General Discussion

passiveporcupine

(8,175 posts)

89. Your bill jumped from $50 to $100?

Tue Mar 29, 2016, 03:35 PM

Mar 2016

When I paid cash, they charged me $100. As soon as I had Medicare the bill went up to $300 a visit, and now because of the new classification for pain meds (which I need daily) I am supposed to see the doc four times a year. I can't afford that (even on Medicare), and my doc is nice enough that he's letting me see him twice a year and he's giving me refills two times a year without a visit.

I'm still paying more than I used to at $100 a year for an annual visit to renew my meds. I never had enough to actually see him for anything else. I've learned the web is my friend. When something goes wrong I look it up on line and try to figure out how to treat myself.

Mayo clinic and Merck manuals are my go to places for medical info. Could not manage without them.

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I just escaped a HUGE eye care ripoff. ( UPDATE: glasses came and are perfect) [View all] dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 OP

Check out the free f.lux download which reduces blue light in the evenings LiberalEsto Mar 2016 #1

I just got flex...WOW angstlessk Mar 2016 #13

Antioxidants will help preserve numerous aspects of vision longer Baobab Mar 2016 #76

I love it catchnrelease Mar 2016 #16

Ditto that....... HeartoftheMidwest Mar 2016 #21

Happy to hear you are sleeping better. dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #48

Certainly true.... HeartoftheMidwest Mar 2016 #52

Rather than go to Cnet to download, go straight to the source csziggy Mar 2016 #37

There's also Twilight n/t TexasBushwhacker Mar 2016 #72

Just downloaded it........ mrmpa Mar 2016 #99

This appears to be for PC with Windows. Will it work for Mac/ iPads? Hekate Mar 2016 #113

Yes I don't know who buys at these places. I assume insurance is paying for it and getting ripped o Person 2713 Mar 2016 #2

Medicare pays for one eye exam a year and basic one lens glasses in cheap frames. dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #5

The last time I had my eyes checked, I accidentally got the vision exam passiveporcupine Mar 2016 #44

Check your 2016 Medicare book. dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #67

Yeah, the free annual exam has been a thing since ACA kicked in passiveporcupine Mar 2016 #84

I thought she looked a bit flummoxed when I asked why I had to pay last year. dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #85

Your bill jumped from $50 to $100? passiveporcupine Mar 2016 #89

We live in a small rural town in the South. dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #96

on my pain med prescriptions......... mrmpa Mar 2016 #101

OMG, how did he break his back? passiveporcupine Mar 2016 #104

He has a bum foot/leg. And he mis-stepped, lost his balance and landed flat on his lower back dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #105

I'm glad they were able to help him without surgery passiveporcupine Mar 2016 #106

Spinal fusion is exactly what the doc said was one option dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #107

My eye doctor doesn't take Medicare dlwickham Mar 2016 #92

When I called, they said they did. dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #97

Good to know! The blue coating must be new. I got computer glasses years ago, still RKP5637 Mar 2016 #3

its anti reflective coating Mosby Mar 2016 #10

Thanks!!! n/t RKP5637 Mar 2016 #17

I saw some glasses in the store for night time driving passiveporcupine Mar 2016 #86

Have you been checked for cataracts? dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #88

It's probably been five years since my eyes were last checked passiveporcupine Mar 2016 #90

prescription lenses with AR coating are clear Mosby Mar 2016 #94

Thanks Mosby! passiveporcupine Mar 2016 #95

When I'm not in front of a computer dflprincess Mar 2016 #46

I wear progressive trifocal lens, but in general my vision is pretty good, so I don't wear them RKP5637 Mar 2016 #54

How did you get your PD? scscholar Mar 2016 #4

This time around the PD WAS on the prescription. dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #7

But it doesn't legally have to be! scscholar Mar 2016 #47

Get someone to measure A Little Weird Mar 2016 #9

That is $250 in your pocket . Not providing the pd if it was measured at an exam you paid for? Person 2713 Mar 2016 #12

So your employer could have provided the pd from an exam that was paid for by the patient Person 2713 Mar 2016 #15

Get a ruler with metric markings. Codeine Mar 2016 #61

Mr. Dixie does same thing for both of us. dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #68

Zenni and other places show you how to measure PD noiretextatique Mar 2016 #70

Please don't do this! scscholar Mar 2016 #73

Not true whatsoever obamanut2012 Mar 2016 #93

I think your concern might be mis-placed, esp. here on DU. dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #98

I have been measuring my own frames for over 5 years noiretextatique Mar 2016 #110

You got lucky then scscholar Mar 2016 #111

Knock it off, would you? noiretextatique Apr 2016 #117

Costco optometrist gave me mine, both closeup and distance Doremus Mar 2016 #91

Medicare for All, including dental, optical, hearing aids and mental health services. Scuba Mar 2016 #6

