Free eyeglasses and contact lenses

During a congressional committee meeting of 2024, the newly appointed Health minister, Monica García, announced that eyeglasses and contact lenses will become free of charge.

“We want to recover the greatness of our healthcare and become greater,” stated Monica Garcia.  In a progressive measure to improve the Spanish healthcare, the Health minister affirmed that the social security system intends to provide the financing for people with eyesight issues. 

The target is to create a mechanism analogical to the public healthcare system and ensure future benefits for Spanish citizens. The IMO Miranza barometer (an ophthalmological clinic), has predicted that half of the Spanish population will become affected by myopia within 27 years, due to the heightened use of technology.

On this day, seven out of ten Spanish citizens use glasses or contact lenses daily, states the Vision 2023 White Paper research, so this proposal could affect up to 30 million people in Spain.

Across Europe benefits for people with poor eyesight have already been in place. In France, the purchase of new glasses every two years is financed by the government for everyone above the age 16 and in Germany glasses and lenses are already free for people below 18 and with serious eye conditions. 

The project is currently in development and there is as of now, no exact date on which this measure will be implemented. However, Pedro Sanchez´s coalition Executive clarifies that it will be carried out “throughout the legislature”.