GlassesSA helps South Australians obtain low-cost glasses or, for those with serious eye conditions, no-cost contact lenses.
Who can apply
Eligibility for glasses
Standard glasses
You must live in South Australia and either:
- hold one of these cards:
- Pensioner Concession Card
- Health Care Card
- Low Income Health Care Card
- be a child or young person in state care
- be an eligible asylum seeker
- be the dependant of a person eligible for standard glasses.
Glasses with thinner lenses
You must meet the eligibility criteria for standard glasses and:
- have a lens prescription level of +5.00 or -5.00 with up to -2.50 cylinder, but with a combined power of +/-5.00.
People not eligible for glasses
- Recipients of Centrelink Carer Allowance.
- People eligible for Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) optical services.
- DVA Veteran Gold Card holders.
Eligibility for contact lenses
You must:
- meet the criteria for standard glasses
- be diagnosed with one of the prescribed medical conditions
How to apply for glasses
- Step 1
Show your eligible card to a participating optometrist
Find a GlassesSA optometrist near you
The optometrist will need your verbal consent so they can confirm your eligibility.
Only optometrists authorised by GlassesSA, or their staff, can provide glasses and contact lenses through the program.
- Step 2
Choose your frames and lenses
The optometrist will offer you a selection of basic frames and standard lenses to choose from.
You can get one new pair of glasses every three years, or when clinically necessary, if eligible.
The maximum you'll pay for standard glasses:
- $25 single vision
- $30 single vision grind
- $50 bi-focal
- $100 multi-focal.
Eligible Aboriginal people can receive standard glasses at no cost.
You can choose to upgrade your frames and lenses at an additional cost to you, eg different children's frames or thinner lenses.
How to apply for contact lenses
- Step 1
Show your eligible card to a participating hospital or country optometrist
You must have your contact lenses prescribed by a hospital or optometrist authorised by GlassesSA. These can differ depending on where you live.
If you live in metropolitan Adelaide apply through:
- Flinders Medical Centre
- the Women's and Children's Hospital
- the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
If you live in regional SA, eg your residential postcode is greater than 5200, apply through:
- one of the participating hospitals above
- a regional optometrist, ie the business address has a postcode greater than 5200.
The hospital or optometrist will need your verbal consent so they can confirm your eligibility.
- Step 2
Receive your lenses
If eligible, you’ll be supplied with basic contact lenses suitable for your prescription, at no cost to you.
You cannot upgrade to different or more expensive contact lenses through GlassesSA.
You can get new contact lenses through GlassesSA as often as you need, if you are eligible and they are still clinically necessary for a prescribed eye condition.
Contact
GlassesSA
Phone: 1300 762 577
Email: GlassesSA@sa.gov.au
Interpreting and translating
Phone 1800 280 203 for the Interpreting and Translating Centre (ITC) o arrange an on-site or telephone interpreter, or to have a document translated.
