After getting cataract surgery, Newmarket resident Rebecca O’Sullivan had an unpleasant surprise when she tried to schedule an appointment with her optometrist last month.
Like many Ontarians currently, O’Sullivan was denied service, with the Ontario Association of Optometrists refusing any OHIP-funded appointments due to a dispute over how much they get paid. Because the province will not allow residents to pay for procedures covered by OHIP, O’Sullivan could not get an appointment at all.
“If I can’t go to my eye doctor for my cataract business, then all of a sudden I have an issue, well I’m going to end up as blind because of it. It’s not acceptable,” she said.
The province and Ontario Association of Optometrists have been disputing OHIP rates for several months, with the disagreement boiling over Sept. 1 with optometrists refusing to take OHIP-covered appointments. That includes eye exams for children and youth aged up to 19, seniors, and individuals with specific eye conditions or diabetes.
Newmarket resident and optometrist Dr. Lisa Fung presented to Newmarket council about the situation Oct. 4, seeking support. She said the pay for OHIP appointments has not kept up with inflation and is the lowest in Canada at $47 per exam, well below the $77 paid by the second-lowest province, Manitoba.
“Every time an optometrist does an OHIP eye exam, it is at a loss,” she said. “With decades of empty promises from the government, we feel we have no choice.”
Ministry of Health spokesperson Alexandra Hilkene said the association is not participating in good-faith negotiations and is declining an invitation to negotiate with a third-party, independent mediator.
“We know that optometrists have been treated unfairly by previous governments. That’s why despite the OAO’s refusal to come back to the table, we are making a one-time payment of $39 million to the province’s 2,500 optometrists to support their delivery of high-quality care," she said. "This is the start of what we are willing to do to support optometrists, not the end."
Hilkene added the provincial government is also willing to raise rates by 8.48 per cent and strike a working group to address overhead costs.
“It is our sincere hope that this good-faith gesture will demonstrate our government’s commitment to reach a fair and long-term agreement.”
Fung said what the province is offering does not make up for decades of inflation, and does not meet what other provinces provide. She said the $39 million amounts to about $1 more per exam.
She said optometrists should not have to subsidize OHIP exams, given overhead costs of paying staff, rent and new equipment.
"Eye care is important for everyone’s overall health and we don’t want our care for our patients to be interrupted, but we are very concerned for the quality of care if the government does not come to the table," Fung said. "It is extremely frustrating to see the government continue to prolong a resolution."
As far as municipal support, Newmarket Mayor John Taylor said he did not want to provide complete backing due to precedence for other union requests, and the amount of staff time involved to make an informed decision. But he and town council approved preparing a letter asking the province to reach an expeditious resolution fairly and equitably.
O’Sullivan said can understand where the association is coming from based on its numbers.
“As much as I’m a little frustrated, I feel badly for them,” she said.
She said the alternatives for serious eye issues are not satisfactory, as her doctor is not an eye expert, and emergency rooms are struggling with COVID-19.
But she said she hopes the province is willing to increase optometrist pay.
“They deserve a raise,” she said. “We all deserve to be paid what we’re worth.”
