Holy crap.
We have vision insurance through the military, but it’s not good insurance. Meaning, it covers the eye exam—ONLY. Meaning, because I choose to wear contacts, they don’t cover anything contact-related (i.e. the procedure for measuring the eyes, etc.). Meaning they also do not cover the heavily-recommended tests (for glaucoma and whatever the other one is). Meaning they don’t cover any part of glasses (lenses or frames) and of course nothing regarding contacts. >:XX
So, of the $129 for the total eye exam, they paid $84. Which, if that’s all I needed, that wouldn’t be too bad.
But alas, I wear contacts. And needed new glasses. So about $500 later (well, $584 if you count what insurance covered) I walked out of there. But that didn’t include the contacts that I would still need to purchase (I am testing out a new brand now so didn’t buy any yet.) That said, I did opt to finally get a backup pair of glasses—I am wearing them more often now, and with a baby…I imagine I will have a higher than normal chance of something happening to them.
So, it sucked to have to pay that amount, but at least I was getting two pair of glasses out of it.
But then I got to thinking…I didn’t know how much my prescription had changed. Contacts I definitely needed to upgrade…but glasses—especially for a backup pair (i.e. just using them at night for the baby)—I might not need the absolute best/updated and could sneak by and save the $129 (and instead put that already-paid money toward the contacts that I have yet to buy). So I called my old eye doc in Jacksonville to get my old eyeglass prescription.
Long story short, the prescription changed a little…but for a backup pair of glasses it should be just fine. So, YAY! :>>
Except.
In talking to the girl, I have only paid for the one pair of new glasses (lenses/frames) and the eye appointment itself. For $500. I have not yet paid for the second pair of lenses. (Or the contacts, of course.) Hoo boy.
So I am definitely thinking I do not need the backup pair of glasses—I will use my old ones as they are.
Blech. XX(
Of course, they said I am a perfect candidate for Lasik—at about $3500. 88|
So I can’t wait to see the actual line item bill—they will have it for me on Friday. It all made sense when she was reading it off to me last week, but now that I am adding things up, I am not getting the same total:
129 for the appointment
-84 covered by Tricare
+44 for extra eye tests
+169 for new lenses
+80 for new frames
+129 for backup lenses
=======================
$467
But I paid $498 last week. And they just told me I haven’t paid for the backup lenses yet…but I included that in my price. ❓
Hoo boy.