[cik]

I'm not an American, but I've had eye tests in both Canada and Israel. Just how expensive are these? In Canada they're free - covered by health care (Glaucoma). Regular eye tests in Canada cost ~$49 (clearly, Queen Street). In Israel they cost 22 NIS, about $6.

[ywei3410]

For some more comparisons, the UK has free eye-tests for certain groups (children and at-risk) [1], but it costs around £20-25 (~$28-$35 at current exchange rate).

[1] https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/opticians/free-nhs-eye-tests...

[2] https://www.specsavers.co.uk/help-and-faqs/how-much-is-an-ey...

[daveoc64]

Additionally for the UK, if you do work using a computer (which I imagine most people on HN do), your employer is legally required to pay for an eye test if you request it.

https://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/dse/eye-tests.htm

[Killakwinn]

Wow, this is super helpful in that it gives me extra context outside of what I'm used to. Also just good to know what else is out there :) Thank you so much!!!

[Killakwinn]

That is INCREDIBLE. When someone is paying for a full eye exam out of pocket in the US, it can cost anywhere from $69 to $150 USD.

[cik]

For something that's preventative? Why would it cost a lot for preventative treatment that reduces overall health care spending?

[Killakwinn]

One could argue that a $79 annual exam is more affordable than paying $200 every month for an injection to manage endstage, out-of-control diabetic eye disease.

That being said, I think annual exams are unnecessary for certain population subsegments (e.g. young healthy folks under 40 years old, have good vision, have no personal or family history of eye disease, have no risk factors for developing eye disease ie poorly controlled diabetes;) for those people who NEED annual eye exams (e.g. those with mild nonproliferative diabetic eye disease,) these should be free. But for those without insurance, this is not the case.