Optometrists aren’t seeing eye to eye with the Ontario government over funding and are set to withdraw services covered by provincial health insurance starting today.
The Ontario Association of Optometrists is aware of the inconvenience to patients.
But it argues a breakdown in talks with the government has left it with no other choice.
The provincial health plan covers annual eye exams for youths to age 19, seniors 65 and older, and people with specific health conditions.
But the optometrist group argues its members are underfunded for services and are absorbing 45 per cent of eye-exam costs.
The province has said it will pay optometrists 39-million dollars to retroactively account for rising costs but the group has rejected further mediation.
