Eye doc vent.....$$$$ Please advise...

[pklein09]

DD16 was diagnosed with amblyopia, the technical term for lazy eye, when she was 9. The pediatrician picked it up and referred us to a pediatric opthamologist. Here's my $.02....because it is a medical condition, it is covered under your medical insurance. We do not have vision insurance because it's cheaper to buy her glasses than pay the premiums. DD wore a patch on one eye for a little while to help strengthen the eye, but only under the care of her physician.

Good luck with everything.

 

[Tam1067]

I am chiming in with the advise to see a pediatric ophthalmologist. Both of my sons had amblyopia. We have seen a wonderful pediatric ophthalmologist for them. They patched for several years, and though both sons do not have perfect vision, their eyes do not wander.

We have vision care with VSP, but because amblyopia is a medical condition, their visits to the ophthalmologist were covered by our medical insurance (Blue Cross/Blue Shield). We only paid the same co-pay as we would pay to see the pediatrician or any other doctor. You just have to get it coded as a medical visit and have the diagnosis be listed as amblyopia. We used to go 4x per year and all of the visits were covered by the medical insurance.

Good luck to you.

 

[ceecee]

I have to agree with the pp. My DS12 sees a pediatric opthamalogist for his monovision. He has taken a much different approach than an optometrist would with his vision issues. He is advising against glasses & allowing his eyes to work together on their own. My cousin had a lazy eye that required surgery to correct outpatient with pediatric opthamalogist. I think you need you need a new doctor specializing in children ASAP.

You may need to call your insurance and explain as they may only allow one exam per yr. I would be asking for a refund, but they probably will not charge you as they know it was their mistake.

 

[paysensmom]

They are doing the exam for free to clear all of the "confusion". Not a full exam really, but just to be sure the scripts are correct. I do know that she gets a free eye exam each year. That is the extent of our vision care, no glasses are covered. I think some of you thought I didn't realize that part.
I am going to call them today and see what I can work out before I go in next week. I know I am going to ask them to refer her to a specialist so I will feel more at ease in what they tell me (like if the specialist agrees with what they ulitimately say my daughter needs).

But, am I asking too much to expect them to put the new "all of the time" lenses in place of the reading ones I was givin? I suspect the lab is the one who messed up not realizing the doc put two scripts in. Like I said, it took them a long time messing around on the computer to even figure out she was given two scrpts!
I don't see how or why they would agree to a full refund at this point. Should I push for that?

 

[zoemurr]

They are doing the exam for free to clear all of the "confusion". Not a full exam really, but just to be sure the scripts are correct. I do know that she gets a free eye exam each year. That is the extent of our vision care, no glasses are covered. I think some of you thought I didn't realize that part.
I am going to call them today and see what I can work out before I go in next week. I know I am going to ask them to refer her to a specialist so I will feel more at ease in what they tell me (like if the specialist agrees with what they ulitimately say my daughter needs).

But, am I asking too much to expect them to put the new "all of the time" lenses in place of the reading ones I was givin? I suspect the lab is the one who messed up not realizing the doc put two scripts in. Like I said, it took them a long time messing around on the computer to even figure out she was given two scrpts!
I don't see how or why they would agree to a full refund at this point. Should I push for that?

If he really thinks your DD has a lazy eye issue she should be seen more than once a year. I'm thinking we went every 3 months until it was fixed. I also think we went in a month or so after she got her first pair of glasses to make sure she was ok. Even without the script mistake (which is pretty big) I don't think the Dr. should have said, "she has a lazy eye, these glasses should help, see you in a year." This is a condition that is relatively easy to correct, but needs to be caught early, and if it is ignored it can get quite dangerous.

I would tell them I want my money back and go somewhere else. There is no reason to listen to his recommendation when I don't think you will believe/follow what he said anyway. I would ask the pedi. for the referral instead. Do you know any other children who have glasses? You might want to just ask around. Where I live there is one amazing Dr. that almost all kids with "issues" go to. I live outside of a large city and there are only two doctors here that do this type of surgery, so anyone that needs it would be familiar with them both.

If they fight you on that then ask them to fix the reading glasses. But honestly I don't think I would want my child wearing anything that was made there. Perhaps they would refund the price of the lenses and you can take the frames elsewhere.

Good luck.. I feel terrible for you and your DD.

