The Blindness Education, Screening and Treatment Program (BEST) in Texas

The next time you obtain or renew your Driver's License, remember the Blindness, Education, Screening and Treatment Program, funded by your voluntary $1 donation. The Texas Legislature originally authorized BEST in 1997, and its only source of funding is a voluntary $1.00 donation when Texans apply for or renew their Texas driver's license or DPS-issued identification card.

The Blindness Education, Screening, and Treatment Program—most commonly known as BEST—is a unique program. Unlike rehabilitation services, the BEST Program focuses on preventing blindness or permanent vision loss before it occurs. Another unique characteristic of the program is that, thanks to the generosity of average Texans, BEST achieves this goal without the use of state or federal funding.

The Texas Legislature originally authorized BEST in 1997, and its only source of funding is a voluntary $1.00 donation when Texans apply for or renew their Texas driver's license or DPS-issued identification card. The Department of Public Safety forwards the donations to the BEST Program, and we use the monies to provide eye screening services and to pay for urgently needed eye medical treatment for adult Texas residents who do not have health insurance or other resources to pay for the necessary health care.

To the extent that funding is available, eye screening services for adult Texans are provided at locations across the state under a contract between the Division for Blind Services and the non-profit organization Prevent Blindness Texas. These non-diagnostic screenings are offered free of cost to the individual, and they serve two important functions. One goal is to help the person understand the importance of proper eye care and regular eye examinations. The second goal is to encourage the individual to see an eye care professional if the results of their screening indicate they might benefit from glasses or might be at risk for an eye condition that could result in blindness or permanent vision loss.

Another important part of the BEST Program is helping adult Texans who do not have health insurance or other resources to pay for urgently needed eye medical treatment to prevent blindness or permanent vision loss. Most commonly, requests to the BEST Program involve eye conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and detached retina.

BEST applications must originate from the individual's eye doctor, who is responsible for diagnosing the eye condition, determining the appropriate treatment, and certifying the individual does not have resources to pay for the necessary treatment. When we receive the application, staff review the request to ensure it meets all program criteria and determine the availability of funding. If funds are available, the doctor is notified that BEST can pay for the medical treatment and, following treatment, the professional fees and associated costs (such as the use of an operating room) are paid from the BEST budget. Unfortunately, applications to the BEST Program for medical treatment to prevent blindness frequently exceed the availability of BEST funds. When this occurs, the individual's application is entered on a waiting list and assistance cannot be provided until additional donations are received.

Texans should be very proud of our state's Blindness Education, Screening, and Treatment Program because the prevention of blindness is a worthy goal. We urge you to remember the significance of the BEST Program by reminding your family and friends to "check that box" on the DPS form when they apply for or renew their Texas driver's license or DPS-issued identification card!

 There is a calendar of dates for upcoming vision screenings sponsored by the DARS Division for Blind Services BEST Program. For more information about scheduled vision screenings, please contact the Prevent Blindness Texas office in your area or call Prevent Blindness Texas at 713-526-2559, extension 106.

(Information provided by Kathleen Wolfington, Division for Blind Services, DARS)