For the folks who can't relate to this blog, I applaud you. However, for those of us who are visually challenged and have to go to an optometrist annually, you'll feel me on this one. Switching insurance companies can be frustrating for two reasons: 1) Learning whether you're now going to pay more for services you used to pay less for; 2) Finding a new doctor.
So far, I've lucked out when it comes to doctors and been able to stick to the same crew, but I cringe every time I find out my vision insurance changes because (unless I want to pay a higher co-pay) I'll have to stop going to my regular optometrist and visit someone else. It never fails. Every time I see another eye doctor, it's always a disaster. First there was the lady who wanted to give me bifocals when I didn't need them. Then there was the guy with shaky hands who kept almost poking me in the face and wouldn't stop touching my hair. (Side note: Never touch a black woman's hair! Just ask her to lean her head into the "Silence of the Lamb" style contraptions," but don't touch her head...ever.) He and I had a stare down before he finally cut it out. Now yesterday I went to a new eye doctor who had more attitude than I believe she had skill level. After I get my annual set of contact lenses, I will never be going back to her. Period.
So far, I've lucked out when it comes to doctors and been able to stick to the same crew, but I cringe every time I find out my vision insurance changes because (unless I want to pay a higher co-pay) I'll have to stop going to my regular optometrist and visit someone else. It never fails. Every time I see another eye doctor, it's always a disaster. First there was the lady who wanted to give me bifocals when I didn't need them. Then there was the guy with shaky hands who kept almost poking me in the face and wouldn't stop touching my hair. (Side note: Never touch a black woman's hair! Just ask her to lean her head into the "Silence of the Lamb" style contraptions," but don't touch her head...ever.) He and I had a stare down before he finally cut it out. Now yesterday I went to a new eye doctor who had more attitude than I believe she had skill level. After I get my annual set of contact lenses, I will never be going back to her. Period.
Why is it that going to an optometrist starting to feel like I'm going to test drive a car? You have to be equipped to say, "No" and deal with the arguing of not wanting to take stuff on that you didn't ask for. By the end of the visit, she wanted me to wear my five-year-old glasses prescription for my computer, which was cool with me. I found out about computer vision syndrome, and I can respect her opinion on that. But she seemed disappointed that I didn't need new glasses so she tried to talk me into getting far-sighted glasses for driving. I have never in my life been far sighted. She told me the glasses I was wearing were not suitable for driving, never mind that I can read every sign while driving and drove to her office with those glasses on. New glasses mean new frames.
Then, she wanted me to wear my current glasses for the computer, the far-sighted glasses (she wanted me to buy) for driving and contact lenses for "recreation." Who the hell changes visual assistance that much? Head to work in contacts. Take them out and put on my glasses for the computer. Swap glasses to drive home or drive wherever I'm going. Come home and put contacts back on. Seriously? Not doing it.
She told me that contacts are a foreign object over your eyes and shouldn't be worn regularly. If that's the case, why sell them at all? If they're so dangerous, refuse to sell them. What kind of crazy is it for me to buy glasses to use for driving and walking around and then contacts, too? I asked her why was she so anti-contacts and she went into this speech about how if I get an eye infection and can't see well and need to not wear contacts, what will I do if I need to drive? In 14 years of wearing contacts, I've never had an eye infection. Ironically right before I started wearing glasses, I did get an eye infection...when I was about 8 or 9. And if my eye sight is that bad and I have this killer eye infection, what the hell am I doing behind a steering wheel anyway?
Then, she got mad because I kept jumping when she was trying to put her finger in my eye. Lady, you just got through telling me contact lenses are a foreign object and not natural, so why would you think putting your finger in my eye is comforting? But the killer part was she threw a fit about it and actually pouted because I wouldn't let her. I tried to meet in the middle and explained to her that if she just told me what direction she wanted me to look and let me touch my own face, I'd do whatever she liked in order to see my eyes. She huffed and finally agreed. Did I mention that's when she remembered she hadn't washed her hands and got up to do that? Why in the world would you think it's cool to put your finger in someone's eyes without any warning and without washing your hands?
All right, so now I think I'm in the clear. I'm not buying the second pair of glasses, but I will wear my own glasses more instead of contacts in front of the computer. Peace treaty, right? Nope, then there was the debate with the front desk lady about whether my contacts were for two weeks or one month. Bausch & Lomb has on their site that certain contacts are for 30 days. I've done the two-week deal before. It was a waste of money. Supposedly the contacts are supposed to stop working and be uncomfortable. They never are. I went from spending $318 for 8 boxes of contacts for a few years to $159 for 4 boxes of contacts ($39.75 each) in recent years. Each box has six contacts. Two boxes for each eye. Boom! I'm ready for a year. We went back and forth about this, but after I'd almost been hustled out of another pair of glasses plus frames, in addition to them wanting me to spend $318 on contacts, that visit would've cost me about $600 (including the $95 for a "fitting" fee with "free contacts" [that I know are included in this "fitting fee'] and the $10 exam).
