It has been over 30 years since the Ontario Association of Optometrists have met with the Ontario Government to negotiate eye care services covered under OHIP. Currently the coverage that OHIP offers for exams and other treatments no longer covers how much it actually takes optometrists to do the appointment. The association has been trying to meet with the government for a year now, and apart from one meeting late last year, there has been radio silence. Unfortunately, provincial law prevents anyone from paying for any OHIP-insured service, even if you have your own insurance. After September 1st, Optometrists will not be seeing OHIP-insured patients until the Ontario government decides that eye care is a priority.
The association has two asks for the government for the meeting, the first is to actually engage in formal negotiations for the first time in 30 years, and the second is for the government to come up with mechanisms that will allow optometrists to provide eye care without having to pay for the services out of their own pocket.
Dr. John Mastronardi, an optometrist in Windsor, a member of the Ontario Association of Optometrists and a past president of the association, said that if the government continues to ignore the associations requests, thousands of patients could be effected.
Since the Ontario Government has not answered the Ontario Association of Optometrists requests for meetings, they have been forced to create the Save Eye Care campaign. The campaign is in hope that members of the public use their voice as well to help Optometrists show the government the importance of this coverage.
The Ontario Association of Optometrists has two asks for the Ontario government when it comes to the campaign. Dr. Mastronardi says that they believe them to be very reasonable.
Dr. Mastronardi and the rest of the association is asking members of the public to visit the campaign website and fill out the form contacting your local MPP to bring this to their attention, in hopes that the government listens.
Visit https://www.saveeyecare.ca/ to fill out the form and support Optometrists across the province.