 

[Lizzybean]

They are doing the exam for free to clear all of the "confusion". Not a full exam really, but just to be sure the scripts are correct. I do know that she gets a free eye exam each year. That is the extent of our vision care, no glasses are covered. I think some of you thought I didn't realize that part.
I am going to call them today and see what I can work out before I go in next week. I know I am going to ask them to refer her to a specialist so I will feel more at ease in what they tell me (like if the specialist agrees with what they ulitimately say my daughter needs).

But, am I asking too much to expect them to put the new "all of the time" lenses in place of the reading ones I was givin? I suspect the lab is the one who messed up not realizing the doc put two scripts in. Like I said, it took them a long time messing around on the computer to even figure out she was given two scrpts!
I don't see how or why they would agree to a full refund at this point. Should I push for that?

If it were me, I would demand to get what I thought I was paying for. If I was told I was paying for everyday glasses then that's what I want and someone needs to fix it. Since I didn't go through the experience it's hard for me to tell who dropped the ball, or if it was several people, but someone profited off of your purchase and you didn't get the goods you thought you were sold. I would continue to ask the tough questions until I figured out where the mistake happened and then I would explain it was unacceptable and require the proper eyewear. Although frankly after that experience I'm not sure I'd want to mess with them...who's to say they won't screw up again? I'd get the script and order glasses from Zennis or 39dollarglasses.

 

[Marionnette]

They are doing the exam for free to clear all of the "confusion". Not a full exam really, but just to be sure the scripts are correct. I do know that she gets a free eye exam each year. That is the extent of our vision care, no glasses are covered. I think some of you thought I didn't realize that part.
I am going to call them today and see what I can work out before I go in next week. I know I am going to ask them to refer her to a specialist so I will feel more at ease in what they tell me (like if the specialist agrees with what they ulitimately say my daughter needs).

But, am I asking too much to expect them to put the new "all of the time" lenses in place of the reading ones I was givin? I suspect the lab is the one who messed up not realizing the doc put two scripts in. Like I said, it took them a long time messing around on the computer to even figure out she was given two scrpts!
I don't see how or why they would agree to a full refund at this point. Should I push for that?

It's not unusual for vision insurance to only cover the exam and not materials. Sometime there is a discount associated with your plan that can help bring the cost of the materials down, so ask the optical staff about it.

I don't know what your financial situation is, but you may not be able to get another eye exam with a different eye doctor within one year unless you pay out of pocket for it. Medical insurance may cover it if warranted but you might be required to get a referral from your primary care physician OR your primary eye care professional (the optometrist that you're not crazy about right now). Tricare can be tough to deal with and a lot of doctors don't go through the tons of paperwork to get on their panel. It can make it very difficult to find another doctor if you're not happy with this one. That's why I think that you need to get a better picture from this guy as to what he's trying to accomplish with your daughter's care. It could just be poor communication and not poor care on the part of the eye doctor.

I'm not excusing any mistake that the lab may have made in filling the prescription but some of the responsibility rests with you. If your daughter was commenting that the glasses were doing nothing to improve her vision, it was up to you to notify the doctor's office that things weren't working out. After all, it's been 9 months since they filled the prescription without a word from you. You wouldn't allow a child to suffer with an ear infection if the first antibiotic prescribed didn't work, would you? The doctor has no way of knowing whether things are not working out unless you tell them.

Having said that, I think that if the lenses that are in her current glasses are not the "everyday" prescription, and it was not his intention to only fill the script for the reading glasses, then you have every right to expect them to make good on it. They should be able to grind the lenses for the proper prescription to fit the current frame for no charge. There is a good reason why he may have wanted to get her into the reading glasses while her eyes were dilated. Ask him to explain it to you. He should have done it at the time that the glasses were made up.

I think you need to get a better idea of what he's trying to accomplish with two different scripts and when they should each be used. If he's not willing to take the time to explain things to your satisfaction, then you do need a new eye doctor for your daughter. Dealing with your daughter's unique vision needs is going to require clear and concise communication from her provider. You will need to be able to trust this person to do what is in her best interest and not his own financial best interest. If you're not getting a positive vibe after the second visit, be prepared to change to someone who will, even if that means paying out of pocket for an exam and new script.

 

[paysensmom]

I called and told them that I would like one of three things to happen...
1. Replace the current lenses with "all the time" lenses.
2. Give her a free pair of the same frames with the "ATT" lenses
3. Give me a refund and call it square

They said they will give my info to the office manager and have him call me next week.

I plan on going to the free appointment next week and talking to the doc to get all of the information. Depending on how that goes I might get a referral to an opthemologist. I do plan on her yearly exam due in March to be at a pediatric optometrist. So, either way, my appointment next week will be the last at this place.

