Eye care for all’ advocacy campaign launched by OA

A key focus of the campaign is on ensuring fairer access to optometry services under Medicare through an exption from the cut in rebate for pensioners, concession-card holders, children and those in aged care, as has been promised for GP consultations.
“We are acutely aware that some of the changes to Medicare threaten eye-care access for disadvantaged groups, affecting practices in largely low-income areas of Australia,” the chief executive officer of OA, Ms Genevieve Quilty, is reported as saying in OA’s publication Australian Optometry.
“Since the changes were announced, we have been talking with government decision-makers about the impact the changes will have on people with low incomes and in areas of social disadvantage,” Ms Quilty said.
“Through our submission to the Federal Budget 2015-2016, we have continued this conversation and detailed approaches to supporting better access for those who often need it most.”