Only 16% of Medi-Cal Kids Got an Eye Exam in 2022-24 — Down from 19% Eight Years Earlier; 47 of 58 CA Counties Worsened

CalMatters investigation (April 2026): Only 16% of school-age Medi-Cal kids got an eye exam between 2022 and 2024 — DOWN from 19% eight years earlier. 47 of 58 CA counties worsened. Root cause: Medi-Cal pays just ~$47 per comprehensive eye exam, unchanged for 25 years. Only ~10% of California Optometric Association members accept Medi-Cal at this rate. CA Education Code §49455 mandates vision screening at K, grades 2, 5, 8 — but no enforcement when kids fail screening and need exams. FQHCs are the only realistic capacity expansion lever given the rate and the access crisis. This is a major equity story directly relevant to the 2026 H.R. 1 environment — vision care will deteriorate further without urgent intervention.