Great question! Rent, staffing, utilities, equipment, taxes, and supplies, not to mention the continuous education that optometrists commit themselves to, means that when we provide an eye exam covered by OHIP, we operate at a loss. Losses are not sustainable for any industry, and optometrists are no different. Ontario optometrists are the lowest compensated in Canada. The next lowest compensated province is Manitoba and optometrists there still receive more than $30 above their Ontario counterparts.