Buying Glasses?

[pete_c]

Here for the last 20 years have purchased the same style glasses for my Nearsightedness (Myopia) vision.
 
Always used insurance and always purchased from an optical shop and the price has always been the same starting at around $250 to $300.
 
Googling a bit found my same manufactured frame for $15.00 (Optical shop had the frames priced at  around $150.) and lens installation at $40.00 which totals $55.00.

 

[mikefamig]

Pete:
 
I have talked to friends and family who say that Costco has great prices on eye glasses.
 
Mike.

 

[pete_c]

Thank you Mike.
 
I am making a mountain of a mole hill here as I only purchase glasses every 5-6 years.  I wore contact lenses for many years and when I started to do computer stuff went to glasses.  Never have worn reading glasses and over the years my desk computer monitors just got larger and replicated them.
 
I did also look at doing a radial keratotomy then lasix and then decided not to touch my eyes.

 

[mikefamig]

I spent a lot of money on a titanium frame about twenty years ago and am still wearing them. They are very light and very comfortable so I just keep putting new lens in them.

 

[batwater]

Pete:
 
I have talked to friends and family who say that Costco has great prices on eye glasses.
 
Mike.

 
Confirming, we get our glasses at Costco and yes the prices are great!

 

[Monk]

Been going to LensCrafters for years. I think I will give Costco a shot...!

 

[pete_c]

Here started with the family Ophthalmologist in the 60's and 70's and early 80's.  He owned a building with an Eyeglass store.  He died in the 80's.
 
Then I found a "For Eyes" store with an obi wan Optometrist which I really liked in the 80's.  She got old and sort of left her business...and I continued to use "For Eyes".  Prices have gone up and I still utilize same MFG /  model frame as I did from the 1990's.
 
I used to purchase two ; one prescription sunglass frame and one regular.
 
On a lark look googled the MFG / Frame of my glasses and found them easy enough.  Purchased two frames and they came in hard leather cases which I have not seen now in some 15 years.
 
For Eyes will also provide a lens for my glass frames.  Those prices are all over the place.  There really isn't much of a rush as my glasses are still in good shape today.  My vision has not changed.
 
I was just wondering what everbody was doing on the Cocoontech forum as many of us are getting old here on the forum.

 

[willmo]

You do not appear to be a frequent purchaser of glasses so get the frame style that you like.  The cost differential is not that great when spread out over the years.  Costco and BJs are low cost providers.  Titanium frames are durable.  I have used Costco, BJs, Lenscrafters, and America's Best Contacts (for frames) over the years and for me the conclusion is get the style that you like and make cost secondary.  Cost drivers tend to be with anti-reflection coating, ploycarbonate, modifications for progressive lenses.

 

[mikefamig]

You do not appear to be a frequent purchaser of glasses so get the frame style that you like.  The cost differential is not that great when spread out over the years.  Costco and BJs are low cost providers.  Titanium frames are durable.  I have used Costco, BJs, Lenscrafters, and America's Best Contacts (for frames) over the years and for me the conclusion is get the style that you like and make cost secondary.  Cost drivers tend to be with anti-reflection coating, ploycarbonate, modifications for progressive lenses.

 
That's how I see it too. I've been wearing glasses since I was very young and have owned countless frames. When I tried on the  titanium frames I was very impressed with how light and comfortable they were and I was in a position to afford them which wasn't an option up until that point in life. I have no regrets. They are very light, very tough and I have lost count of how many times I have replaced the lenses in them. The last time the lens were free because I had a guarantee that they would not scratch and I scratched them good. The lens are also covered in our eye-care insurance plan so I haven't spent much money on glasses in quite a while.
 
The only drawback is that yo udon't get to change styles but I like what I have.
Mike.

 

[bucko]

Eyeglasses are the highest marked up medical item of all. There is a worldwide glasses organization that has for years kept the retail prices over 300% their value. Much the same as the diamond industry. Google it.
 
I buy quality in style, guarenteed glasses on-line for less than $60. Cheaper than Costco and no need to go anywhere to get them.

 

[pete_c]

Yeah here reviewed my old glasses.  4 pairs with good frames and it has been an issue with the plastic lenses getting scratched or coatings coming off.  I did way back tried to remain in the glass world and those old glasses look fine (old styles).
 
