Eye exams/glasses - Is it cheaper to go to Lenscrafters, Pearle Vision, etc...

[Lewisc]

The cost of seeing our family's eye doctor even with insurance was astronomical as they don't give out your prescription so you ahve to go through them for everything! Hubby and have started going to Costco and WalMart (as our insurance no longer covers optometry). The prices are very good and we are able to take our prescription with us wich allows us to shop around. I took hubby to lens crafters a few years back thinking that we would be getting a decent deal, but we ended paying opver $200 or one pair of glasses! From then on we've always gone to WalMart and Costco. We've even purchased our contacts online through Vison Direct and 1800Contacts.

Costco is usually cheaper than the mail order vendors for contacts. I don't know if it's state law or federal law but generally the eye doctor's are required to give you a copy of your prescription.

 

[flamom]

i just purchased glasses for my teenage son through opti-express. the eye exam is free and the glasses come with a two year warranty.also you can buy one pair at full price and the second pair the frames are free you just pay for the lenses which are 54.00.the glasses were alittle more then i wanted to spend,they were 200.00,but with a teen they care about how they look, these were made by nike,they are nice and light.the eye exam was very thorough and the dr. was very nice and explained everything and they do have glasses that start at 48.00 including the exam.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

You may want to check your state laws regarding eyewear prescriptions. In PA, the doctor is required to give you the script so that you can shop around. I agree with mcgrawfan about the quality and selection that you will get at some at some chains. They will also sell you an insurance policy on those frames and lenses whereas a doctor in private practice would just cover the costs themselves.

And buying your contacts from an online source can be really cheap but here in PA, your eye doctor is not required to authorize the dispensing if you have not been in for an exam in over a year. My relative will not authorize it for a brand new prescription. Instead he will dispense the free trial lenses and require a follow-up visit, which is included in the cost of the contact lens exam. If you buy your supply of lenses from him, he also includes all the solutions that you need to maintain healthy eyes - not just a starter kit. And he offers online ordering for patients who prefer to have them sent by mail. But he insists on seeing the patient a year later before dispensing more lenses. He wants to make sure that no problems have arisen due to contact lens abuse (over-wearing, sleeping in them, poor cleaning). They're seeing a lot more ulcerated corneas and GPC due to people not taking proper precautions and trying to save money by extending their wear beyond the recommended number of days.

 

[RangerPooh]

Costco is usually cheaper than the mail order vendors for contacts. I don't know if it's state law or federal law but generally the eye doctor's are required to give you a copy of your prescription.

Unfortunately Costco is now an hour drive for us so it's not something that we do too often. Plus we always ahve discount code for the other places.

I did tell my old eye doctor that I thought that it was a state law where they had to release my prescription to me as I was paying for the service (ie: copay). He responded that he didn't think that he had to and was therefore not going to do so. This is the same doctor that charger $50 a box for contacts. Needless to say I have not returned! I went for an exam elsewhere where it's only $14 a box!

 

[CathrynRose]

we have eye insurance but have started using wal-mart for our glasses. They were cheaper without insurance than our eye doctor was with insurance. I know some people don't think the care is as good, but I have not been happy with the last 2 eye doctors we have been to using our insurance, but the last 5 times someone has been to wal-mart we have been much happier (and I hate wal-mart!) They will tell you on the phone what the costs are so just call around and see! The other thing I like about wal-mart is the prices of the frames are marked.

2nd this - Wal Mart without insurance was cheaper then Lens Crafters WITH insurance. I dont go anywhere else now.

 

[nbodyhome]

I went to an eye doctor on my insurance (well, unfortunately the doctor herself appears not to be, which I wasn't told when I went - the eye place is listed as on my insurance, so I have to work that out).

However, I bought my glasses through BJ's. They did a great job, and I think it was about $130.00 for two pairs, one tinted, with breakage type insurance. They have 2 pair for $99 without the tinting, not sure if that includes insurance (I didn't care that much one way or the other on that).

Denise

 

[TinkerPixxie]

I get my ds 12 glasses at Walmart also, actually he had scratched one lens about 3 months before the waruntee was up and they no longer had the frame he had. So they needed to put him into a "comparable" frame as per the warruntee that I paid extra for. Of course I thought they would lead me straight into a junky pair but no they actually did indeed pick the most expensive frames they had since his were the most pricely at the time we got them. I have to say I've been very happy with them.

On the same note my ds is now asking for contacts. Any thoughts on a 12 yr old using disposable contacts? Any experience? He does look much better without them and I know socially its starting to bother him, however I dont want to feed into it being ok based on social pressure. This should be based on whats best for him, he claims he will be able to take care of them, {not that disposables have much care issues} and he also swears he would use them everyday. I just wonder if it would turn into a situation where it becomes to much work so he doesnt bother. Hes not what you would call high maintience at this point. Although hygeine has become more of an important isue to him as of the past two months :*)

Any ideas opinions?

Id love the input.

Thanks
kristen

 

[RangerPooh]

On the same note my ds is now asking for contacts. Any thoughts on a 12 yr old using disposable contacts? Any experience? He does look much better without them and I know socially its starting to bother him, however I dont want to feed into it being ok based on social pressure. This should be based on whats best for him, he claims he will be able to take care of them, {not that disposables have much care issues} and he also swears he would use them everyday. I just wonder if it would turn into a situation where it becomes to much work so he doesnt bother. Hes not what you would call high maintience at this point. Although hygeine has become more of an important isue to him as of the past two months :

I started out on non-disposable contact lenses when I was a teenager. I will admit to being careless and not removing them nightly which lead to the development of ulcers on my eyes (or at least this is what I was told). Basically it meant that I couldn't wear my contacts for a few weeks due to the tenderness of my eyes and the healing that needed to occur. I also as prone to tearing my contacts which amounted to a lot of $$ that my parents spent replacing them. After a bout a year of this I switched to disposable and in all honesty I still wasn't careful. I eventually did becom careful by removing them daily as it eased up on the discomfort. Now if I could only get my hubby to be so diligent.

