Illuminating Lives: The Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) In a world often defined by its visual stimuli, it’s easy to take the gift of sight for granted. However, for millions of people worldwide, living with...
Read moreWhat does the CNIB do? The Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) is a national charity supporting Canadians who are blind or partially sighted. Headquartered in Toronto, CNIB has over 50 offices across Canada. CNIB’s mission is that...
Read moreCNIB Support in Hamilton The Canadian National Institute for the Blind, more commonly known as CNIB, is the country’s non-profit institution that aims to aid Canadians with irreversible vision loss. CNIB members strive to educate the population...
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What Does the CNIB do? The Canadian National Institute for the Blind, or CNIB for short, is a non-profit organization created with the mission to help Canadians with vision loss. As the national voice for those with vision loss, CNIB plays an...
Read more Mountain Eye Care and CNIB Mountain Eye Care works with CNIB to raise awareness about the prominence of vision loss in our society. You read that right! Vision loss is quite prominent in Canada, primarily due to our ageing population. A 2011 CNIB...
Read moreBeginning September 1st, Optometrists across Ontario will stop providing OHIP insured eye exams for children, seniors and adults with OHIP covered eye conditions.
For over 30 years, successive Ontario governments have ignored Optometrists. In 1989 the fee paid for an OHIP insured eye exam was $39.15, today, over 32 years later, it is on average $44.65. This has not kept up with inflation and does not come close to covering the cost. Every time we perform an OHIP insured eye exam we do so at a loss. This is not sustainable.
ONTARIO IS THE LOWEST PAID IN CANADA
Our fees would have to increase by over 60% to reach the next lowest province. The bar graph here compares Ontario to other provinces that fully fund eye care.
You may have read the government has offered us an 8.48% increase in our fees. For a senior’s eye exam that would raise our fee to $51.00. While that seems generous, it still leaves us more than 30% lower than Manitoba, the next lowest paid province, while Ontario having one of the highest costs of living in Canada. Unfortunately, an 8.48% increase does not make up for 32 years of neglect. We need the government to prioritize and properly fund eye care to make it sustainable for years to come.
Please understand that we want this issue resolved permanently so that we can continue to provide the same high level of care that we’ve always provided for your eyes and vision.
We ask that you please treat our staff with kindness and understanding during this time.
Dr. Anukool Chadda,
Dr. Kevin Ahokas,
Dr. Eric Barry,
Dr. Janet Schenk,
Dr. Paul Zaugg
[Optometrists at Mountain Eye Care]