ClearVision Foundation Partners With Operation Sight
ClearVision Foundation is proud to partner with Operation Sight! Operation Sight is a wonderful part of American Society Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ASCRS) that helps uninsured and underinsured people with cataracts. Read on to learn more.

Who qualifies for Operation Sight?
- Patients must be below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level defined by Federal
Poverty Guidelines - Uninsured of underinsured individuals (insurance must not cover cataract surgery)
- Must have a formal cataract diagnosis where surgery has been deemed
medically necessary - When and how are patients notified of their application status?
- If email is listed, patients will be notified within 7–10 business days
- If no email is provided, they will be contacted via telephone
- If application is incomplete, an ASCRS Foundation staff member will contact the applicant
to request additional information or documentation - Applications are placed on hold until all information or documentation has been received
How long will it take a patient to receive charitable cataract surgery through OS
once approved?Does Operation Sight help with co-pays? - OS doesn’t assist with payment of co-pays or out-of-pocket costs through
private insurance.
Do insured patients qualify for Operation Sight? - Patients MUST be uninsured or underinsured
- If insured, their insurance must NOT cover cataract surgery
- Medicare Part B patients do not qualify for OS
How does Operation Sight financially qualify a patient to receive charitable
cataract surgery? - Patients need to document their household income (must show less than 200% of
federal poverty level) - Proof of income can be submitted by W-2, monthly paystub, or annual tax return
- If unemployed, applicant must provide a copy of any financial award letters from
a disability, social security, food stamps, retirement funds, pension, alimony, or
unemployment offices - If unemployed and living with family or friends, person must send proof of the
household income and letter from family/friends confirming they are financially
supporting the applicant - There is no set timeframe for when an approved applicant will receive surgery
- It is dependent on the location of the patient and the availability of the volunteer surgeon
- Surgeries are done by volunteer surgeons at their own facilities and will be worked into
their existing schedule - Acceptance into OS does not guarantee surgery
- What happens once the patient has been matched to a volunteer surgeon?
- The surgeon who has accepted the case will have their staff members contact the patient
via telephone to schedule a pre-operative eye exam
What happens if the initial eye exam indicates the patient has another condition,
like glaucoma? - At this point, OS is only for cataract surgery
- If the surgeon determines the patient isn’t a good candidate, the patient will not be
eligible for the program
Does the patient supply their own transportation? - Yes. The patient is responsible for getting to and from the office/surgery center for both
pre- and post-op exams and the surgery
Who is responsible for post-op care? - The volunteer surgeon/practice will provide routine follow-up care for a 90-day period
following surgery - After the 90-day period, if additional care is required, it becomes the responsibility
of the patient