My Eye Health Journey – Patient Information
Understanding my optometrist’s fee
When seeking optometry services (or any other health care service), it is because you require treatment from a practitioner who has expertise in a specific area of health care.
Optometrists
In Australia, an optometrist is a health professional who has completed a university degree in optometry, which usually takes 4-5 years.
An optometrist is trained in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the eye and visual system. All optometrists practising in Australia must be registered with the Optometry Board of Australia through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
Here are some of the costs optometrists face in delivering their specialised services to patients that you might not be aware of:
An Optometrist’s Costs
Consultation fees may vary from optometrist to optometrist. In setting a fee, optometrists have to take into account the particular costs they incur in delivering their services to patients.
High-tech equipment
Optometrists use expensive specialised ophthalmic equipment including OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) machines to image the back of the eye, refractors, keratometers and biomicroscopes, which are used in detecting and treating disorders and diseases of the eye.
Highly trained support staff
An optometrist must be supported by staff who have been specifically trained to assist with patient assessment and treatment, can answer all questions patients have, and will ensure the highest attention to detail when it comes to patient safety and the privacy of patient information.
Facilities and software
Optometrists must ensure that their practice is equipped with high-tech patient software systems, hygienic consulting rooms and modern waiting areas to ensure patient safety, privacy of information and patient comfort.
Optometrists are required to undertake continuing education throughout their careers.
Insurance
Optometrists must take out comprehensive insurances across all areas of their practice — in particular professional indemnity insurance, which protects both optometrist and patient in the event of a complication.
Medicare and private health insurance cover
Part of your optometrist’s fee is likely to be covered by Medicare (the government’s rebate for patients). Private health funds are only permitted to provide benefits for optical appliances.
Unfortunately, successive Federal Governments have failed to ensure that Medicare rebates keep pace with things like inflation and the rising costs of health care.
This means the Medicare rebate is often well below what the service costs to provide.
What is left over after the Medicare rebate (and private health insurance, where applicable) is the remaining cost to the Optometrist for providing the care you receive.
Informed financial consent
Learning how much your treatment will cost is called Informed Financial Consent.
Optometrists strive to ensure patients are given a clear indication of how much they will be charged for each episode of treatment provided prior to it taking place. If additional testing is required, which incurs extra costs, then the reason for the test and the associated fee will be discussed before performing these tests. You can choose not to undergo additional tests and not incur the associated charges. When choosing glasses or contact lenses, you will be quoted, and costs will be discussed before you proceed.
If, for some reason, your optometrist does not outline your fee, be sure to ask them to.
TIP: Don’t be afraid to ask questions
Your optometrist wants you to feel comfortable and informed about your treatment and the costs that will be involved. If you aren’t sure about something, don’t hesitate to ask.
