6 ways patients are saving on glasses and contact lenses

Do you know what consumer media is telling your patients about buying glasses and contact lenses?

U.S. News and World Report recently offered consumers advice on how to save money when they purchase glasses or contact lenses.

Check out the advice the report gave your patients:

1. Do the math before buying vision coverage. The report told consumers that just because their employers offer vision insurance, it doesn’t mean they should purchase it. Before signing up for a plan, consumers should calculate the cost over the course of a year, and then compare that to the amount they would spend out of pocket on a visit to an optometrist’s office, glasses, and contact lenses. The author cautioned that it may be cheaper for consumers to pay for those costs themselves, especially if they don’t purchase new glasses every year.

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2. Use flexible spending account funds. The report recommends consumers depositing pretax money into a flexible spending account, if their employer offers one, to pay for their eyecare expenses. But, it says, consumers shouldn’t wait until the end of the year to use the funds, because they may feel rushed and make a mistake

3. Check online. This is some advice you don’t want your patients to hear, but the report does advise caution when purchasing online because consumers may be getting what they pay-especially when it comes to contact lenses. The report also warns consumers that an optometrist may need to do some adjustments to online-purchased frames-and may charge to do so.

4. Ask if your optical shop will price match. The report suggests that there are certain advantages to buying at a brick-and-mortar store, such as the ability to try on frames and customer service.

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5. Skip unnecessary add-ons. While the report doesn’t nix extras like anti-reflective coating or photochromic lenses, it recommends to use caution when looking at add-ons. For those without a high prescription, the report recommends skipping high index or ultra-high index lenses.

6. Reuse eyeglass lenses. If a consumer’s prescription hasn’t changed, the report suggests simply buying new frames and reusing the old lenses.