For comparison, inflation alone has increased 78.8 per cent since 1989, whereas the funding for OHIP-covered eye exams has only gone up 8.6 per cent for children’s exams, 11.9 per cent for exams for adults with chronic conditions, and 20.1 per cent for exams for seniors

So, optometry is at a crossroads. We are worried that if this chronic underfunding situation is not remedied, optometry clinics will begin closing, and access to primary eye care will become limited across the province. This will put a strain on our health-care system, as many family doctors and/or emergency rooms are already at capacity, and are not necessarily equipped with the appropriate tools to manage patients’ ocular concerns

Statistics show that one in three Ontarians will have some form of vision-threatening eye disease by the age of 65, so finding a sustainable solution is more pressing than ever. We owe it to ourselves and future generations to find a better way forward.Go to saveeyecare.ca to urge Ontario’s government open their eyes to the crisis that eye care in our province is at risk.

Optometrists say provincial underfunding puts eye care at risk (link to the Kingston Whig)