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
