EYE HEALTH IN SAFE HANDS

HCF’s Kris Dang explains why we opened our first HCF Eyecare centre in 1992 and how high-quality eye care and the experience in our centres keep members coming back. 

For 90 years, we’ve been at the forefront of healthcare innovation, leading the way as the private health fund to launch one of Australia’s first dental centre networks across the east coast in 1987.

Five years later, HCF opened our first eyecare centre in Sydney’s HCF House, in 1992, right alongside the already well-established dental centre. Just like the motivation behind the dental centres, the eyecare centres were opened to provide our members with high-quality clinical eyecare.

Why did we open our first HCF Eyecare centre 30 years ago?

Kristine Dang, Operations Manager, Member Health, explains the key differentiation of the eyecare business when it first opened: “We wanted to offer clinical professional eyecare to HCF members. It wasn’t about selling members a pair of glasses, it was about providing high-quality clinical care.”

The eyecare centres were also one of the first in the country to build a team of clinicians who were trained in their field of expertise. Kristine says, “We had receptionists who look after the HCF benefit, we had qualified optical dispensers who are educated in their field of expertise, rather than just frame stylists – they have to study optical dispensing at TAFE in order to work in eyecare. So the optometrist did optometry – they didn’t act as receptionists, they didn’t act as optical dispensers, which in 1992, was what happened with a lot of independent optometrists.”

There are now eight HCF Eyecare Centres in metropolitan Sydney. Members on eligible extras cover can claim 100% back* on a range of prescription glasses or contact lenses, and one free retinal image, at one of these eyecare centres or through our More For Eyes program.

This program began in 2012 and is HCF’s way of extending our reach to help more Aussie members access affordable but high-quality eyecare all over the country. We’ve partnered with eyecare providers who offer HCF members the same no-gap services found at our own eyecare centres. Some of those providers include Specsavers and Dresden. But to find other More for Eyes providers outside of Sydney, go to find a participating provider.

Uncommon Care through innovation

When our eyecare centres opened in 1992, most optometrists were still using pen and paper to record tests and transactions but HCF eyecare opened with its own computer system.

In 2013, HCF had the first eyecare centres in Australia to be accredited by Quality Innovation Performance (QIP) against the Australian National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards. This accreditation is important to HCF because we believe in delivering our members a level of clinical excellence and safety and quality standards that goes above and beyond what’s available in the eyecare market.

Innovation is an important part of HCF’s history, and it factors heavily in the story of HCF’s Eyecare Centres. Kristine explains, “We were among the first ones to have automated eye test equipment [phoropters] when we opened our first eyecare centre in 1992, when the optical industry was still using manual phoropters.” Phoropters offer members a quicker and more automated testing experience.

Kristine adds: “We were among the first optometric practices to offer retinal digital imaging,” which is a simple, painless procedure that is offered in all HCF’s Eyecare Centres and can help in the detection and management of potential sight-threatening diseases like glaucoma, diabetes, hypertension and macular degeneration.

HCF members at the heart of our clinical care

The member experience has been at the forefront of all our “firsts” throughout HCF’s history. Kristine explains that HCF’s Eyecare Centres are a destination point. “Members ring up to make an appointment, and we ask them for their email address so we can send them a pre-exam questionnaire about their family history, their current health condition and their medication, which is all very important for the optometrist. We also get their member details to check their benefit availability.

“We were one of the first to make the claim for the members in the eyecare centre at point of purchase. We want to be able to tell the member before they look at the glasses how much benefit they have to spend. With other providers, they might finalise selection of their glasses and only when they swipe their membership card do they realise how much they’re out of pocket. The experience in HCF Eyecare Centres is totally different, as the member is aware of the benefit they have before the glasses selection process begins.”

At the end of the eye test members receive a thorough treatment plan, which is similar to the way we operate at HCF’s Dental Centres. The optometrist makes recommendations to suit your lifestyle, including contact lenses, prescription glasses and sunglasses, swimming goggles, cycling glasses, refractive surgery, as well as special lenses and lens coatings which are tailored to the level of your screen time.

Kristine says, “We also work with health concierge, working together with HCF’s member health. As part of the health check with the optometrist, if we know the member has diabetes we advise them of HCF’s COACH program and make a recommendation for them to be contacted by HCF’s health concierge to ensure their holistic health is looked after, with prevention advice that complements their regular medical care.”

The COACH Program is a four to six month phone-coaching support program provided at no extra cost for eligible members^{^} that can help improve your heart health.

Uncommon Care memories

Margaret Knapman is an HCF optometrist who’s been with HCF’s eyecare business since 1993. Between them, Kristine and Margaret have a combined 56 years working as part of HCF’s eyecare team – so what are their favourite memories? Margaret reminisces: “Kris and I opened the Chatswood centre together, and that was fun. But I remember one gentleman, in particular, many years ago. I detected a retinal detachment and sent him to a surgeon who repaired the detachment and every time he comes back for his eye test he says without fail, ‘Hello Margaret, how are you? Thank you for saving my sight!’.”

Does Kristine have a vision for the future of HCF Eyecare? “I really hope Eyecare can continue to provide ‘excellence in eyecare’ by delivering professional eyecare and quality eyewear to HCF members through our joint clinical services.”

Get more back from your extras cover

You could get 100% back on a range of no-gap services* through our More for You programs, including More for Eyes. Our nationwide network of participating providers gives you access to comprehensive extras cover at an affordable price. To find out what services you can claim 100% back on under your cover, log in to online member services and refer to your Product Summary under 'Cover details'. Learn more.

Published August 2022