Why is there a fee for contacting fitting?

[Lorix2]

We are charged $75.00 plus our copay for the annual eye appointment, then of course, the cost of the contacts.

Most of the eye care places charge the same fee. I cant' understand what warrants this extra expensive fee?

This is our budget buster this week

 

[GinnyEmma]

It took us 4 visits to find the contacts that worked for my son. It made sense to me after we went through the process.

 

[ajk912]

I think it should all be part of your copay. Everything you do on one day should be covered under one copay (just like a doctor's office). If you need to go back and be seen again, I would expect to pay the copay again. So the first fitting should be be no additional cost (assuming they do the first fitting after your initial vision check).

 

[taximomfor4]

I always wonder the same thing. Especially since once you have established your contact lens needs, you still have to pay the "fitting" every year to get your new prescription (to order refills).

 

[mom2val]

I guess it depends on your insurance and the eye Dr. I was very happy this past summer to find that I only had to pay my co-pay of $25 once even though I went back 4 times. It took a while to get the right contacts for me and the eye Dr kept having to order special trial pairs. I was really happy bc I thought this is going to cost me a fortune... but even with a 6 month supply of contacts (toric lens and they are are strong as they make them) plus my 1 time co=pay ,my total bill was less than $130!

 

[Marionnette]

We are charged $75.00 plus our copay for the annual eye appointment, then of course, the cost of the contacts.

Most of the eye care places charge the same fee. I cant' understand what warrants this extra expensive fee?

This is our budget buster this week

Your taking up more of the doctors time with a contact lens fitting. The prescription isnt the same as it is for glasses. You might return more than once and try out multiple lenses before they find a fit that is comfortable for you. The doctor desrves to be compensated for his time.

 

[taximomfor4]

Your taking up more of the doctors time with a contact lens fitting. The prescription isnt the same as it is for glasses. You might return more than once and try out multiple lenses before they find a fit that is comfortable for you. The doctor desrves to be compensated for his time.

True, so I could see needing to pay the extra the first time you get contacts. After that, just get your new strength. Why am I paying to get "fitted" every single year? I get the same kind, same brand of contacts over and over. I don't even get a re-check a week later anymore, just go in, find out my eyes are a little worse (or better this last time!!!!!), get my new scrip, and go home to order new contacts. The end. Why does that cost more?!

 

[luvmy3]

A contact lense fitting is seperate from your eye exam, thats why there is an additional fee.

 

[luvmy3]

True, so I could see needing to pay the extra the first time you get contacts. After that, just get your new strength. Why am I paying to get "fitted" every single year? I get the same kind, same brand of contacts over and over. I don't even get a re-check a week later anymore, just go in, find out my eyes are a little worse (or better this last time!!!!!), get my new scrip, and go home to order new contacts. The end. Why does that cost more?!

FYI, you need to update your contact Rx every year and they cannot just write your Prescription without doing the actual exam/fitting. Your Doctor is not taking advantage of you, he is following the law (at least in my state, it may vary).
Also just because you personally have not seen a change in your Rx, or brand, that is not always the case so some people do need to be fitted every year because things change for them.

 

[Dax]

Mine was $45 and came out of my insurance contact allowance..I got my money's worth too...took me 6 different types of contacts to find a pair that worked without issues in my eyes...and then I got a defective box! Luckily they are returning them without cost to me.

 

[maggiew]

My insurance will pay for the eye exam, but not the contact fitting. (or the glasses/contacts).

Maggie

 

[Marionnette]

True, so I could see needing to pay the extra the first time you get contacts. After that, just get your new strength. Why am I paying to get "fitted" every single year? I get the same kind, same brand of contacts over and over. I don't even get a re-check a week later anymore, just go in, find out my eyes are a little worse (or better this last time!!!!!), get my new scrip, and go home to order new contacts. The end. Why does that cost more?!

Because the doctor is performing additional tests which are not done in a routine eye exam for each contact lens patient. Those tests need to be done with each contact lens exam regardless of whether it is your first pair of contacts or your fiftieth. There are also additional liabilities that the doctor has when prescribing an item which will be inserted on the surface of the eye. Those liabilities dont go away just because you are a repeat patient.

