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The Dental Model: A Blueprint for Vision?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The dental profession in Canada has built a relationship with insurance providers that optometry envies and has yet to achieve. Nearly every employer-sponsored benefit plan includes dental coverage, driving regular visits and fair compensation for dentists. While optometry has attempted to follow a similar path for over 40 years\u2014through associations, governments, and commercial initiatives\u2014all efforts have failed. Why have these efforts failed? The optical industry is different than dentistry BUT the dental profession found ways to work together that optometry has not been able to replicate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Canadian Reality: Vision Care by the Numbers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite high-quality optometric care, Canada sees among the lowest eye exam rates in the developed world<\/strong>. Is more insurance coverage the solution?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The U.S. Model: A Managed Care Machine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The U.S. vision care insurance model is vastly different. Coverage is broader, integration with employers is deeper, and overall health managed care dominates the landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n VSP: The Origin Story<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Vision Service Plan (VSP) was founded in 1955 by California optometrists to fill empty appointment books. VSP remains a not-for-profit entity and is now the largest vision insurer in the U.S. It pioneered the \u00ab\u00a0network model\u00a0\u00bb\u2014a foundational concept in understanding American vision insurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Managed Care and PPOs: How it Works<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In the U.S., vision plans operate on Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)<\/strong> models. Patients can either choose an in-network or out of network provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In reality, the vast majority of patients stay in network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PPOs benefit employers with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, for optometrist providers, it comes at a cost:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, most optometrists join these networks out of necessity\u2014the networks drive patient volume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe system you are part of will shape your destiny unless you decide to shape it first.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Why PPOs Thrive in the U.S. – and Fail in Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In the U.S., insurers build massive networks that they \u00ab\u00a0sell\u00a0\u00bb to employers. In contrast, Canada lacks the infrastructure, network size, and centralized coordination to make PPOs viable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, brokers often misunderstand and have an ignorance of the value of vision care<\/strong>, making it harder to sell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Emerging Risks: The Tipping Point <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Canadian market is at a crossroads. Large multinational retailers, having succeeded in insurance-driven environments elsewhere in the world, are approaching Canadian insurers with enticing proposals. Insurers are listening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Risks include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you don\u2019t like change, you\u2019ll like irrelevance even less.\u201d<\/em> \u2014 Gen. Eric Shinseki<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Opportunity: Rewriting the Narrative <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Amid the challenges lies a powerful opportunity to redefine how vision care is valued by insurers and employers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Key talking points for advocacy:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We must push for broader coverage including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If we tell our story\u2014effectively and collaboratively\u2014we have the chance to influence policy, funding, and benefit design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe best way to predict the future is to create it.\u201d<\/em> \u2014 Peter Drucker<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conclusion: Time to Choose Our Future<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Canadian optometrists are at a pivotal moment. Will we innovate or observe? Take control or wait to be controlled?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whatever path we choose, the profession must:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Final Thoughts: A Call to Action<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Every model\u2014whether Canadian or American\u2014comes with its own set of pros and cons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Canada stands at a rare crossroads. We are not burdened by legacy structures, but that freedom is fragile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We have a unique opportunity to tell our story<\/strong>\u2014one that emphasizes how optometrists are not just vision correctors<\/em>, but frontline providers in chronic disease detection, early intervention, and preventive care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00ab\u00a0People don\u2019t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.\u00a0\u00bb<\/em> \u2014 Simon Sinek<\/p>\n\n\n\n If we do not take control of this narrative\u2014if we allow vision care to remain simply an \u00ab\u00a0allowance\u00a0\u00bb\u2014we risk losing the opportunity to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Optometry is ready to lead in healthcare. But first, we must speak with one voice, educate with clarity, and advocate with purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because if we don\u2019t define our value, someone else will\u2014and it may not serve our patients, our profession, or our future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n About Us<\/p>\n\n\n\n We are doctor-led and professionally managed; our doctors are majority owners in our business. That means major decisions about patient care, your team members, and your practice are discussed with the right level of support across the organization. We\u2019re proud to be a true collaborative partner. From input on every level of the organization to a real stake in our growth and success, we work better because we work together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We welcome both you and your practice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In recent months, many questions have surfaced regarding new insurance initiatives in the Canadian market. This article is designed to provide a factual, comparative overview of vision care insurance in Canada and the United States. The intent is to equip Canadian optometrists with a deeper understanding of both the risks and the opportunities on the…","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":2964,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-thought_leadership"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n