1:30min
With a Federal Budget next week, and Federal Election approaching soon after that, Optometry Australia is kicking off a new phase of our Eyes on Medicare campaign, releasing strong commentary to the media on Canberra’s lack of response to your call for urgent action.
Optometrists across the country have worked hard to share their concerns with political leaders. Over 400 optometrists across the country have sent more than 5,500 emails to their federal representatives, calling for urgent action to reverse the 2014 Budget decision to reduce Medicare subsidised initial comprehensive eye examinations for under 65s from once every two years to once every three years.
Together, we called for this to be addressed as a matter of urgency – but the responses we’ve received in the last week from the key political parties are cause for concern.
- The Australian Labor Party (ALP) has referred us to the Medicare Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) rather than committing to fixing the issue. You can read Minister Butler’s full response here, and our reply, here.
- The Australian Greens have provided only a general commitment to Medicare, focused on dental rather than eye care, and
- The Coalition has yet to respond at all.
This lack of action is unacceptable. Without strong political commitment, Australians will continue to face barriers to accessing timely eye care. We need optometrists to get involved now and use our political advocacy tool to email your local federal representatives.
Optometry Australia’s analysis of official Medicare figures found that per capita rates of initial comprehensive eye examinations by people aged under 65 fell by nearly 20% between 2017-18 and 2023-24. The drop was in all age cohorts from 0-5 years to 55-64 years, and in all jurisdictions. In one year, between 2022-23 and 2023-24, there was a 6.2% drop, indicating a likely link to cost-of-living pressures, with per capita rates of initial comprehensive eye examinations now lower than in the heights of the COVID pandemic in 2020-2021.
It’s time to wake up, Canberra
The need for regular, Medicare-subsidised eye exams is not just a policy issue—it’s about evidence-based patient care. Every day, optometrists diagnose sight-threatening conditions in patients who had no symptoms.
- Jarryd, a young father, was diagnosed with glaucoma during a routine eye exam. Without early detection, he could have lost his vision.
- Emily, a 21-year-old student, was diagnosed with asymptomatic idiopathic intracranial hypertension, a condition that could have led to permanent vision loss.
These cases highlight why we cannot allow eye care to be ignored in this election.
Time to join the fight
Optometry Australia is intensifying our campaign, calling for eye care to be prioritised. If there was a similar sized drop off in other areas of preventative health like cancer screening, there would be Government action left, right and centre.
Members like Nancy Atkinson, President of Optometry Queensland Northern Territory, have already stepped up—meeting with MPs to push for action.
We need every optometrist to get involved today.
Take action now
- Visit the Optometry Australia 2025 Federal Election page for campaign updates.
- Use our simple advocacy tool to email your federal representatives today. Every action strengthens our collective voice.
- Once you’ve used the tool, schedule a reminder for yourself to follow up in two weeks – you can even ask for a meeting to discuss this issue further! The Optometry Australia team is here to help you prepare. Contact us today, at policy@optometry.org.au.
- Help spread the word about the campaign! Use our ready-to-go social media assets, including captions, graphics and practice posters, to engage your network and encourage colleagues to join in. We love seeing our members take part – snap a photo of your poster in action and share it with us.
Optometry Australia will not back down – but we need your voice. Together, we can ensure eye care is a priority in this election and beyond.
Tagged as: Advocacy & government