Child Getting Contact Lenses - Doctor Charges $400???

amother

Fri, Jan 26 2024, 6:49 am

I am located in NYS. We have a Medicaid insurance which the doctor accepts. My child wants contact lenses so I made an appointment. This appointment was 2 months after the annual checkup and I said DC wants contact lenses, do we need another appointment if we were just there. They said yes. OK, understandable.

This morning we were there and the nurse (or whatever an eye doctor's assistant is called) clearly has no idea why we're there. She's taking the same pictures of the eye and measurements and checking vision that we did 2 months ago. No problem, they need to make money someplace. When she asks if we're here for our annual, I said no we were just here. She says, yeah you're right while peering at her screen, but didn't ask why we're here now. I figured ok, it's the doc's job.

Doctor comes in and asks if we're here just to make sure everything is ok. I said, no we're here cuz DC wants contact lenses. So doc takes one more measurement and then proceeds to tell me how it works in this office:

We need to book another appointment for an hour training session. At that appointment Doc will work with my child making sure they know how to put in and take out the lenses. They will work with monthly lenses. If DC gets the hang of it, we go home with a 6 month supply of those. We come back after a couple of weeks to check in, see how child is doing and if we want to switch over to daily or biweekly, etc. This appointment is not covered by insurance, which I'm sure the front desk told you about.

So I tell the doctor that I thought that's what this appointment is for, since we were just there, and that no, the front desk did not tell me that contact lenses fittings are not covered by insurance. I ask how much it'll cost, and I'm told 399-450. Because the doctor makes sure the lenses fit right and the kid knows how to use them. I asked what if I just want to teach my child myself since I wear lenses? Response: Well, Doc won't release the prescription without making sure DC is ready, so no, you can't do that. I asked, What's my other option cuz this is a lot of money? They said, At this office there is no other option. But you do get a six month supply of lenses included in that price.

Now I'm really upset because I feel like I wasted my whole morning at this appointment. Contact lenses don't cost that much money. 400 is a ton of money just to learn how to use them! When I got lenses, the optical store where I bought them taught me how to put them in at no extra charge. I just bought one box of contacts from them. But I can't even do that now for DC because the Doc won't give me the prescription. Is that even legal?

What are my options??? Is it normal for a Doc to charge that amount of money?

octopus

Fri, Jan 26 2024, 6:53 am

All the doctors charge $100 for the contact lens appointment. And the price of lenses on top of that probably is around $200 $300 especially if it's going to be disposables that are daily which are much more expensive than weeklies or bi-weeklies.

octopus

Fri, Jan 26 2024, 6:54 am

So if it was just for an appointment I would say it sounds crazy. But because it includes a 6 month supply of lenses it doesn't sound so crazy. Of course you probably could get cheaper lenses then through the office. But it doesn't sound crazy if it includes a 6 month supply.

octopus

Fri, Jan 26 2024, 6:55 am

Sorry I keep posting. But I'm very much in this parsha. The daily disposables are really expensive. It's like $800 for me to buy a supply for an entire year. And all the doctors love giving daily disposables to the new contact lens wearers. I never buy a whole Year's worth. But that's the range of money.

fiji

Fri, Jan 26 2024, 6:55 am

Just to give you an accurate idea of pricing...I just bought a year supply of contacts from Walmart for about $350 (officially bi-weeklys but never actually changed that often). Maybe take dc to another place and don't tell them it's their first time with contacts. Or alternatively call around to different places and see how much they charge for first time lens wearers.

happy7

Fri, Jan 26 2024, 7:01 am

Do you have America’s best near you?
You can buy an eye club membership for $129 and that will cover lenses checkups for 3 years.
You have to update contact prescription every year anyway. I find it really worth it for me.
I don’t know any insurance that covers lenses prescription and fitting.

You should be paying around $80-120 at a doctor for a contact prescription and teaching how to get them in, but not $350-400.
It should be your choice where you want to purchase lenses.

amother

Springgreen

Fri, Jan 26 2024, 7:02 am

octopus wrote:

She wrote the doctor said he will give her monthly lenses. My dh wears monthly. He pays $79 for a 6 pk. X 2 so that's $158 for 6 months.
399-450 sound excessive. And the office sounds completely mismanaged.

amother

Stonewash

Fri, Jan 26 2024, 7:15 am

Where do you live? I got my DD lenses, she got a lenses prescription from Dr @ the optical store, guidance on how to get them in and out (he was super patient with her) and 1 pair of monthly for $150

amother

Daisy

Fri, Jan 26 2024, 7:17 am

amother Springgreen wrote:

I missed that. You're right monthly much much cheaper! Sounds very excessive. Dailies are super duper expensive.

cnc

Fri, Jan 26 2024, 7:17 am

Very normal. My doctor charges 200 for the appointment and it doesn't include the lenses. The prices of the lenses depends on the prescription and if there is an astigmatism etc...

amother

Fri, Jan 26 2024, 8:37 am

In the meantime I called a local optical store and they said a box of monthly lenses is about $40, depends on the number. Two boxes would be $80. Why in the world do I need to pay another 320 for training??? I understand they need to charge because insurance doesn't cover this visit, but the price sounded like way too much. Thankfully the optical store said they would be able to train DC.

The only issue is the lack of prescription. Store said if I bring in DC's current glasses, they should be able to figure it out.

amother

Fri, Jan 26 2024, 8:37 am

octopus wrote:

That's a normal price for the appointment but contacts don't cost that much. I wear biweekly and they're around 60/box.

amother

Fri, Jan 26 2024, 8:39 am

happy7 wrote:

I usually order contacts for myself for a really good price. But the doc gives me my prescription and I don't need teaching on how to wear them, both of which DC's doc doesn't want to do without my paying the full $400.

amother

Fri, Jan 26 2024, 8:39 am

amother Stonewash wrote:

Where do you live? I got my DD lenses, she got a lenses prescription from Dr @ the optical store, guidance on how to get them in and out (he was super patient with her) and 1 pair of monthly for $150

Tht price is for one pair or one box?

amother

Cobalt

Fri, Jan 26 2024, 8:57 am

I pay 600 a year

amother

Gardenia

Fri, Jan 26 2024, 9:01 am

Try to find a different optometrist. Sounds high.

amother

Gardenia

Fri, Jan 26 2024, 9:03 am

If you post your general location maybe someone can recommend someone

amother

Stonewash

Fri, Jan 26 2024, 9:12 am

amother OP wrote:

Tht price is for one pair or one box?

1 pair

Sewsew_mom

Fri, Jan 26 2024, 9:16 am

Oh. My son wanted lenses. He's almost 14. No chance I'll be paying that much money to fit them and all. I can teach him.
Sounds crazy. Can you ask them just for a prescription? That's their job. You can do what you want with the prescription no?

amother

NeonOrange

Fri, Jan 26 2024, 9:21 am

When I got lenses over 10 years ago the doctor charged $150 for a fitting. He basically was trying a few pairs to figure out which is best for me, making sure they fit properly in the eye and have good movement, and then teaching me how to put then in and helping me practice. It did not include the lenses.
I think it was reasonable and I'm sure the price has gone up since then but not to 400.