i just paid $35 a piece for retinal photos, is this a scam? said they needed them to screen for health problems but the doctor sure didnt look at them very much. also i figure if they were really that important my eye insurance would have covered them.

and also i think the contact fitting fee is a huge scam but dont get me started on that

2/15/2007 7:05:52 PM

it's a scam.

the eye docs located in briar creek tried to sneak that by me. screw that.

yep the contact fee is a huge scam too.

2/15/2007 7:09:22 PM

i thought so, but didnt protest that much when they said it was for health screening. i'm calling tomorrow and getting my $70 back

2/15/2007 7:12:21 PM

the modality mentioned in this thread is called iridology.

great website for debunking various alternative medical therapies, modalities, products, and supplements:

http://www.quackwatch.com

here is what it says about iridology:

http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/iridology.html

here is what it says at the end of that page:

Quote :

"If you encounter anyone practicing iridology, please complain to your state attorney general."

2/15/2007 7:30:01 PM

they take a picture and check to see if shits wrong with your eyes over time.

its not a scam

2/15/2007 7:30:13 PM

haha im not talking about iridology, jesus christ

2/15/2007 7:32:07 PM

Quote :

"said they needed them to screen for health problems "

i assumed general health problems. that's what it sounded like.

2/15/2007 7:33:05 PM

i am talking about general health problems, many of them show up in your eyes. i know and understand that but ive never needed a $30 photo for them to check.

[Edited on February 15, 2007 at 7:34 PM. Reason : .]

2/15/2007 7:34:14 PM

Quote :

"i am talking about general health problems, many of them show up in your eyes"

really? that's new to me.

please explain.

2/15/2007 7:37:50 PM

Retinal photos could be useful, especially in older patients or diabetics.

Offhand, I'm not sure what use they provide in young patients unless there's something odd in your medical history.

Did he say why he wanted them?

2/15/2007 7:40:48 PM

All it is is a photo of your retina. They look at blood vessels, can tell if there are any detachments or other problems with the retina, etc.

It's a replacement for the doctor holding that penlight in your eye and looking around through your pupil, which only allows a view of a small section of the retina at once.

2/15/2007 7:56:21 PM

id rather have my eyes fall out than pay 30 BUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2/15/2007 8:28:55 PM

i haven't read anything that proves without a doubt that retinal photos are effective at diagnosing diseases of the eyes.

2/15/2007 8:39:32 PM

the doctors tried to get me to have a CAT scan, but i was like FUCK THAT! i don't see any cats, who are you trying to fool?

2/15/2007 8:43:00 PM

^^ Its a more effective check than the doctor having you look at his ear while he views into your eye with a high powered lens.

I've been going to the same eye doctor for almost 18 years now, he coached me for a year in high school for bball. I trust the guy when he says "yea, we add a little bit more of a charge for using this thing, but it definitely is a more effective screen than having me look at your eye, plus we have a record of your eye over time, something my memory can't do".

2/15/2007 8:50:41 PM

Quote :

"id rather have my eyes fall out than pay 30 BUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

my insurance is happy to pay for the usual ways of checking the eyes (and its $70, $35/eye)

^the record over time thing is the only benefit that googling is turning up, but some things say what DaveOT says about it being recommended for elderly people or people with diabetes or a family history of it.

2/15/2007 8:55:58 PM

at our office, its part of the whole exam fee, which insurance covers. We use it to keep records of your eyes, so if something looks different next year, there is a way for the doctor to look at what it was the year before. If something changes, thats not good, but say if there is a freckle or something that has been there for years, no big deal. Definately not a scam, but 70 bucks is pretty ridiculous.

2/15/2007 8:57:42 PM

hmm...be annoyed for half the day by having my pupils dilated

or pay $35 to just have a picture taken of my eye...

35 bucks is nothing

2/15/2007 9:01:05 PM

so hammster how much would this cost me at your office and are you in network for VSP?

i just noticed i got 50% off on the photos but i dont know why

Services                   Qty     Total Charge     Funded Amt     Surcharge
Comprehensive Eye Exam- EP   1     $112.00          $112.00          0.00
$70 Photos save $35 CVS      1      $35              0.00          $35.00
Contact Lens Fit - EP Level   1     $65               0.00          $65.00



Total Services                     $212.00           $112.00          $100.00
 
Subtotal    $100
Co-Pay     $25
Total     $125


Contacts: 6 Month Supply $140 - $125 (VSP) = 15

2/15/2007 9:07:05 PM

I know nothing about them ... do they act as "dental records" of sorts for your eyes? Seems like long-term there would be a benefit to them if you transfer from one optometrist to another. And why not if the insurance covers it?

