Have you noticed that eye insurance doesn’t do much for you? Have you noticed the continually rising price of eyeglasses? Have you been frustrated that your insurance dictates you purchase certain products, manufactured by certain corporations, at dictated time intervals with no bearing on your actual vision needs?
We have. And we have been working like crazy to come up with a solution.
How vision insurance works
The eye insurance industry is vertically integrated. This means they own the frame producers, they own the lens makers, and they attempt to dictate how doctors provide care to patients. Not only is this a morally questionable conflict of interest- it’s a recipe for price gouging! This is why costs have been rising. The insurance companies are overcharging you AND me! This is a path that will only lead to ever increasing cost for both independent doctors and patients.
Our plan
How do we break this? It starts with my clinic making changes. We have been working behind the scenes this year to reduce our cost of goods and break away from greedy corporate dependency in all facets of eye care. I am proud to announce that our single vision lenses with high quality anti-reflective coating are now priced at just $99 with an average turnaround time of 2-3 days. For comparison: the average co-pay for similar lenses for a VSP patient is $138 with a turnaround time of 7-10 business days. If you are buying an annual supply of contacts or want a second pair of glasses or sunglasses, prices for lenses drop to $65 for your second pair! (psst- that includes a large discount on the frame, as well!)
We now source our lenses from an independent lab and cut the lenses in our office. Keeping this process in house will keep your costs down while allowing us to provide better service to you. Need a back up pair? We can provide that at a fraction of the previously quoted $99. Can’t let us send your glasses off to the lab for processing? No worries- We can schedule an apt and make them in-office while you relax with a cup of coffee in the waiting area.
The savings don’t stop there. Services and contacts are being looked at, as well. We are committed to breaking away from corporate control and greed in optometry. We are your local, independent eye care provider. We want you to know that your support of our clinic is poured right back into the community through volunteer work, charitable donations, and spending our own dollars in Fayetteville.
Please join us in supporting local eye care and in keeping your dollars local in support of small business. Corporate greed permeates so many aspects of our day to day life. We are working to make sure that eye care and high quality eyewear remain independent, unique, and accessible to everyone.