for prior authorization. Children (defined as anyone 21years old and younger) can enroll in the month of September. Parents or legal guardians can enroll their children under 17 years old and those 18-21 years old can enroll themselves.”

Medicaid will announce further guidance shortly about venue and times of enrollment. For information, please call 699-4777.