May 19, 2011 -- A large number of people who have problems with their eyesight don't visit eye doctors because of the cost or because they don't have health insurance that covers eye care, a CDC survey shows.

The survey shows that others don't get regular eye exams because they don't think they have eye problems, or for a variety of other reasons, such as having to travel too far to see doctors or specialists or having no transportation to get to their offices.

In a study involving 11,503 adults aged 40 and over who were considered to have moderate-to-severe visual impairment, 39.8% said they had skipped seeking care in the past year because of costs or lack of insurance.

Almost 35% said they didn't seek eyesight care because they felt they didn't need it, while 4.5% said they could not get an appointment.