The ACO is committed to ensuring quality eyecare is accessible. Your eye examination will be bulk billed to Medicare if you:
- have a concession card (Health Care, Pensioner Concession or DVA card)
- identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person
- are a refugee or asylum seeker
This will mean that you will not have any out of pocket expenses for your eye examination, including any required OCT’s or images.
Note there are a handful of services not covered by Medicare. These include occupational colour vision testing and some highly specialised children’s services in the area of information processing testing. These services will attract a modest fee.
Fees for non-Concession Card holders
For all other patients, you will be required to pay the consultation fee in full on the day of your eye test. We can claim your Medicare entitlements for you after your consultation, if your bank details are registered with Medicare.
You will have an out of pocket fee starting from $38 (depending on your Medicare entitlements). This fee will include all clinically necessary imaging and diagnostic assessments undertaken on that visit, unless you have already claimed your Optometry Medicare rebate elsewhere. In this case, a larger out of pocket fee will result. Please refer to the following table which gives an example of some typical attendance types.
| Attendance type | You pay on the day | Medicare rebate | Out of pocket |
| Comprehensive consultation | $98 | $30.05 – $60* | $38 – $67.95 |
| Comprehensive consultation + Visual Field | $155.25 | $60 – $117.25* | $38 – $95.25 |
| Visual field only | $95.25 | $30.05- $57.25* | $38 – $65.20 |
| Review (short) consultation | $68.05 | $30.05 | $38 |
| Comprehensive Children’s vision consultation | $98 – $128.05 | $30.90 – $90.05* | $38 – $98 |
| Developmental Visual Information Processing | $150 | $0 | $150 |
| Basic Contact lens fitting and delivery | $70 – $130 | $0 | $70 – $130 |
| Advanced contact lens fitting and delivery | $185.05 – $226.05 | $0 – $ 188.05* | $38 – $226.05 |
| Low vision assessment | $98 – $128.05 | $30.05 – $90.05* | $38 – $67.95 |
*If you have attended another optometry clinic and received a comprehensive eye exam or visual field tests within the last 12 months (if you are 65 or over) or the within the last 3 years (if you are under 65) you may not be entitled to the full Medicare rebate.
The ACO offers subsidised glasses and contact lenses to eligible Victorians through the Victorian Eyecare Service (VES). For more information and to find out if you are eligible for the VES subsidy click here.
The ACO carries a wide range of stylish glasses at very reasonable prices. We have frames and lenses to match your budget. For members of private health funds with optical cover you will be able to claim on glasses and contact lenses with your fund.
