BC Governments Optical Program supports on-line opticals ............................

[Chris Ryser]

Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation

Optical Program

Eyeglasses

• The BC Employment and Assistance Program provides prescription eyeglasses coverage between $108 and $179 based on the type of eyeglasses required (e.g. single vision vs. bifocal lenses).
• Coverage is available to all individuals receiving income assistance (children and adults) and also children in low-income families through the Healthy Kids Program.
• Adults receiving income assistance between the ages of 19 and 64 are also eligible for replacement prescription eyeglasses every three years.
• Children under the age of 19 are eligible for replacement eyeglasses every 12 months.

Eye Exams

• The BC Employment and Assistance Program covers the costs of routine eye examinations provided by optometrists and ophthalmologists for people receiving income assistance between the ages of 19 and 64 under the Optical Program.
• Individuals receiving disability assistance, Persons with Persistent Multiple Barriers, Medical Services Only and people receiving Hardship Assistance who are Canadian citizens also receive coverage under this program.
• Rates are as follows: $44.83 to an optometrist and $48.90 to an ophthalmologist. Rates provide for one exam every two years.
• Eye care professionals are paid directly by the ministry for eye exams. This is not a reimbursement program requiring people receiving income and disability assistance to pay up front and submit a claim.
• Pacific Blue Cross administers the program. People receiving income and disability assistance only need to present their CareCards and indicate they are on income assistance for Pacific Blue Cross to verify their eligibility for coverage with the eye exam provider.
• Adults over the age of 65 and children of parents receiving income assistance receive basic eye exam coverage through the Medical Services Plan.
• Medically necessary eye exams are covered through the Medical Services Plan as a basic health benefit for all clients on income assistance.

Ordering eyeglasses

• Individuals receiving income or disability assistance must get an optical prescription from a B.C.-registered optometrist or ophthalmologist.
• People receiving income or disability assistance can get their eyeglasses at any participating store that is qualified to fill eyewear prescriptions.
• If an individual would prefer ordering glasses online, online eyeglass purchase is available through a pilot project
• For both options, our service provider, Pacific Blue Cross, will verify the prescription and invoice the ministry so the individual on assistance doesn’t have to pay out of pocket.

For More Information

Contact the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation Info Line at: 1 866 866-0800

• If you are receiving Ministry services, input your Person ID and PIN, or your Social Insurance Number, then press option 3, and then press option 6.
• If you are receiving Ministry services and do not have a Person ID or Social Insurance Number, or for all general inquiries, enter your 10 digit phone number, then press option 3, and then press option 7.

see all of it ------> http://www.eia.gov.bc.ca/factsheets/2005/optical.htm

[HindSight2020]

Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation

Optical Program

Eyeglasses

• The BC Employment and Assistance Program provides prescription eyeglasses coverage between $108 and $179 based on the type of eyeglasses required (e.g. single vision vs. bifocal lenses).
• Coverage is available to all individuals receiving income assistance (children and adults) and also children in low-income families through the Healthy Kids Program.
• Adults receiving income assistance between the ages of 19 and 64 are also eligible for replacement prescription eyeglasses every three years.
• Children under the age of 19 are eligible for replacement eyeglasses every 12 months.

Eye Exams

• The BC Employment and Assistance Program covers the costs of routine eye examinations provided by optometrists and ophthalmologists for people receiving income assistance between the ages of 19 and 64 under the Optical Program.
• Individuals receiving disability assistance, Persons with Persistent Multiple Barriers, Medical Services Only and people receiving Hardship Assistance who are Canadian citizens also receive coverage under this program.
• Rates are as follows: $44.83 to an optometrist and $48.90 to an ophthalmologist. Rates provide for one exam every two years.
• Eye care professionals are paid directly by the ministry for eye exams. This is not a reimbursement program requiring people receiving income and disability assistance to pay up front and submit a claim.
• Pacific Blue Cross administers the program. People receiving income and disability assistance only need to present their CareCards and indicate they are on income assistance for Pacific Blue Cross to verify their eligibility for coverage with the eye exam provider.
• Adults over the age of 65 and children of parents receiving income assistance receive basic eye exam coverage through the Medical Services Plan.
• Medically necessary eye exams are covered through the Medical Services Plan as a basic health benefit for all clients on income assistance.

