New Member price shock

[Lucy]

The scale changes based on the total number of plugs, but I remember the max grand total at about $3400 for 4 punctum, or about $1700 for two punctum.

Kitty, I know you didn't have lasik and came by your dry eyes "naturally." For those of us who paid for this privilege, it was never mentioned in the informed consent. This is insane and I wish I could start my own "plug shop."

For the quoted costs, there is a fair possibility the plugs will fall out anytime after you leave the facility! In fact, if they were free, they would still fall out with reasonable regularity.

[kitty]

What angers me is, I ran across some medical supply web site that sells the darn things. I think the docs pay something like $60/ plug. I might be wrong on that but it was certainly well less than half of what I am being charged. This is robbery. Plus they add on the office re-evaluation fee, and some other plug fee for $38 that I did not even see until I got home. I think I will go back to school and become an optometrist.

[Rebecca Petris]

This is robbery.

This is going too far, IMHO.

Doctors are not simply engaging in plug resale. If they were, I can think of plenty of businesses with a much higher markup. Inserting plugs is a
procedure, after all, and you certainly want them to get it right. I know the pricing does not always make sense to us, and I get as irked as everyone else when something seems excessive - but in most cases there are reasons, often ones not obvious to us. In this case, it's directly related to insurance reimbursement standards.

[kitty]

I could not agree with you more, Rebecca. When the benefits were unknown, the plan was to plug only my two lowers. Once they learned that insurance would reimburse 90% after the deductible was satisfied, it went to all four! Of course, they claim the decision was made based on the severity of my DES. I am really angry and disappointed, as I have entrusted my vision care to this group of doctors for nearly 20 years now! What a scam! Healthcare really is about business and profits, isn't it? Sorry, I'm in a mood...

I'll remember this the next time my insurance premiums go up!