Basically, I would recommend having your son sit down with the eye doctor and discuss the pros and cons as well as proper maintenance. I would also ask for a trial pair to determine if he is really ready fo them. At that point I would go for the disposables. They are reasonably priced and you can get ones that last longer than 2 weeks.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

They now have extended-wear lenses that patients can even sleep in. When the wearing period is up, you just throw them away. No need to carefully clean, disinfect and store them every night. For a preteen who is motivated to wear contacts, it might be a good solution. However, they are more expensive than most disposable lenses and not everyone carries them.

I wore them for a couple of years until I needed bifocal contacts. I loved the fact that they were almost maintenance-free.

 

[zumbergc]

I tried out sears optical a few years back. I wasn't very impressed with the exam or the glasses i got.

This year I went to lenscrafters. They were much more thorough and the glasses were a lot better, more durable than the ones at sears.

My dad apparently had the same problem with sears.

My vote would be for lenscrafters overs sears optical. Haven't tried walmart or costco.

Just a note the opthamalogist, is different than an optomitrist. Can't spell either. Some people may prefer one over the other. The first is a doctor, the other one isn't an md.

Good Luck,
Connie

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

Just a note the opthamalogist, is different than an optomitrist. Can't spell either. Some people may prefer one over the other. The first is a doctor, the other one isn't an md.

Good Luck,
Connie

They're both doctors in the same sense that a dentist or a chiropractor are also doctors. An optometrist goes to school for an additional 4 years of training just like any MD, DO or DMD and does a residency in optometry just like an MD would do a residency in their chosen specialty.

In most states, optometrists can prescribe medications to treat eye infections. Unlike opthamologists, they do not perform surgery with the exception of perhaps clearing clogged tear ducts or inserting punctal plugs. In many cases, the optometrist has more experience than the opthamologist in the area of refractions and visual correction. That's because opthamologists specialize in diseases of the eye. Opthamologists who perform laser corrections or cataract surgery often refer their patients back to optometrists for their follow up care.

Sorry to go off on a tangent but the implication that an optometrist is "not a doctor" hits a raw nerve.

 

[Disneyrsh]

You get what you pay for.

I went to Pearle Vision because I had a small spot in my vision. The woman examined me without dilating my eyes (didn't know it was important at the time) and said, oh, you have a small scar on your retina, don't worry about it.

Well, this 'scar' got bigger, and I went to a real opthalmologist, and it turned out I had a blood vessel that had burst behind my retina. I had to have laser surgery on it. If I hadn't gone in, I could have lost vision in that eye.

So, I go to America's Best contacts and eyeglasses to get the glasses and the prescription, and I go to the best damn opthalmologist in Atlanta (Emory University) to make sure my eyes are healthy.

They are two entirely different things.

 

[littleeyz]

An appropriately trained optometrist can do as good as an exam as an ophthalmologist. I am an optometrist and dilate every single one of my patients every single visit. So to imply that optometrists give inferior exams is extremely insulting. Just as there may be bad optometrists, there are bad ophthalmologists. A person should not compromise with the health of their eyes. They should seek a good, primary care eye physician (optometrist or ophthalmologist) that gives a comprehensive eye examination every year.

 

[Disneyrsh]

An appropriately trained optometrist can do as good as an exam as an ophthalmologist. I am an optometrist and dilate every single one of my patients every single visit. So to imply that optometrists give inferior exams is extremely insulting. Just as there may be bad optometrists, there are bad ophthalmologists. A person should not compromise with the health of their eyes. They should seek a good, primary care eye physician (optometrist or ophthalmologist) that gives a comprehensive eye examination every year.

I agree, that's why I go to an optometrist to get a prescription for my contacts and an opthalmologist to have the health of my eyes checked.

After my experience, you'll forgive me for believing that optometrists are for measuring how nearsighted/farsighted you are, and that's it!

 

[littleeyz]

No, an optometrist is not for simply a prescription. I am sorry that you had a poor experience. Probably a 1/4 of my exam is for determining a prescription. The rest of the exam is spent examining the health of my patient's eyes, just as any good eye doctor's eye exam should be done.

So, yes, I guess I forgive you for your ignorance. Although it is good to share your experience with the poor optometrist you encountered, it is unfortunate that you continue to share your ingnorance in the duties and abilities of the two professions. But that is your ignorance, not mine.

 

[Jsme]

Here in NC wehave a wonderful place called Factory Eyeglasses. They are discounted glasses. You get the frames and your prescription for $39.95. We go to our own eye doctor but we go there for our prescriptions. They even have sports glasses for under $100. I am thinking they are like %9.95.

 

[Lewisc]

I'm not sure about other states but in NY optometrists have only been allowed to dilate eyes for a few years.

No, an optometrist is not for simply a prescription. I am sorry that you had a poor experience. Probably a 1/4 of my exam is for determining a prescription. The rest of the exam is spent examining the health of my patient's eyes, just as any good eye doctor's eye exam should be done.

So, yes, I guess I forgive you for your ignorance. Although it is good to share your experience with the poor optometrist you encountered, it is unfortunate that you continue to share your ingnorance in the duties and abilities of the two professions. But that is your ignorance, not mine.

 

[littleeyz]

In North Carolina, we have been able to dilate for over 25 years. Even though a state law might not have allowed it five years ago, optometry schools have been doing four years of education on eye disease and appropriate ways to detect and manage disease for over fifty years.