Buying gas permeable contact lenses

[minniecarousel]

Anybody know where to buy gas permeable contact lenses? I have lousy vision insurance. They will pay for some soft lenses, but apparently, they're not in collusion with a hard lens company!

Anyone in vision care? How risky would it be to purchase g/p lenses on-line (if I can find a place) if I have lenses calibrated to for bifocal seeing? I guess my optometrist has written the prescription for distance in one eye and reading with the other one. Does that sound right?

Since my previous optometry office isn't in this new vision care plan, I had no idea how much my lenses cost. These are $195 EACH from the new optometrist! That just seems really high.

 

[Fire14]

I know a former Coworker of Dh's said walmart was cheapest place for his wife to get hers at.
I personally would think there is no reason not to buy online if cheaper for you. THe lens need to be made from Rx and come in sealed vial from lens company regardless of where you get them from.

 

[bballmom56]

I guess my optometrist has written the prescription for distance in one eye and reading with the other one. Does that sound right?

That's the way my RGP lenses are - one for distance and one for reading. It works pretty well although I need a prescription change. If I remember, mine were $200 for the pair, but that was with our insurance. That seems odd that your insurance would cover soft lenses but not RGP.

 

[Diznotyzed]

I just paid out of pocket for 1 new gas permeable lens (only my left eye needed a change) and it was $80 from the clinic's own contact dept. Nothing bifocal involved, but it was a custom order as they don't regularly stock my perscription. (I used my insurance coverage for a new pair of glasses ordered at the same time.)

 

[Imzadi]

I personally would think there is no reason not to buy online if cheaper for you. THe lens need to be made from Rx and come in sealed vial from lens company regardless of where you get them from.

How risky would it be to purchase g/p lenses on-line (if I can find a place) if I have lenses calibrated to for bifocal seeing? I guess my optometrist has written the prescription for distance in one eye and reading with the other one. Does that sound right?

This is actually called monovision, when one eye is calibrated to different distance than the other, but you look through both eyes at the same (mono) time. You have one prescription for each eye.

A bifocal lens (whether glasses or contacts,) is when ONE lens has two different prescriptions. The top part you look through is for distance. When you look down to read, the bottom part of the lens is set for reading.

If you have bifocals, you will have TWO prescriptions for each eye.