Eye exams are important

Dear Editor,
In their first provincial budget, the McGuinty Liberal government announced the de-listing of adult eye examinations along with removing chiropractic and some physiotherapy care. The public outcry has been great as people understand the importance of regular eye health examinations.
What do we know right now? Children 19 years of age and younger and seniors over 65 years will still remain covered by OHIP annually. We also know that the de-listing of eye examinations of adults between the ages of 20 - 64 will occur on November 1st, 2004.
Eye examinations are an important part of a person’s overall preventative health regime. Many eye diseases and disorders develop without any pain or other noticeable symptoms. They occur gradually, unnoticed by the person. But during a regular eye health assessment, an Optometrist can spot the earliest signs of trouble with their highly sensitive instrumentation and techniques. An Optometrist is trained to diagnose diseases and disorders of the eye. So even though you will now have to pay or submit your claim to your company’s benefit plan, don’t take your vision for granted. Those at most risk are people who have a family history of eye disease. Early prevention can often slow down and sometimes stop the progression of certain eye diseases.
Unfortunately, the Minister of Health indicated that some of these conditions would only be covered if a patient had a referral from a medical doctor. With over 3 million people in Ontario relying on Optometrists as their primary providers of eye care this is a cause for some concern. It is a concern because a recent study by Statistics Canada indicated that in Ontario as many as 836,000 people or 8.2% of the population don’t have a regular family physician. Many of these optometric patients who need a referral may not have a family doctor to issue a referral. Medical Doctors are already overwhelmed. People with sight threatening conditions should be able to direct access care through their Optometrist as they always have in the past. Referral from Family Physicians will only cost the system more by double billing and put the patient at risk by delaying access to timely care.
What things should you know? The Ontario Association of Optometrists has been pressing the Minister of Health to work together to draft the guidelines for medical exception and fund the services adequately in order to protect those most vulnerable patients. In the mean time, you should ask if your employer has coverage for eye examinations and other vision care services. If not, you may want to request that they consider it as part of their benefits (since employees rely on their vision every day). Also, speak with your Optometrist about his or her fees.
Visit the OAO’s web site, www.eyecareoao.com
–Dr. Bruce Lidkea,
Fort Frances, Ont.