Reviewed the insurance and basically it covers a visit to the Optometrist and a discount on glasses.  That and last year for wife while the glasses were discounted the price paid was more than the previous visit.
 
Well also did a check up with an Ophthalmologist a couple of weeks ago and he was very through compared to a previous Optometrist visit which seemed more to center around a sell of new glasses.  About 5 years ago wife needed laser surgery (which was done in less than 10 seconds) by an Ophthalmologist.  I did not like one follow up done by an Optometrist though rather than the Ophthalmologist such that the office and practice was not recommended afterwards.
 
Here have changed physicians when medical centers have hired PA's to cover for primary care physicians over the years. 
 
That is just me though.
 
I did order a pair of frames similar to the old ones.  Wife stated that they were too small for my face. I then ordered a bit larger frames and wrote to vendor who is refunding me on the first purchase.  The difference is only a few mm between the two.

 

[pete_c]

Went looking at Consumer Reports and they recommended Costco for best walk in ordering with an average price of $150. 
 
Consumer reports did recommend on line internet ordering for best deal on glass frames and lenses.
 
Single vision lens polycarbonate with scratch proofing came out to $35.  Consumer reports also mentioned these as low as $29.
 
That puts my new glasses at between $50 and $60 ordering them via the Internet. 
 
One value missing on my script was PD (pupillary distance).  I called up the ophthalmologist office and they told me that they do not measure the PD and the average was 64mm.  I then mentioned that 100% of the eye lens places require a PD number (they also post a DIY method to get your own PD).  I then called the place where I have gotten glasses since the 1980's and they told me that they were not allowed to give that number out.
 
So will do my own measurements. 

 

[iceverything]

I work in the ophthalmology industry.  Pete if you are happy with what you found on the internet then stay with your decision.  PD is just the distance between the center of your pupils.  The eye industry uses metric so you can either get a plastic metric ruler or you can use an imperial ruler that goes down to 1/64th and convert the value to metric.  Honestly the way they determine PD is very subjective anyway so if you are off by 1mm not a big deal.

 

[mikefamig]

I work in the ophthalmology industry.  Pete if you are happy with what you found on the internet then stay with your decision.  PD is just the distance between the center of your pupils.  The eye industry uses metric so you can either get a plastic metric ruler or you can use an imperial ruler that goes down to 1/64th and convert the value to metric.  Honestly the way they determine PD is very subjective anyway so if you are off by 1mm not a big deal.

 
iceverything
 
Can the PD cause your eyes to converge or diverge? I've had a problem with seeing double when my eyes get tired, especially when I look to the left and it began after a lens change. Can anything with the lens cause this?
 
Mike.

 

[pete_c]

@iceverything
 
Thank you.
 
Yeah called the Ophthalmologist office this past week.  They did provide some 4 pages of diagnostic information and an eyeglass script.
 
I mentioned to the office why PD wasn't included in the eyeglass script as 100% of all of the eyeglasses ordering places require PD.
 
He said it wasn't a big deal and that I could do it myself (which I already knew).
 
All said I did this because I looked at the charges from the Ophthalmologist office to my BCBS insurance and they were around $500 for the exam and it was broken down to individual diagnostic testing with the visit being a la carted to one charge. (always have used a PPO here versus an HMO BCBS plan).  This is totally different than visiting an Optometrist in an eyeglass store where the diagnostic visit or check is covered 100% by BCBS.  Personally feel more comfortable having an Ophthalmologist do a diagnostic exam than an Optometrist. 
 
In the 1960's and 1970's only went to family Ophthalmologist for exams and eyeglass / contacts prescriptions.  He did own the entire building which also contained an eyeglass shop at the time.
 
That is me.
 
We noticed the same thing occur with my wife visiting an ENT for a hearing check recommended by her primary care physician.  The visit was one charge to the insurance company and testing exceeded some $800 of diagnostic testing billed to BCBS.
 
It is willy nilly though because the BCBS insurance documentation covers with a statement that co pay of some $75 for a diagnostic visit to the the Optholmogist which I assumed would also cover all done and it didn't. 
 
Interesting to when I worked in the UK my peers there told me not to get sick there as most likely I would never leave the UK.