Ontario optometrists threaten to stop OHIP-covered eye exams in September
Ontario optometrists say they're prepared to reject OHIP-covered eye exams they bill for starting in September unless the government commits to negotiating a new funding model.
"For that $80 when the government's only paying $44.65 on average, the rest of that has to come from somewhere," said Dr. Joshua Smith. "We have to pay our staff, we have to pay our bills, we have to be able to keep up with standards of practice."
Currently, OHIP covers one eye exam a year for people under the age of 20, 65 and older, along with those who have specific medical conditions which makes up about 70 per cent of patients.
Dr. Sheldon Salaba, president of the Ontario Association of Optometrists, says paying out of pocket wouldn't be an option.
"There's some provincial legislation that makes it illegal for optometrists to accept payment from patients privately or from their third party insurance for OHIP services that they're eligible for," he said. "So it means if the government allows this to happen, that all those patients I was mentioning, which are over four million services that we provide on an annual basis, will have no access to optometry services."
In a statement the Ministry of Health says it has been engaged in discussions with the association and that "any decision to withdraw optometry services is the decision of the Optometrists Association of Ontario alone."
"All we're asking them to do is to start a dialogue with us and enter a formal negotiation process where they commit to cover the operating costs for the eye exams," said Salaba.
"Something's gotta give, otherwise you're going to have a ton of other issues down the road," said Kelsey Sayers, a mom of three kids who visit the eye doctor every few months for monitoring.
A sentiment resident Carmen Shier agrees with.
"Some people are on a tight income and every penny counts and I would think that calmer heads would prevail."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.