 

[kaytieeldr]

True, so I could see needing to pay the extra the first time you get contacts. After that, just get your new strength. Why am I paying to get "fitted" every single year? I get the same kind, same brand of contacts over and over. I don't even get a re-check a week later anymore, just go in, find out my eyes are a little worse (or better this last time!!!!!), get my new scrip, and go home to order new contacts. The end. Why does that cost more?!

Your eye shape may actually change. This doesn't matter with glasses; it does with contact lenses. You're literally getting fitted. Even if the eye shape doesn't change, your eyes still need to be measured and tested to determine that. Changes are generally subtle and can't be seen with the naked eye.


A contact lens with the wrong curve isn't going to be comfortable, and it's not going to correct your vision properly.

 

[taximomfor4]

Your eye shape may actually change. This doesn't matter with glasses; it does with contact lenses. You're literally getting fitted. Even if the eye shape doesn't change, your eyes still need to be measured and tested to determine that. Changes are generally subtle and can't be seen with the naked eye.


A contact lens with the wrong curve isn't going to be comfortable, and it's not going to correct your vision properly.

Interesting to know. I don't wear contacts often, so they aren't ever really comfortable for me anyway. I don't complain about the extra cost for fitting, I just never really understood it...seems like I am still in and out in 15 minutes, and the only time I had a one-week recheck was whenever I changed brands of contacts...but then again, I go to a place at the mall.

 

[riley2008]

Maybe it's a regional fee too. No additional "fitting" charge here - I've gone to three places in the last 20+ years - even with extra visits.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

I know with my eye insurance if I go to the doctor they want me to they cover the fee, minus my copay. I was a little skeptical going to a new doctor (I have had the same one since I was 16) but it actually ended up being a good thing.

The new doctor ended up being more thorough and I actually liked him more than my original eye doctor. Plus the eye exam and a years worth of Pure Vision contact lenses cost me $10. Not bad for insurance that costs me $5 a month.

 

[tinkmom2]

My 11 year old daughter wanted contacts but I knew she would not be able to go through with it. I talked to several people including a assistant manager that assured me she would not charge us for trying on the contacts if my daughter could not go through with it. Not only did they charge us for it they also talked my DH into buying more expensive lenses with sun lens tint and ended up charging us around $250.00 for a $99.00 pair of glasses where normally we get two. Needless to say I got our money back after speaking to the District manager but it took me a few months. We had been going to the place for about 9 years but won't be back.

 

[Colleen27]

I wish they'd break it down that way here, but around here it is an eyeglass exam or a contact lens exam. Since we have insurance that covers the glasses exam but not the contact exam, I'm stuck paying the full $125 rather than the $50 difference between the two. If it were just a generic exam and then an additional fitting fee for contact patients, at least I'd only have to pay the fee!

 

[LIFERBABE]

OP, I agree. Your contact lens exam should be comprehensive. You pay for the exam once a year. Are they charging you for the contact lens exam and additional for a "fitting"

I pay $80 for a contact lens exam, which gets me a free trial pair to wear for a week. I go back and let the Dr. know if they are comfortable for me or not. He shines the light in my eyes and writes my prescription. I am not charged the 2nd visit, as the way he explained, the exam price includes the follow up and the dilation, if needed.

I carried the supplemental vision insurance for my family for 1 year and found we were being upcharged on basic services in addition to our copays and premiums. That was our most expensive year ever for vision care. I dropped the insurance and went back to cash, and cut our vision costs in half this year. Our budget is for a family of 4 and we spend $350-$400 total.

 

[dolfinjuls]

I work at an optometrist's office. The reason there is a seperate charge for a contact lens fitting is that a contact lens fitting is not part of a routine eye exam. Not every person wears contact lenses. Most insurance companies do not pay for a contact lens fitting as contacts are considered cosmetic.

And a fitting must be done and charged each year in most states as it is a state law. The shape of your eye can change as well as the prescription, so it is really beneficial to the patient to have a new fitting each year.

I know it's a pain to pay that each year even if there's no change with the brand or size of the lenses, but it must be done!