Visited Optometrist Today

I hate going to doctors for regular checkup type things because no matter how much time you budget for it you always run over. Appointments at 10:30 means that even if you show up fifteen minutes early and the room were devoid of all human life you would still not get seen until 10:50 (this morning was my turn on the “lose 30 minutes of your life for nothing” train)… so it goes. With my 2-week contacts down to my second to last pair, I had no choice but to bite the bullet and go in for a routine checkup and prescription writing. The final cost? Sixty-one junior bacon cheeseburgers.

Usually when it’s not your first visit you only pay for a routine checkup, get your updated prescription, and you’re sent on your way without having to shell out the extra bucks. I thought I had my “first visit” with an optometrist closer to where I live but that dude went under and along with it my “first visit” initiation fee. That’s what you get when you don’t go with an optometrist that shares an office with three other optometrists, that’s rule #1 of doctors.

I went in a good ten minutes early hoping to be seen ten minutes earlier than my 10:30 appointment. After a brief chat with the receptionist, filling out an inane nearly worthless form, I was seen at 10:50. The exam took about twenty-five minutes and I was out the door around 11:15.

My vision insurance, VSP, covers the first $105 and you get a 15% “discount” on the service. The fitting is what took it over the $105 plus I had the ubiquitous $10 co-pay. Final price was the $61 and I didn’t even get any contacts! All I did get was a “free” set of contacts (worth about $5), some plastic case to replace my aging plastic case, and four boxes of 2 fl. oz. Opti-Free RepleniSH.

Image by Fernando Mucci.

Time to visit Costco and 1-800-Contacts to see where I can find the best deal on 8 boxes of Acuvue 2’s…