Can You Help Us Save Eye Care?
What's Happening?
When our optometrists see a patient who is 18 and younger or 65 and older, their full or partial eye exam is covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). This means the government is paying the optometrist for their services instead of the patient. The government pays an optometrist a very different amount than they pay a medical doctor or ophthalmologist when the patient goes to the hospital. The discrepancy is outstanding and inflation has not been taken into consideration for decades.
2020 vs. 1989
2020
Full eye exam for ≥19 years-old: $42.50
Full eye exam for ≤65 years-old: $47.00
One eye exam every year.
1989
Full eye exams for every age: $39.50
One eye exam every year.
Inflation
Inflation changes how much our money is worth. When someone brags about buying their house for $100,000 in the 1980’s, that’s inflation.
The Bank of Canada calculator suggests…
ER Doctors get paid 10x more!
The cost to health care if the patient is sent to the ER is about 10x more. Flip that around and the amount paid out to an optometrist is 10x less.
Costs are Up
It is important to understand that the small amount of money paid to an optometrist for a partial exam is not even enough to cover the cost of equipment, employee wages and other overhead expenses.
Impact of COVID-19
With optometrists now required to limit how many patients they see in a day because of COVID-19, these incredibly low OHIP billings have a large impact on the success of an independent business.
Take Action
If you are interested in learning more and would like to submit a letter to the Ontario Premier, Minister of Health and your local MPP, click this link and select TAKE ACTION to help us protect eye care.