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DR. TIFFANY NAZARETH

DR. TIFFANY NAZARETH

Staff writer kkellar@fortfrances.com Those who rely on provincially covered eye care could soon find themselves left out in the cold the next time they need an eye exam. A problem 30 years in the making is coming to a head on September 1, 2021, when optometrists across the province will stop administering any eye exams covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). Currently, OHIP covers exams for those 19 and younger, 65 and older and any adults in the province with specific medical problems. According to the Ontario Association of Optometrists (OAO), after years of the government ...

Brighton, Ontario, Canada / Brighton Today.ca Jul 26, 2021 | 6:44 PM As of September first optometrists not be taking any OHIP patients this is due to the provincial government refusing to negotiate with optometrists on the cost of eye exams. The issue is that optometrists are paying out of there own pocket to absorb 45% of the cost OHIP will not cover. Sheldon Salaba, president of the Ontario Association of Optometrists says it now costs eye doctors over $80 to provide and eye exam.  Salaba also adds that in 1989 the Ontario Government paid $39 for an eye exam and today, 32 years later it�...

Article content The Ontario Association of Optometrists says it will suspend all OHIP-covered eye exams and services as of Sept. 1 unless the provincial government commits to amending its funding model. Optometrists argue they have not seen a substantial increase in funding in more than 30 years, increasing an average of only 17 cents per year since then. This has left the optometrists themselves to absorb about half the cost of each service. “Optometrists face the same cost pressures as other small businesses, such as hydro, rent, and property taxes,” local optometrist Dr. Krista Bruni...