Ramen to that. dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #8

Don't forget the free drugs! Elmer S. E. Dump Mar 2016 #23

I don't think drugs are free. The euro model his plan is patterened after does not napi21 Mar 2016 #53

Darn! Elmer S. E. Dump Mar 2016 #63

I have a saying airplaneman Apr 2016 #119

The system works for corporations and their owners malaise Mar 2016 #11

Old joke about squeezing the last dollar packman Mar 2016 #14

I have a rare good dentist but most are greedy rip offs yes beware . There was an investigation Person 2713 Mar 2016 #18

Would you care to share the name of that Canadian eyewear company? cer7711 Mar 2016 #20

Coastal dot com dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #25

Great! Thank you. cer7711 Mar 2016 #39

WOW. Thanks for telling us! zentrum Mar 2016 #19

I used to pay hundreds. No longer. Ed Suspicious Mar 2016 #22

Can you get bifocal and trifocal with them? nt Snotcicles Mar 2016 #26

I know they have bifocals elmac Mar 2016 #28

Wow, what do you have to have to get them besides the prescription? nt Snotcicles Mar 2016 #31

Select frames, enter prescription, chose lens options, pay, wait a couple weeks. Ed Suspicious Mar 2016 #33

Sounds like a plan. Thanks for the tip. nt Snotcicles Mar 2016 #40

Zenni ships out of CA it is good and fast Person 2713 Mar 2016 #58

I'll be using them too. nt Snotcicles Mar 2016 #32

Mr. Dixie got trifocals with Zenni. dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #49

Yes, and progressives. nt Codeine Mar 2016 #62

Been using Zenni for over a decade, great place elmac Mar 2016 #27

I love Zenni too womanofthehills Mar 2016 #35

THAT's the one Mr.dixie uses. dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #29

I got three pairs of glasses elljay Mar 2016 #34

I've had good luck with Zenni, too. Habibi Mar 2016 #42

I like EyeBuyDirect and Coastal too TexasBushwhacker Mar 2016 #71

Also try ET Awful Mar 2016 #74

Oh, and another place that's slightly pricier but makes trendier stuff ET Awful Mar 2016 #75

You can save even more money by just going to just about any pharmacy Major Nikon Mar 2016 #24

My eyes are too different for reading glasses. dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #30

I also have astigmatism in one eye womanofthehills Mar 2016 #38

Thanks for posting Omaha Steve Mar 2016 #36

wow - you rock DG !! Laura PourMeADrink Mar 2016 #41

My motto has always been "there's gotta be a better way" dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #50

zennioptical.com Holly_Hobby Mar 2016 #43

950??????!!!!! dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #51

Yeah... Holly_Hobby Mar 2016 #60

Just be careful nichomachus Mar 2016 #55

Bravo, you, DixxieGrrrrl NJCher Mar 2016 #45

I went to all the chained eyeglass places and they all wanted a a ridiculous amount. $600 AgadorSparticus Mar 2016 #56

Was the eye exam over priced? dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #57

No. The price of the eye exam was normally priced $40-60 AgadorSparticus Mar 2016 #59

good job escaping the glasses ripoffs! I like contacts but use glasses & my online secret is... Sunlei Mar 2016 #64

Blue block reading glasses IWriteGoodly Mar 2016 #65

I could just scream. dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #87

Unfortunately for me, my eye sight is so poor that the online places don't make my prescription tammywammy Mar 2016 #66

Me too ga_girl Mar 2016 #78

I've been using Zenni noiretextatique Mar 2016 #69

Thanks for posting - it may help many. n/t Yo_Mama Mar 2016 #77

Just got email......my glasses will be here this afternoon!! dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #80

K & R & bookmarked! SunSeeker Mar 2016 #79

The new one at the optometrist Califonz Mar 2016 #81

I was surprised Bayard Mar 2016 #82

Mr. Dixie has progressive TRI focals, and got them much cheaper online. dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #83

Sounds good ProudToBeBlueInRhody Mar 2016 #100

another vote for f.lux greymouse Mar 2016 #102

Thanks, dixiegirrrrl. K R & B. Dont call me Shirley Mar 2016 #103

Another online place: Manifestor_of_Light Mar 2016 #108

Thank you for that, will add it to my list. dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #109

Okay, I'm up for new lenses (for distance) soon Shankapotomus Mar 2016 #112

See my comment #25 up thread. dixiegrrrrl Mar 2016 #114

Thank you! Nt Shankapotomus Mar 2016 #115

That's unfortunate jonks2746 Mar 2016 #116

I have put some thought on where we are all ripped off every day. airplaneman Apr 2016 #118

Ink cartridges.....indeed! dixiegrrrrl Apr 2016 #120