“Our operating costs have skyrocketed, but our reimbursements to see patients has not, so we’re in a scenario where optometrists are paying more than half of the cost to deliver services to patients,” he said. “It’s just not sustainable, and what we’re really concerned about is our practices not being viable in the longer term.”

Ontario’s optometrists are referring patients to hospitals in a bid to address underfunding (link to The Globe and Mail)

Franzmann explained that OHIP “covers” eye examinations for Ontarians who are under 20, 65-plus, who have health conditions like diabetes and glaucoma, and who are on some forms of social assistance. However, the provincial insurance only reimburses optometrists for about half of the actual cost of the service.Franzmann pointed out that over the last 30 years the OHIP rate has only increased by 8 percent while during that same time, inflation has increased by 75 percent….

“The Ontario Association of Ontario (OAO) has determined the basic cost for providing an eye exam is $80.00. OHIP pays $47.00 for a senior’s eye exam, $42.50 for a child’s eye exam, and $43.80 for a patient with an eye disease or diabetes. As you can see, the OHIP remuneration doesn’t cover the cost of providing the service, and the optometrist or clinic is subsidizing the rest.“

“Optometrists can’t reopen practices that have been financially devastated by COVID-19, only to provide OHIP-insured services at an even greater loss. If this happens, practices in both rural and urban communities will struggle to survive.”

PRACTICES IN BOTH RURAL AND URBAN COMMUNITIES WILL STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE

read more at Porch Views: Corrective lenses, COVID-19, OHIP underfunding and the future of eye care (link to article)