Should I stand firm for 1,2, or 3? WWYD on that issue

 

[zoemurr]

I called and told them that I would like one of three things to happen...
1. Replace the current lenses with "all the time" lenses.
2. Give her a free pair of the same frames with the "ATT" lenses
3. Give me a refund and call it square

They said they will give my info to the office manager and have him call me next week.

I plan on going to the free appointment next week and talking to the doc to get all of the information. Depending on how that goes I might get a referral to an opthemologist. I do plan on her yearly exam due in March to be at a pediatric optometrist. So, either way, my appointment next week will be the last at this place.

Should I stand firm for 1,2, or 3? WWYD on that issue

worry so much about the money or the glasses as I would the fact that her condition has now gone untreated for 9 months. If you really think her eyes are not alligned I would get her into someone else now. If her brain is only using one eye that can lead to big problems later.

If you trust your pedi then I would see if you can get in to see them this week. That would be a place to start. I would think they could get you the referral.

Good luck.

 

[Marionnette]

I called and told them that I would like one of three things to happen...
1. Replace the current lenses with "all the time" lenses.
2. Give her a free pair of the same frames with the "ATT" lenses
3. Give me a refund and call it square

They said they will give my info to the office manager and have him call me next week.

I plan on going to the free appointment next week and talking to the doc to get all of the information. Depending on how that goes I might get a referral to an opthemologist. I do plan on her yearly exam due in March to be at a pediatric optometrist. So, either way, my appointment next week will be the last at this place.

Should I stand firm for 1,2, or 3? WWYD on that issue

#3 is probably not going to happen. It's not as if they can resell the lenses and frame that your daughter has had for the past 9 months. And you do not want 2 identical frames with different prescriptions, which would be the case in #2. Too easy to confuse the two pairs of glasses if they look the same at first glance. #1 is the most likely compromise.

However, you probably jumped the gun by calling the office and listing your demands even before you went in for the follow up exam. It's not as if the staff was going to be able to offer you anything more today than they had done the day before when they offered to do follow up exam for no charge. I understand your frustration and irritation with what you have learned over the last 48 hours. But you haven't really given them ample time to make things right when you consider that up until two days ago, they were also unaware that there was even a problem with your daughter's prescription.

Since you've already decided to dump this doctor, I don't know why you would even keep next week's appointment. Get out your insurance information and start looking for another doctor in your area that accepts it. Then make an appointment with them. You will probably have to pay out of pocket for the exam. But ask yourself: do you want to lay out more money for glasses that are made using prescriptions from a doctor you don't trust? Or do you want to see a doctor that you can place your faith in and have glasses made that meet the new doctor's recommendations?

 

[Green Tea]

I would get a refund for the faulty glasses and take her to a medical doctor, a physician....an ophthalmologist who is a MD specializing in the eyes. An optometrist can fit glasses and treat routine eye conditions, but I think this is more involved.

Look at the Medical part of the TRicare referrals, not eye care. That is where you will find approved opthamologists.

 

[Green Tea]

Well this isn't exactly a "quack" factory, but these are definitly optomestrist and certainly none of the named doctors on the website are a Pediatric Ophthalmologist nor do any of them have a specialty of the needs of pediatric patients. There isn't even a named Ophthalmologist on staff. You need to be specific and FIRM that your child has a condition that needs a SPECIALIST!

http://shenandoaheyecare.com/OfficeInfo/AbouttheDoctors.aspx

OP, Are you in West VA, or the Harrisonburg area of VA? The link here was Harrisonburg. If you are in Harrisonburg, how about the ped. ophthalmology dept at UVA? If you are in southern WV, maybe an office at Carillion in Roanoke?

 

[paysensmom]

OP, Are you in West VA, or the Harrisonburg area of VA? The link here was Harrisonburg. If you are in Harrisonburg, how about the ped. ophthalmology dept at UVA? If you are in southern WV, maybe an office at Carillion in Roanoke?

We live in WV, about an hour drive over a mountain (blech) to Harrisonburg, VA. That is the closest town to us. UVA is a little over two hours from us. I am going to ask her ped to refer her to that ped. opthalmology dept at UVA, thanks!!! I am really dreading going into the other doc this week. I don't do well with confrontations at all. Which is why I was trying to get it settled over the phone. I tend to get teary eyed and lose my abilty to talk whenI am upset in a confrontation or arguement. I am great over the phone but in person, forget about it.

