the good doctor On: OHIP patients lose access to eye care? What is going on?
Blog Vol.II, # 13. OHIP patients lose access to eye care? What is going on?
Back in the spring, the optometrists of Ontario got together (online, of course) to discuss what was necessary to continue to provide excellent eye care to Ontarians. The OHIP fees for eye exams do not even begin to cover the current costs. This is a problem. I personally have been seeing patients for more than 30 years, and in that time optometrists have received little to no increase in OHIP fees. Job action during a pandemic is not ideal, hence the postponement until fall, more precisely, September 1, 2021.
What are optometrists asking for?
- to have some form of negotiating process in place, as other health professionals have
- to be able to cover the costs of providing eye care.
What form is this job action going to take?
As of September 1, 2021 optometrists in Ontario are not going to see any OHIP-billed patients until the government has addressed this issue. We will continue to see non-OHIP patients and problems, and any emergencies.
What can you do to help speed this up?
- sign a petition to send to our local MPP
- send an email to Premier Ford and the Ministry of Health.
Close to 100,000 emails have been sent thus far and over 70,000 signatures have been submitted. Unfortunately, putting pressure on the government seems to be the only way to get them to the table.
What are optometrists hoping for?
The best case scenario is a bilateral agreement that is ratified before the end of August so that no care is affected. That would be wonderful.
A note for the patient:
We really don’t like inconveniencing our patients or making them anxious about their eye care especially since the last year and a half has been hard enough on many of you. We apologize for any trouble this causes anyone, and ask for your patience.
A tribute to the unsung heroes:
Our staff: who have been providing front-line care through a pandemic, who have been fielding calls and emails from concerned and even disgruntled patients regarding these impending OHIP reductions, who have been scheduling and re-scheduling patients in light of the possible job action, and who are wholeheartedly committed to providing Ontarians with the best in eye care.
If you would like more information, would like to sign a petition, or would like to send an email, go the web site, www.saveeyecare.ca. If you still have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact our office at Burlington Eyecare.
Til next week,
the good doctor, Dr. Mark Germain, Burlington Optometrist
