Quebec has one of the least generous programs in Canada when it comes to reimbursement for “artificial eye” purchases. A practice that harms people who need a prosthetic eye to lead a more normal life.
Posted at 5:00 am
“We have one of the worst programs in Canada,” exclaims ophthalmologist Jean-François Durette. The Quebec government offers a $585 grant every five years for a custom prosthetic eye. However, this amount has not been indexed for more than 30 years. It barely covers 20% of the prosthesis costs, which can total over $2,900.
For people who have lost an eye due to illness or accident, the prosthesis has only an aesthetic function, it does not help to regain sight. “It allows them to go unnoticed and not be asked any more questions,” says Mr. Durette. “Some people tell us it brings them back to life,” adds ophthalmologist Louise Boucher.
The art behind eye prostheses
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Brushes and pencils are spread out on the worktable. Here, at Jean-François Durette and Louise Boucher’s clinic, we don’t paint canvases, but custom-made artificial eyes.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Out of a hundred colors, Jean-François Durette selects the iris that best suits that of his client. “I choose the base color and then add the details,” explains Mr. Durette. Louise Boucher prefers to paint the iris directly on a black disc. “I paint in front of the client. You still have to have some artistic talent,” says Ms. Boucher with a smile.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
The ophthalmologist takes an impression of the patient’s eye socket. He then places the iris in a mold which he coats with white acrylic paste. This piece is baked and polished for about ten minutes.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Now it’s time to complete the iris. The details are traced with colored pencils and paint, while red cotton embroidery threads are used to reproduce the small veins. The eye is then coated with acrylic to seal in the color.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
The eye prosthesis is now complete. The customer can keep it for about five years.
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Since the 1990s, only those receiving emergency financial assistance, such as crime victims, welfare recipients or work-related accidents, have been 100% covered. For the rest of the low-income population, the bill is sometimes steep. Even too salty.
There are people who have an outdated prosthesis and cannot afford to replace it.
Jean-François Durette, ophthalmologist
Over the years, the eye socket develops and the prosthesis has to be changed. “The muscles attached to the eye are no longer exercised, so they lose strength and the eye can deviate to one side or the other,” he explains.
In the past five years, 1,945 Quebecers have benefited from government assistance, according to Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) data obtained by La Presse. The majority of them got the maximum of $585.
For comparison, British Columbia reimburses $3,000 for a prosthetic eye every three years. Ontario reimburses 75% of the cost.
The ophthalmologists Jean-François Durette and Louise Boucher want the RAMQ to also cover 75% of the costs. “That was back then, before 1991,” recalls Mr. Durette, who has worked in this field for forty years.
“It’s Heartbreaking”
Last summer, Madelyne Rivest, founder of the Facebook group Grouping of people with an ocular prosthesis of Quebec, had to start a crowdfunding campaign so that an elderly lady could afford an ocular prosthesis.
This is not an isolated case. Ophthalmologists often encounter clients who are struggling to pay for their future eye. “We meet people who need a new prosthesis but they ask us to wait because of the cost. It’s heartbreaking,” says Ms. Boucher.
Madelyne Rivest regrets that some people don’t have the means to “buy a look”. She knows how important this is as she herself has had a prosthetic eye for two and a half years after losing her eye to repeated retinal detachments and acute glaucoma attacks. “It allows me to work with the public and know that I’m not being stared at,” she says.
Catherine Pineau, who has had an eye prosthesis since she was a year old, also bears witness to this. “I had a great youth, I went to university, I had a great career, I was class president, I played football,” she says. I had a normal life that I probably wouldn’t have had without a prosthesis. »
In Quebec, only six clinics specialize in making these prosthetic eyes, says Mr. Durette. The 72-year-old wants to retire in the next few years, but a successor is rare. “I don’t want everything I’ve developed as a technique to fail,” he says. I want to pass it on to someone. »