 

[runsandjumps]

I wouldn't ask for #3 if you want 1 or 2. I would go to the doctor see what he has to say and follow up with a specialist at the next available appointment. Paperwork can get messy with multiple hands in the pot, so don't discount this doctor until you have his side of things,

 

[SamSam]

We live in WV, about an hour drive over a mountain (blech) to Harrisonburg, VA. That is the closest town to us. UVA is a little over two hours from us. I am going to ask her ped to refer her to that ped. opthalmology dept at UVA, thanks!!! I am really dreading going into the other doc this week. I don't do well with confrontations at all. Which is why I was trying to get it settled over the phone. I tend to get teary eyed and lose my abilty to talk whenI am upset in a confrontation or arguement. I am great over the phone but in person, forget about it.

I'm a bit that way myself. Write everything down and realize you are paying for a serviice, you are NOT being out of line to expect the 'service' you are paying for.

 

[jstbcuz]

Seems odd for two pair of glasses. I am 42 and was diagnosed with a lazy eye when I was 5. My vision in my bad eye was 20/400 which was legally blind......my other eye, I had better than perfect vision. I had to wear a patch on my good eye for several years to strengthen the bad eye. The only time I could take it off was when I changed it and at night when I was sleeping. I have only ever had one pair of glasses........that I do everything in........not seperate glasses. You might question this..........

I have gone to the same opthamologist since I was 8. He's almost 70 now, & its hard to trust anyone else.

Good luck finding your answers.

 

[Marionnette]

Seems odd for two pair of glasses. I am 42 and was diagnosed with a lazy eye when I was 5. My vision in my bad eye was 20/400 which was legally blind......my other eye, I had better than perfect vision. I had to wear a patch on my good eye for several years to strengthen the bad eye. The only time I could take it off was when I changed it and at night when I was sleeping. I have only ever had one pair of glasses........that I do everything in........not seperate glasses. You might question this..........

I have gone to the same opthamologist since I was 8. He's almost 70 now, & its hard to trust anyone else.

Good luck finding your answers.

Without going into details, there are some situations when you would want to put a child into two different prescriptions rather that bifocals. None of us know all of the factors that were involved in her eye doctor's decision to take the direction that he did with the OP's daughter because SHE IS NOT YOUR PATIENT. You (and I'm using this as a general "you", not necessarily the PP) did not examine the child and in all probability have no certification as an eye care professional.

 

[luvthemouse71]

Are you seeing a certified Pediatric Ophthalmologist or some mall "eye doctor" for your child's care? There is a huge difference in care and I suggest you seek out a Pediatric Ophthalmologist to accurately diagnose your child. It sounds like you are seeing some Optometrist who is only out to make a quick buck by preying on parents by fear mongering on the health of their kids.

There are plenty of "eye doctors" so remember there is a difference between
Pediatric Ophthalmologist
Ophthalmologist
Optometrist
Optician

Good point. When I was young, I saw an Ophthalmologist. They are M.Ds. Optometrists are not. They go through a certain amount of training and can call themselves "eye doctors". Some are pretty good too. Now that I'm an adult and my prescription is stable I see an Optometrist. When I get old, I'll go back to an Ophthalmologist,lol.

If there are any kind of problems, Id take my child to the Ophthalmologist. Healthcare is not where you should be bargain hunting..

 

[daughtersrus]

Are you seeing a certified Pediatric Ophthalmologist or some mall "eye doctor" for your child's care? There is a huge difference in care and I suggest you seek out a Pediatric Ophthalmologist to accurately diagnose your child. It sounds like you are seeing some Optometrist who is only out to make a quick buck by preying on parents by fear mongering on the health of their kids.

There are plenty of "eye doctors" so remember there is a difference between
Pediatric Ophthalmologist
Ophthalmologist
Optometrist
Optician

To add to the list, my DD is seen by a Pediatric Neuro Ophthalmologists.

 

[jstbcuz]

Without going into details, there are some situations when you would want to put a child into two different prescriptions rather that bifocals. None of us know all of the factors that were involved in her eye doctor's decision to take the direction that he did with the OP's daughter because SHE IS NOT YOUR PATIENT. You (and I'm using this as a general "you", not necessarily the PP) did not examine the child and in all probability have no certification as an eye care professional.

Ummm I didnt say that I was an eye dr......just giving my 2 cents as someone that has dealt with a lazy eye for 38 years. I am aware that in certain instances you might wear 2 pair of glasses, however, it seems that the OP is uncertain of this provider giving the correct information. It could just be an error in the perscription, but it is enuf to make her leary. I was only saying that if they might want to check into it.