Ordering eyeglasses

• Individuals receiving income or disability assistance must get an optical prescription from a B.C.-registered optometrist or ophthalmologist.
• People receiving income or disability assistance can get their eyeglasses at any participating store that is qualified to fill eyewear prescriptions.
• If an individual would prefer ordering glasses online, online eyeglass purchase is available through a pilot project
• For both options, our service provider, Pacific Blue Cross, will verify the prescription and invoice the ministry so the individual on assistance doesn’t have to pay out of pocket.

For More Information

Contact the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation Info Line at: 1 866 866-0800

• If you are receiving Ministry services, input your Person ID and PIN, or your Social Insurance Number, then press option 3, and then press option 6.
• If you are receiving Ministry services and do not have a Person ID or Social Insurance Number, or for all general inquiries, enter your 10 digit phone number, then press option 3, and then press option 7.

see all of it ------> http://www.eia.gov.bc.ca/factsheets/2005/optical.htm

So why would an OD or Ophthalmologist want to do an eye exam for half price only to have the patient go and order online? If they banded together, the program would fail.

[idispense]

If you push the "PILOT PROJECT" link where does that take you ? Try it. Who owns that company ?

What do they mean "PACIFIC BLUE CROSS will verify the prescription" ? Are their employees optometrists and opticians? What are they educated and qualified to verify ? How are they verifying the prescription ? Is this giving the client a proper sense of security or is this misleading the socio-economic, disadvantaged people ?

Who owns Pacific Blue Cross ?

Who in this situation is qualified to verify an ophthalmologist or optometrists prescription ? Or are they saying they will verify the finished eyeglasses ?

[coupe]

Looks like big E is starting to infiltrate the gouverment and bend the rules according to their will. The whole issue of online sales is satrting to destroy ,B&M retail business. Corps are taking over and see great profits in eliminating the professional, dumping the staff require and reducing the number of outlets. Less expenses and greater profits.

PS: Do not forget that kevin Bacon started all this in BC. I wonder how long until someone digs up the dirt and we find out how he did it and at what cost...

[Chris Ryser]

So why would an OD or Ophthalmologist want to do an eye exam for half price only to have the patient go and order online? If they banded together, the program would fail.

Yes is they banded together, they could succeed .....................however have you ever seen opticians banding together anywhere in the world ? Something like this will never happen. Example is the OptiBoard right here, where an idea gets one support and a hundred other propositions or answers having nothing to do with the original theme.

The optical retail has never been able to organize enough people to be effective.

[edKENdance]

I have extensive experience dealing with people on assistance who require eyewear. In that last practice I worked it probably made up about 40% of our total workload. An enormous amount of them require at least one if not multiple repairs over the 3 years they're supposed to last. I don't believe I would be inclined to repair assistance eyewear that was ordered online. Those folks would be SOL.

[idispense]

Interesting that the BC government sacrificed all optometry and opticians in favor of on line untrained vendors and now they are directly promoting your competitor and not ECPs. They are now prepared to sacrifice their own socio-economically disadvantaged clients while leading them to believe an insurance company can verify their RX.

Wouldn't it seem fair play for ECPs to abandon the rest of those clients ? Let all those clients go to online for purchase, after market service and adjustments. Would it hurt to do a trial "PILOT PROGRAM" as they say ?

[Chris Ryser]

Would it hurt to do a trial "PILOT PROGRAM" as they say ?

Of course it would not hurt ........................but can you find somebofy ore more than one that will try and report on it ?

[HindSight2020]

Yes is they banded together, they could succeed .....................however have you ever seen opticians banding together anywhere in the world ? Something like this will never happen. Example is the OptiBoard right here, where an idea gets one support and a hundred other propositions or answers having nothing to do with the original theme.

The optical retail has never been able to organize enough people to be effective.

You got that right Chris. Three different flavours of Kool-Aid and far too many non-constructive egos.

[Jeffrey Kenneth]

This started long before Essilor took over. The BC Liberal government was only too happy to help their friends at Coastal/Clearly.

[Chris Ryser]

This started long before Essilor took over. The BC Liberal government was only too happy to help their friends at Coastal/Clearly.

You are right...........so even in BC some people have deep pockets and go along with some industrial donations. Essilor's head office is in Montreal,
French speaking Province, which presently goes through the largest probe of corruption ever. Right now they are working on the construction industry where dozens of officials will go to jail and will have to refund millions.