Posted on 06/13/2017 10:07:49 AM PDT by reaganaut1
One of the many holes in the “social contract” theory of government is that the power of the state is so often harnessed by interest groups to protect themselves against competition. Nobody ever agreed to that, but it happens all the time, inflicting losses on the consuming public.
A recent instance of this is the aggressive lobbying campaign being waged by the American Optometric Association (AOA) against innovations that now make it possible for Americans to get accurate eye exams and lens prescriptions over the Internet. By using such innovations, millions of Americans who need vision correction could save substantial amounts of money. But savings for them means less revenue for optometrists and they are trying to stop that by asking politicians for salvation.
As far as the AOA (with 37,000 members nationwide) is concerned, the villain is new technology that gives consumers less costly alternatives than the old-fashioned office visit. One of those alternatives is called Opternative. It gives consumers an eye exam that takes 25 minutes through a smartphone app. No need to drive, park, and wait. The eye analysis through the phone has been proven to be just as accurate as those done in professional offices.
Naturally, the AOA sees phone apps for eye prescriptions the same way the Luddite hand-weavers saw the development of power looms – they must be shut down.
Lawyer Bruce Fein excoriates the AOA for its efforts at preventing this competition. In his May 8 Washington Times article, he writes, “Their current well-financed efforts to strangle internet competition in contact lenses and eyeglasses are indistinguishable from standing athwart economic history yelling ‘Stop.’”
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
Rent seekers
Most of these frames are made in China. In my experience (three pair of glasses), the Chinese frames have as much quality as those in the drs office.
Former SC Governor Halley was correct in vetoing the "Eye Care Consumer Protection Act." This was an eye doctor protection act.
FWIW, I visit my eye dr once a year on Medicare. If the prescription hasn't changed much, I just let it go.
If I need new glasses, I visit Zenni Optical. Good quality eyeware at reasonable prices.
I hope they detest them before they see them in my eyes.
(Sorry...couldn't resist.)
But you make a good point...a good friend of mine was diagnosed with a liver disease after an eye examination.
He was not noticeably (to a layman) jaundiced, but enough that the eye doc saw it and referred him to another doc for tests.
Had it not been early-detected, he would have eventually had to have a transplant.
Some variation of hepatitis...he's traveled extensively in the far East.
Yea, that’s the place
Optometrists are NOT MDS. If you want to be checked for injuries or disease, go to a real doctor. That’s what ophthalmologit’s are for.
I still go to an Optometrist to have my eyes checked. Slow growing cataracts.
But I buy my eyeglasses online. I wear Progressive lenses and the last time I bought them at Wal-mart about 4 years ago, the lenses alone were over $300.00.
I get very nice frames and ultra-thin progressive lenses for around 98.00 now.
Zenni Optical is where I get mine.
“Optometrists are NOT MDS. If you want to be checked for injuries or disease, go to a real doctor.”
An optometrist can see problems and tell you about them. Then you can go to the ophthalmologist.
But no doubt the best diagnosis will come from an ophthalmologist.
that’s crappy of the doctor. go to an eye surgeon and when you need the procedure go with the multifocal lens if you can.
I had mine out in Feb and i paid extra for the lens. left eye is 20-20, right eye 20-15. My eyesight has not been this good since 7th grade.
Me too, I'm pretty happy with the implanted lens in the other, though.
My recommendation? Go for the Bausch & Lomb Crystalens, it focuses near and far like the original...
Even though it's a bit more expensive, I'm going have another when the other eye's cataract gets to be a problem.
Did ins pay for the basic surgery and you pay for the multifocal version ?
What did you end up paying per eye ?
Did you do the other eye the same way ? Did the basic surgery get picked up on the cost of the second eye.
What brand lense (manuf) are you happy with ?
Thanks
Why pay two bills?
Ophthalmic exams are usually covered, and optometrist visits frequently are not unless you have a supplemental plan.
My last pair of eyeglasses came from GlassesUSA.com
I got my prescription via an office visit with my insurance-reimbursed Optometrist. I like her.
But she works in a boutique shoop that sells lotsa eyewear selections. Even though my insurance covers part of the cost, it does not cover it all.
Long story: I selected frames online, and got them for less than my share of the cost suing the boutique shop.
No it is not the same brand, but I think it is the same quality.
But you are going to the wrong place. Optometrists are not MD's. They are not permitted to diagnose or treat disease; like any competent layman, they can refer you to somebody who is an actual doctor. That would be an Ophthalmologist.
If you need a refraction, go to an Optometrist. For the other things, you should be going to an Ophthalmologist, or better yet, an Ophthalmologist who is also an Optometrist, or who does refractions. Ophthalmic exams usually include a refraction, and (at least my) Ophthalmologist will give you the script for the same price as the non-doctor.
Judging solely from the title, I’m guessing neither the writer nor his editor has been to an optometrist lately.
Eyebuydirect.com
Fabulous!
I went to the referenced site https://www.opternative.com/ and it states ‘Not a full eye exam’.
For example It cant check for glaucoma since that requires special equipment.
BFLR
Technology is inherently democratizing and decentralizing, get used to it, optometrists and Luddites everywhere...
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