The Frugal's have made a few observations regarding the health care industry lately, specifically the dental and optical genre.
When you are in an accident and need to go to the doctor, they will usually prescribe physical therapy, once you go the clinic will verify your insurance benefits and then prescribe or tell you when you will feel better after so many visits. Those visits will usually amount to somewhere around $10,000 in Florida. You may feel better after 5 -6 visits, but the clinic's will tell you that you need to go through the treatment plan, otherwise you may suffer a relapse and you will need to start all over and the insurance may not cover it. What a scam as each and every person that walks through those clinic doors will be depositing a check for $10,000 in the clinic's pocket. That is a lot of $45 ice packs that are reused over and over!
Well the new extortionist scheme in the health care industry appears to be the way of the dentists and optometrists. Since eye care insurance in now routinely offered (don't get me started on the number of uninsured American's there are today; if you are employed, chances are you have access to health care, if you don't then you choose not to have health care)
Our vision plan pays a portion of the exam. Fair enough for a $10 copayment. They will also pay a portion of the eyeglasses. We are finding the optometrist stores will then use that allowable amount as the base of their prices and add their markup on top of the allowable and therefore double dip the price. For example, you see a pair of frames you like. The price on the frames is $325. The actual price is $80. Your insurance provides an allowance of $100 and then you are paying $225 for the pair. You think you got a deal ($100 off), the store allows the insurance company to pay for their overhead. If you want to be smart and you know you have an allowance of $100, be prepared for the Clark Kent style. Not a knock against our optician's business practice, but we choose to do it differently.
The Frugals have been going to the same optometrist for a number of years; Frau Docktor Optiker. We recognized the good doctor's practice and will be putting the following in practice; We will simply be reusing our frames, they are only a couple of years old and our expense will be limited to the lenses, a minor amount in comparison to the cost of the frames. Frugality baby! So the lesson learned here, is you have been going to an optician for a number of years and have purchased eyeware from them, then there will be a surplus of lenses available, versus the frames, should not be a problem to just have the lenses replaced. If you want the frames, utilize your employers Flexible Spending Account or Health Care Account advantage to ease the impact on the wallet. Could be a savings (internally due to taxation) of about 25%.
Hope you have enjoyed this blog and let me know you have been 'watching' it!
Next up; Dentists!
Home again and off to Palm Harbor's first Citrus Festival. It blew. Can't beat Waynesville Ohio's Sauerkraut Festival, but not much can. Hang in there PH!
