EYE EXAM BEGA

Should the scheduled fee be charged, you will be entitled to the Medicare rebate. If you are bulk billed, a lower amount is paid to the optometrist by the Government instead. This claim amount has not changed with CPI in decades due to government restrictions (but is being lobbied for.) Costs have increased with the evolution of new technologies, which also vary widely and often misrepresented or understood. All health funds may not cover some eye health costs, such as specific diagnostic imaging and OCT scans.
Any extra fees that could be considered would be explained and optional. Some lenses and frames could easily be selected, that is, say, 10x or more than the more basic offerings, so it all depends on features and benefits. We will explain fees to your satisfaction, depending on your particular situation, whatever your eye problems and eye conditions. Medicare pays your optometrist who sees more patients per hour more than if fewer are seen, assuming patients have a valid medicare card. Some people have an eye disease that requires ongoing management (such as glaucoma or diabetic eye disease). If so, you can be tested and claim a rebate more often, as needed for your condition. Some contact lens conditions attract a more generous rebate than others.
Regarding clients using their frames, this may not always be possible, and there may sometimes be a fitting fee for using an old frame. Please note in reusing your private frames to check with your Optometrists about costs. There are some additional costs associated with fitting a pair of lenses into frames from another supplier, as well as warranty issues when a patient supplies a frame that is not suitable for their lens prescription, and we not obliged to accept frames supplied by clients when supplying optical appliances through the Visioncare program.
Progressive lenses are not part of the program, and we don’t have any say on pricing for products out of the program’s product range or a clients eligibility. And clients will not be able to use any credits on the program’s product range.
There still is an eye health gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and other Australians. An estimated 94% of vision loss among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples is preventable. Improvements in rates of eye examinations and treatments and waiting times compared with other Australians is required.
Identifying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status can significantly positively impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health outcomes. Reporting access to eye health services by identifying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status is an essential step to close the gap for vision.