Urge your MPP to improve healthcare for ocular surface diseases

Use our pre-written email in the following section, or write your own. Follow the instructions below to identify your MPP and find their email address.

To identify your MPP and their contact information:

  1. Go to this website and enter your postal code: https://www.elections.on.ca/en/voting-in-ontario/electoral-districts.html

  2. On this new page, under “member of provincial parliament”, your MPP’s name will be listed. Click their name.

  3. On this new page, scroll down to “contact information”. The email address of your MPP will be listed under the “constituency office” heading.

Pre-written email
Copy and paste the following email, and feel free to make any edits you feel are appropriate. This draft is written for Ontario, so if you are writing from another province be sure to replace “Ontario” with your province and “OHIP” with the name of your province’s healthcare insurance program.

I am writing to request your aid in bringing to the attention of OHIP a group of serious medical conditions called ocular surface diseases (OSDs) which are currently unrecognized and unfunded by OHIP. People with OSDs are left suffering and disabled as a result of OHIP’s lack of coverage for essential treatments and the unavailability of diagnostic equipment.

Ocular surface diseases cause severe and debilitating eye pain, and they have a substantial negative impact on an individual’s quality of life. Symptoms inhibit a patient's ability to perform essential tasks such as reading, driving and computer use. Without adequate treatment, people suffering from these diseases are unable to enjoy a normal standard of living and are often unable to work. Many sufferers of OSDs frequently experience depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.

Available treatments for OSDs are not covered by OHIP despite their proven efficacy. As a result, Canadians with these conditions are forced to pay thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for essential treatments, and some have to travel out-of-country to obtain a diagnosis. Because OSDs often inhibit a person’s ability to work, many cannot afford to pay out-of-pocket for essential treatments. This is unacceptable in a country with a commitment to ensure equitable access to essential healthcare services.

With the lack of funding for OSD healthcare, Ontario is violating the Canada Health Act, which aims “to protect, promote and restore the physical and mental well-being of residents of Canada and to facilitate reasonable access to health services without financial or other barriers”. If Ontario is to meet its obligations under this act, OHIP must improve the state of medical care for OSD patients.

Please tell OHIP to cover healthcare for OSDs.

If you wish to learn more, please visit www.caringforcorneas.ca.