New glasses are expensive !

IKE

IKE

Well-known Member
Location
Oklahoma....U.S.A.
I've been wearing specs since I was around ten years old and it had been a few years (five) since I'd gone in for a eye exam......it was getting to the point where I knew it was either go get new glasses or try to scrounge up a German Shepherd and white cane. :)

I had my exam yesterday (same optometrist I've used for over 30 years) and he said that my prescription had changed quite a bit and he was amazed that I hadn't come by sooner.

I'm REALLY glad that mama carries me on her optical insurance at work......for the exam, new clear progressive bifocal lenses and a frame and new progressive polarized bifocal lenses and a frame (sunglasses) the bill was a little over $1900.00 but thankfully I only had to pay $440.00.

They told me that in 7 to 10 days both pair would be ready......it'll be nice to be able to see things again without squinting or getting closer.
 

IKE said:
I've been wearing specs since I was around ten years old and it had been a few years (five) since I'd gone in for a eye exam......it was getting to the point where I knew it was either go get new glasses or try to scrounge up a German Shepherd and white cane. :)

I had my exam yesterday (same optometrist I've used for over 30 years) and he said that my prescription had changed quite a bit and he was amazed that I hadn't come by sooner.

I'm REALLY glad that mama carries me on her optical insurance at work......for the exam, new clear progressive bifocal lenses and a frame and new progressive polarized bifocal lenses and a frame (sunglasses) the bill was a little over $1900.00 but thankfully I only had to pay $440.00.

They told me that in 7 to 10 days both pair would be ready......it'll be nice to be able to see things again without squinting or getting closer.
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Amazing!

I thought that my last trip to the eye guy was bad at around $900.00 for an exam and new bifocals, my medical insurance paid for a portion of the eye exam because I have diabetes.

I wonder if the higher price that you were charged had anything to do with inflated prices because they knew that you had insurance coverage.

For $1900.00 you're gonna have to do a lot of looking to get your money's worth, LOL!!!
 
Aunt Bea said:
For $1900.00 you're gonna have to do a lot of looking to get your money's worth, LOL!!!
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Bea, I'm just tickled that I only had to pay $440.00 of the $1900.00 and end up with two new pairs of glasses........if I would have had to pay the whole $1900.00 I think I would have gone looking for a German Shepherd instead. :)
 

Yes...good quality glasses are a bit expensive. There are ads on TV for glasses costing less than $100, with exam, from places like Lenscrafters, but those ads are largely a "bait and switch". I checked with one of those stores a couple of years ago, and for what I wanted, the bill would have been nearly $1000. I go in for a complete exam every year....since my old Dad had Macular Degeneration...and I don't want to have to go through what he did. A complete exam, then titanium frames, progressive poly lenses, anti-glare, and scratch resistance usually comes to over $900...with my VSP insurance and Medicare covering about 2/3rds of the costs. As we age, a good annual exam is well worth it, if some condition can be found in its early stages. Loss of sight and hearing, etc., really destroys a persons quality of life. My eye doctor put me on a regimen of taking a daily Lutein pill...6mg, and a fish oil capsule, every day, several years ago, and "knock wood", my prescription has barely changed in the past 5 or 6 years.
 
dpwspringer said:
The pop up add at the bottom of my page for this thread is for prescription glasses starting at $6.95 from ZENNI. LOL
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My no-line bifocals come from Zenni and they have all the bells and whistles for $79. A friend whose husband is an optometrist says it's an open secret in the eyeglass industry that Luxottica has a stranglehold on pricing, sort of like Big Pharma on medications: http://www.forbes.com/sites/anaswan...aking-your-glasses-so-expensive/#31a8f51b4dc8 I've never experienced headaches or poor vision with any pair of Zenni specs, and I've been ordering from them for many years. Warby Parker is a newer, also well-regarded player in lower pricing for eyeglasses.
 
I found out that I could get free optical exams at a doctor connected with Lens Crafters. I see a glaucoma specialist every three months and extensive testing is done at least twice a year but they do not prescribe glasses. Anyway, I went to Costco for my frames and lenses. I found just the frame I was looking for. I chose to get Transitions progressives with thin lens. The total cost was about $267 !! I expected to pay at least twice that. I had to pay out of pocket but no complaints because all the expensive eye care I get costs me only $10 co-pays and nothing for surgeries and laser surgeries.
 
IKE said:
I've been wearing specs since I was around ten years old and it had been a few years (five) since I'd gone in for a eye exam......it was getting to the point where I knew it was either go get new glasses or try to scrounge up a German Shepherd and white cane. :)

I had my exam yesterday (same optometrist I've used for over 30 years) and he said that my prescription had changed quite a bit and he was amazed that I hadn't come by sooner.

I'm REALLY glad that mama carries me on her optical insurance at work......for the exam, new clear progressive bifocal lenses and a frame and new progressive polarized bifocal lenses and a frame (sunglasses) the bill was a little over $1900.00 but thankfully I only had to pay $440.00.

They told me that in 7 to 10 days both pair would be ready......it'll be nice to be able to see things again without squinting or getting closer.
Click to expand...

That's not a typo? seriously? woh!!!
I need glasses, but if that's what they cost I'll stick to these grocery-store fakes!!!
 
I don't like having to get two pairs of glasses to have the sunglasses. Mine change to sunglasses when the sun is out. Saves money also. I see the doc this week but don't know where I will have the script filled yet.
 
My ophthalmologist recommended Zenni after eye surgery two years ago. Ophthalmologist. An MD, not an optometrist. She pointed out her own glasses...from Zenni...and told me that all her staff got theirs from Zenni, too. I talked to the nurses and other staff. Yup. Zenni. I spent less than $50.

After quotes from optometrists and their associated eyewear specialty "stores" ranging
From $800-$1700, my son got his from Zenni, too. He paid for eye exam from Walmart's optometrist. Got his glasses from Zenni. Totaled less than $100.

JMO, but if you're spending that much (even just your portion after insurance pays), you're throwing money away.
 
In much of the UK, eye tests are free , but glasses sold by opticians tend to be expensive. You can get 2 pairs of prescription glasses (1 ordinary and 1 sunglasses) at ASDA (a subsidiary of Walmart ) for ÂŁ99 - about $125.

A couple of years ago, I had a vitreous detachment in my right eye. Within a day this was diagnosed and a retinal tear repaired in hospital. My American friend asked "How much did that cost?". Nothing, it's free - she hasn't lived here long enough to discover everything about the UK!
However, you generally still have to buy your own glasses and there are companies who sell them quite cheaply. For reading glasses, you can buy them in many stores for the equivalent a few dollars.
 

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