Mission Cataract

Question:

I think I have a cataract but I don’t have any insurance or money to pay for surgery. Where can I turn for help?

Answer:

Since 1995, Drs. Peter Whitted and Mark Emig of Midwest Eye Care have partnered with Mission Cataract USA, a national program that offers free cataract surgery to needy individuals. Each May we select up to five area residents who don’t have coverage through Medicare, Medicaid or other commercial insurers. In partnership with Clarkson Family Medicine, the UMA Department of Anesthesia and Midwest Eye Surgery Center, we provide the surgery, pre-op and post-op care at no cost to the patients, with no strings attached.

Midwest Eye Care will offer free cataract screenings, by appointment only, during selected days in April at its 4353 Dodge Street office. Financial screenings will be performed over the phone to determine those candidates who meet the guidelines established by Mission Cataract USA. A free comprehensive eye exam will be provided to all callers who meet the financial guidelines, and up to five individuals who meet Mission Cataract medical guidelines will be scheduled for surgery. Clarkson Family Medicine will provide pre-operative physical exams to ensure the patients are fit for surgery.

If you do not have insurance, Medicaid or Medicare, have limited financial resources and believe that you may have cataracts, or know of someone who meets these criteria, please call 402-552-2020 or 800-231-2020 to speak with the Mission Cataract coordinator at Midwest Eye Care. The appointment deadline is April 21st.

Midwest Eye Care, PC

4353 Dodge Street

Omaha, NE 68131

402-552-2020 or 800-231-2020