costs and benefits

Costs and Benefits

If you are a resident of Victoria and hold a Pensioner Concession Card or a Health Care Card you may be eligible for a subsidy on your glasses or contact Calculator lenses. This subsidy is provided through the Victorian Eyecare Service (VES) which is funded by the Victorian Government Department of Health. Please note Health Care Card holders will need to have held the card for the previous six months.

You will have a choice of a range of attractive, good quality glasses frames. Standard frames begin at $36.00 and increase depending on the type of lens you are prescribed. If you decide to purchase a non-standard glasses frame, you will be required to pay the full cost of the frame you choose but the lenses will be provided for the subsidised rate.

As the costs of your glasses or contact lenses will depend on the form of correction, it is not possible to list all fees. Your optometrist will discuss options and costs with you as part of your consultation.

	Standard Frames	Non-standard Frames	Existing frame
Reading or distance	$36.00	$36.00 + cost of frames	$15.50
Bifocal	$50.00	$50.00 + cost of frame	$28.50
Progressive *	$85.00	$85.00 + cost of frame	$63.00
Contact lens **	$50.00 - $85.00	n/a	n/a

* Progressive lenses will only be provided through the VES when there is a clear clinical indication determined by the optometrist and only a limited range of progressive lens designs in available.

** Contact lenses are only available if the prescription meets fixed clinical criteria.

Prices are correct from July 2010 and subject to change.

Consultation costs

Consultations fees are usually bulk–billed through Medicare. However if you have had your eyes examined by another optometrist during the past two years, you may be charged a consultation fee. A refund of approximately half this fee is available from Medicare on presentation of a receipted account.

Please note there are a number of exceptions:

Visual Functions Clinic: Medicare benefits are not payable for examinations relating to occupational purposes, including colour vision assessments and ocular screenings for employees. Patients or their employers are therefore charged the scheduled fee, payable at the time of consultation.
Overseas students who do not have a Medicare card will be charged a consultation fee.
Contact lens Services: Patients who meet the Medicare requirements for the provision of contact lenses may have their consultations bulk-billed through Medicare. Otherwise, the full scheduled fee will be charged.

Restrictions

VES benefits are only available to eligible patients.
VES benefits are available only if glasses or a change of glasses is clinically necessary. Clinical need will be determined by the practitioner.
Only one pair of reading glasses and one pair of distance glasses, or one pair of bifocal, or one pair of progressive glasses may be subsidised by the VES every two years. Progressive glasses can only be provided when there is clear clinical indication determined by the practitioner and only a limited and basic range of progressive lens designs is available through the VES.
Glasses with photochromic lenses and antiscratch lens coatings are not generally available with VES lenses and tints may only be provided with specific clinical indication. Non-spectacle low vision aids and ultra-violet coatings are also not available.
If you wish to use your present glasses frame it must be of suitable quality and in very good condition to be used with new lenses.
Lenses cannot be fitted to rimless or nylon rim frames in the VES.
A surcharge of $16.00 is payable for the replacement of lost or broken glasses or lenses within two years of previous Victorian Eyecare Service subsidy and is limited to one pair of replacement glasses every two years.