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Are you paying too much for contacts?

A friend of mine recently contacted me to ask if I accept a certain vision insurance that will remain nameless at this time 🙂

I replied that I do not, but we often have patients with that insurance come to us anyway because they still end up saving money! This is partially due to our clear, reasonable pricing schedule, but it is also aided by our close proximity to the award-winning Costco Optical.

Since opening my Costco optometry practice, I have been very pleasantly surprised by how inexpensive glasses and contact lenses are through Costco Optical; however, until now I had never actually sat down and crunched numbers for direct comparison to private practice.

I felt pretty confident that Costco would hold up quite well to a price check, but the results of my little study were astounding to me. Using seven of my most frequently prescribed brands of contacts, I compared the cost of an annual supply – including all advertised rebates – between Costco and a local private practice here in the Front Range.

Average savings by shopping at Costco? $100 (ok, let’s not get carried away – it was only $98.26).

Seriously?! On a product that only costs $100-200 total? Crazy savings. One of these days maybe I’ll post some charts breaking down the price difference between us and private practice for exams, contacts, and glasses. Needless to say, the numbers are “eye-opening.” 🙂

Private practices like to justify these higher costs by touting their “higher level of service.” I think those who have had a chance to visit our practice and use the Costco Optical know this simply is not true. We take care of our patients, and Costco absolutely goes the extra mile to ensure their members are happy. Check us out sometime – I’ll be surprised if you don’t save some money and have a great experience.

Back to School eye exams

As a Minnesota native, I still have a tough time accepting that school starts before Labor Day here in Colorado; but believe it or not, we are in bona fide back to school season!

For many of my patients, back to school means back to the optometrist, and I totally agree with this mindset! In my experience, young patients aren’t generally given to complaining about their vision, especially if those complaints may land them in the exam chair with the possibility of glasses or (gasp!) eye drops looming. Lest you think you can rely solely on school vision screenings, studies have shown that roughly one third of kids who should be sent for a comprehensive eye exam are missed during screening exams.

To ensure that young people are performing their best in school and are not hampered by uncorrected vision problems, schedule their yearly eye exam! Back to school season is a great time for their exam, firstly because it’s easy to remember each year, and second because it ensures their prescription should stay up to date for the duration of the school year.

For our more vanity or sports oriented young people, back to school exams are also a great time to pick out a fabulous new frame or get fitted for contacts. I remember during my school days, it was always great to feel like I was starting the year off with a fresh new look!

So, whether your kids wear glasses, contacts, or no vision correction; schedule their back to school eye exam to ensure they’re performing their best and feeling prepared to face another year in the trenches 🙂