Screw this. Next time, I'll just pay a little more to see my regular optometrist. All of the arguing wasn't worth the savings. My prescription didn't change for the contacts or the lenses. I have zero problems driving in my glasses or contacts so I don't know why "driving glasses" even came up. The contacts would've cost the same amount with my regular optometrist. I'd have just paid more for the eye exam. Fine with me.
P.S. My dentist recently told me, "Oh, your teeth look great. If I had more patients like you, I wouldn't make any money for my business." Dead serious. I shook my head and got off the chair. I understand medical professionals want to make money, but seriously, why would you be disappointed when someone's health is okay? Isn't the end goal to improve someone's health, not to be disappointed that you couldn't get more of a profit from her? *sigh* I ended up with another dentist who tried to talk me into teeth whitening right after another dentist in the same office said I didn't need it. I tried it anyway trying to make white teeth whiter. The whitener made my teeth turn brown, and I ended up in that very same office getting the brown scraped off of my teeth--by the dentist who told me I didn't need it. I should've listened. And now I'm back to my normal white teeth. If you get a medical professional who seems more like a car salesman, make that your last visit.
Then, she wanted me to wear my current glasses for the computer, the far-sighted glasses (she wanted me to buy) for driving and contact lenses for "recreation." Who the hell changes visual assistance that much? Head to work in contacts. Take them out and put on my glasses for the computer. Swap glasses to drive home or drive wherever I'm going. Come home and put contacts back on. Seriously? Not doing it.
She told me that contacts are a foreign object over your eyes and shouldn't be worn regularly. If that's the case, why sell them at all? If they're so dangerous, refuse to sell them. What kind of crazy is it for me to buy glasses to use for driving and walking around and then contacts, too? I asked her why was she so anti-contacts and she went into this speech about how if I get an eye infection and can't see well and need to not wear contacts, what will I do if I need to drive? In 14 years of wearing contacts, I've never had an eye infection. Ironically right before I started wearing glasses, I did get an eye infection...when I was about 8 or 9. And if my eye sight is that bad and I have this killer eye infection, what the hell am I doing behind a steering wheel anyway?
Then, she got mad because I kept jumping when she was trying to put her finger in my eye. Lady, you just got through telling me contact lenses are a foreign object and not natural, so why would you think putting your finger in my eye is comforting? But the killer part was she threw a fit about it and actually pouted because I wouldn't let her. I tried to meet in the middle and explained to her that if she just told me what direction she wanted me to look and let me touch my own face, I'd do whatever she liked in order to see my eyes. She huffed and finally agreed. Did I mention that's when she remembered she hadn't washed her hands and got up to do that? Why in the world would you think it's cool to put your finger in someone's eyes without any warning and without washing your hands?
All right, so now I think I'm in the clear. I'm not buying the second pair of glasses, but I will wear my own glasses more instead of contacts in front of the computer. Peace treaty, right? Nope, then there was the debate with the front desk lady about whether my contacts were for two weeks or one month. Bausch & Lomb has on their site that certain contacts are for 30 days. I've done the two-week deal before. It was a waste of money. Supposedly the contacts are supposed to stop working and be uncomfortable. They never are. I went from spending $318 for 8 boxes of contacts for a few years to $159 for 4 boxes of contacts ($39.75 each) in recent years. Each box has six contacts. Two boxes for each eye. Boom! I'm ready for a year. We went back and forth about this, but after I'd almost been hustled out of another pair of glasses plus frames, in addition to them wanting me to spend $318 on contacts, that visit would've cost me about $600 (including the $95 for a "fitting" fee with "free contacts" [that I know are included in this "fitting fee'] and the $10 exam).
Screw this. Next time, I'll just pay a little more to see my regular optometrist. All of the arguing wasn't worth the savings. My prescription didn't change for the contacts or the lenses. I have zero problems driving in my glasses or contacts so I don't know why "driving glasses" even came up. The contacts would've cost the same amount with my regular optometrist. I'd have just paid more for the eye exam. Fine with me.
P.S. My dentist recently told me, "Oh, your teeth look great. If I had more patients like you, I wouldn't make any money for my business." Dead serious. I shook my head and got off the chair. I understand medical professionals want to make money, but seriously, why would you be disappointed when someone's health is okay? Isn't the end goal to improve someone's health, not to be disappointed that you couldn't get more of a profit from her? *sigh* I ended up with another dentist who tried to talk me into teeth whitening right after another dentist in the same office said I didn't need it. I tried it anyway trying to make white teeth whiter. The whitener made my teeth turn brown, and I ended up in that very same office getting the brown scraped off of my teeth--by the dentist who told me I didn't need it. I should've listened. And now I'm back to my normal white teeth. If you get a medical professional who seems more like a car salesman, make that your last visit.
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