National Brand and Corporate Relations Manager Kerry I’Anson said the calculator is a guide for optometrists and is flexible so that members can enter their own values to reflect their practice. “Values for most of the fields can be changed to reflect the particular practice context. This can include factoring in high rental costs in particular areas and the cost of purchasing state-of-the art equipment,” said Ms. I’Anson.
She said Optometry Australia had been aware of the need to develop a fee calculator for some time to support members to cover the costs of providing clinical care and ensuring sustainability of the practice. “This has been particularly the case for fees outside Medicare, given fees that can be charged for Medicare services are currently set by the Government.
“We knew we needed something which recognised heterogeneity in the sector, hence the concept of a calculator which enables optometrists to determine particular parameters relevant to the particular context of their practice and the service they provide. We have drawn on internal and external expertise to develop the online calculator,” she said.
