Eye exams are key for maintaining good ocular health and vision. Routine visits with your optometrist can help detect eye conditions or visual concerns early for sound management and treatment.
One of the many benefits of living in Canada is access to healthcare that can extend to ocular health. Many Saskatchewan residents may be uncertain about what is included in their provincial healthcare coverage when it comes to eye exams.
Certain eye exams are covered under the provincial healthcare plan which include:
- One annual eye exam for children under 18 years.
- Diabetic eye exams for those with confirmed type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
- Eye emergencies including eye injuries or foreign objects in the eye.
Ocular Visits Covered by Sask Provincial Healthcare
Saskatchewan’s health care plan does offer coverage for certain ocular visits but there’s a specific criteria to meet. These visits include:
- One annual eye exam for children under 18 years.
- Diabetic health exams for those with confirmed type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
- Eye emergencies including eye injuries or foreign objects in the eye.
Individuals qualify for provincial healthcare if they live in Saskatchewan for at least five months out of the year. Individuals can qualify for supplementary provincial benefits in addition to the universal healthcare plan if they meet certain requirements.
Under these supplementary benefits individuals are covered for:
- One annual eye exam for those under 18 and 65 and over.
- Individuals between 19 and 64 are covered for one eye exam every two years
Importance of Eye Exams
Eye exams aren’t just about correcting vision with glasses or contact lenses. They go beyond vision correction. They’re important for detecting changes in your vision and assessing your overall ocular health.
There are several different kinds of eye exams that each focus on assessing different aspects of eye health. Eye exams covered by Saskatchewan Healthcare include:
- Children’s comprehensive eye exams
- Diabetic eye exams
- Ocular emergencies
For any eye exam visits covered under the provincial healthcare plan, bring your Saskatchewan Healthcare Card with you to the appointment. During your visit, the clinic will bill Sask Health directly if the service is covered.
Children’s Comprehensive Eye Exams
Monitoring children’s vision and ocular health is important because children’s eyes undergo rapid growth from infancy through adolescence, leading to frequent shifts in vision prescriptions. Our eyes stop growing and our vision stabilizes around age 20, highlighting the importance of annual children’s exams.
According to the Canadian Association of Optometrists, children should have an annual eye exam until they turn 18 years old. Children are also recommended to have an eye exam at the following times:
- First eye exam between 6 to 9 months.
- At least one eye exam between 2 to 5 years old.
- Annual eye exams from 6 to 18 years old.
Fortunately, the provincial government recognises the importance of children’s eye exams which is why one comprehensive eye exam is covered annually for children under 18.
Uncorrected vision can significantly impact a child’s development and learning. Good ocular health and vision are key to a child’s learning performance. Children use their vision to explore the world around them and interact with people and their environment whether in school or extracurricular activities.
In some cases, children may be unaware they are even experiencing visual problems because the way they see the world feels normal.
Poor vision can impact a child’s ability to read, write, focus, and participate in school affecting their academic performance, social connections, and self-esteem. If vision is slightly impaired, it may lead your child to work harder, strain their eye muscles, and develop headaches.
In addition to visual correction, eye exams can help detect potential eye conditions. Some common eye conditions optometrists screen for during children’s eye exams include:
- Amblyopia
- Binocular vision dysfunction
- Convergence insufficiency
- High myopia
- Pediatric cataracts
- Strabismus
Early detection of these eye conditions is key for management, slowing its progression, and treatment.
Diabetic Eye Exams
Vision and overall eye health can be significantly impacted by either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. It’s recommended that those living with diabetes undergo an annual diabetic eye examination to preserve optimal vision and detect any complications early for optimal eye health
The provincial government recognizes the importance of routine diabetic eye exams therefore, these visits are covered under the provincial healthcare plan.
During a diabetic eye exam, the primary focus of your optometrist is to evaluate the internal structures of the eye to look for signs of diabetic changes. Eye drops are used to dilate the eyes, allowing more light to enter the pupils, making it easier to examine structures like the macula, optic nerve, and blood vessels, that are otherwise more difficult to assess in an undilated exam.
Diabetes can put individuals at a higher risk of developing eye conditions like:
- Cataracts
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Diabetic macular edema
- Glaucoma
Since these conditions can progress with minimal symptoms, regular diabetic eye exams are key to catching and managing issues before they worsen.
Depending on your ocular health your optometrist might like to also screen for glaucoma during your diabetic eye exam. This test goes a step further by assessing your peripheral vision with a visual field test.
Ocular Emergencies
Sask Health also covers emergency eye care and associated follow-up visits for all residents, irrespective of age.
An ocular emergency refers to any sudden or severe eye condition that requires immediate medical attention to prevent permanent vision loss or other serious complications.
Ocular emergencies can include:
- Sudden vision loss
- Eye injuries
- Chemical exposures
- Severe eye pain
- Flashes and floaters
To help prevent any potential damage to your vision or ocular health, visit your optometrist promptly if you experience any of these symptoms.
Book an Appointment
Regular eye exams are important for maintaining good ocular health and vision. This is why the Sask government covers children’s eye exams, diabetic eye exams, and ocular emergencies under the provincial healthcare plan. Connect with our team at Brighton Eyecare to schedule your next eye exam appointment!