2/15/2007 9:30:20 PM

Its kind of hard to tell from that. It depends on your VSP plan. Most I have seen cover the exam (ours is 104) for a copay and then they cover ~140 for Contacts (including the fitting fee) or glasses. So if yours is like that, you would pay your copay and then have 140-fitting fee for contacts.

2/15/2007 9:30:59 PM

^^insurance doesnt cover it

^my insurance only covers the eye exam and $125 for contacts, if you all include the fitting fee with the price of contacts and the pictures with the eye exam so that i can charge it all to insurance and only pay my copay (and difference for contacts) then please let me know where you are so i can go there next time

[Edited on February 15, 2007 at 9:33 PM. Reason : .]

2/15/2007 9:31:12 PM

you might wanna ask about the insurance not covering the fitting fee. I'm no expert, but EVERY VSP plan that I have seen that has a contacts allowance covers the fitting fee first and then the remaining allowance can be used towards contacts. Anyway, my office is Triangle Eye Institute near Rex Hospital. Next time, give them your insurance info when you call and VSP is really easy, they just have to go online and pull it up and they can tell you what exactly your plan covers and what you should have to pay.http://www.triangleeyeinstitute.com

[Edited on February 15, 2007 at 9:40 PM. Reason : maybe that link will work.]

2/15/2007 9:38:31 PM

they had my insurance, they filed

2/15/2007 9:40:01 PM

I know, I mean, ask them exactly what you should be charged. The photos should have been included and with a contact allowance, the fitting fee should have been covered too.

2/15/2007 9:43:55 PM

well if they added it to the contact allowance nothing would change because my contacts alone cost more than my allowance, but if you are saying that the cost of the fitting is included in the price of contacts where you work and that the cost of the photos is included in the cost of the exam then your place would save me money

2/15/2007 9:51:33 PM

Quote :

"contact fitting fee is a huge scam "

i cant stand this either....my eyeballs have not gotten bigger since last year
no need to get "fitted" i know what i want to wear

2/16/2007 9:42:43 AM

well im going to optometry school next year and i'll let you know when I get out about if the Cl fitting fee is a scam ( I kind of agree as of now), so hopefully when i open my office there will be no fee (except for new wearers, they are annoying!)

2/16/2007 12:29:58 PM

It isn't a scam. With a digital photo of your retina they can effectively tell when you might have a problem with your retinas.

"guth, I was just taking a look at your old retinal photos and sure enough... there wasn't a bloody ulcer in them. I'm going to have to send you to a specialist."

2/16/2007 12:37:25 PM

I've been wearing contacts for almost 10 years, the fitting session amounts to popping them in and blinking a couple times. Thats not worth $65 to me.

2/16/2007 3:17:35 PM

yeah it's pretty lame.

2/16/2007 3:33:34 PM

It isnt a scam.

They are looking mainly at the optic nerve to see if it has changed from year to year.

I have glaucoma, and one of the ways that we tell that my pressures are under control and I am not doing any damage is by looking at comparisons of the optic nerve over the past few years. As long as things stay the same size, im golden.

2/16/2007 4:42:12 PM

The fitting sessions are helpful. The conversion from a conventioal glasses prescription, which they determine in your examine, to your corresponding contact lens prescription isn't an exact science due the the difference in optics beteen lens that sit in front of your eyes and lenses that sit on your eyes. When I get new lenses, I make damn sure that I can see as well as I would like. As a result, I generally have to try on a few different sets before I'm happy. Also, different lenses are made of different materials, given how often modern manufactures change their lens materials, it takes me a while to find a material my eyes find completely comfortable. For example, I can't wear anything from the Actiview series due to eye irritation and discomfort. However, I still think the fitting fee costs a lot.

As for the Optimap (retinal photos), they're a helpful tool for screen for circulation based eye problems as well as macular degeneration. It adds about $30 to my eyedoctor visit. It's really not that big a deal. It's qick, painless, and provides and improved level of care.

2/16/2007 4:50:27 PM