Ocular prostheses | Quebec will pay more of the bill

The provincial government announced Thursday to increase the amounts reimbursed for an ocular prosthesis. Quebec had until now one of the least generous programs in Canada.

For more than 30 years, the Government of Quebec has offered financial assistance of $585 for a custom-made ocular prosthesis, once every five years. This sum barely covered 20% of the cost of the prosthesis, which can amount to more than $2,900.

Quebec announced Thursday that this lump sum would be increased to $1,650. In addition, the amount offered for the annual maintenance of the ocular prosthesis increases from $25 to $75.

“The enhanced reimbursement program is great news for many people for whom ocular prostheses are essential to leading a normal life. Our government is taking this step to ease the financial burden of patients who need this type of care,” said Health Minister Christian Dubé in a press release.

The Press reported in January that Quebecers are struggling to get an “artificial eye”. The government admitted on Thursday that the funding for the program, which had not been adjusted since 1991, “no longer responded to the reality of the costs”.

For people who have lost an eye following an illness or an accident, the prosthesis has only an aesthetic function, it does not help to regain sight. However, it allows them to live a more normal life.

In the past five years, more than 1,900 Quebecers have benefited from government assistance, according to data from the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ). The majority of them had obtained the maximum of $585.