Our pledge: We won’t compromise when it comes to caring for you. (You don’t have to either.)
Some vision plans sound great on paper to employers, and they may not realize that the plan sacrifices quality of care for their employees, our patients. Unfortunately, this is how some other providers are able to participate with low reimbursing vision plans–by sacrificing quality of care. We will never be content to offer you a quickie refraction and call it an eye exam. Your eyes, your health, and your family are too important to us.
As a health care consumer, you should understand that any savings given in a participating doctor’s office is only possible because the doctor has agreed to accept significantly less than the usual and customary fee for services and materials. In some cases, the vision plan’s reimbursement isn’t even adequate to meet the expenses the practice incurs to provide the services, so we must refuse to participate. Some practices may decide instead to offer the plan, and reduce their costs by scaling down on the care provided, or the quality of the eyewear. We think every patient deserves excellent care.
It’s very difficult when our existing patients are subject to an employer’s change or introduction of a vision plan that we do not participate with. From what they can see, it looks attractive. You’ve heard the expression “you get what you pay for.” It applies here. There have been situations where patients have gone to another doctor that participates in their new vision plan, only to return to our office because they recognize the value of Dr. Olson’s professional eye health care, or the quality of Complete EyeCare Center’s products and the way we stand behind them. All eye exams, frames, and lenses, are not created equal.
A little known fact is that most vision plans allow you to continue to receive care from your preferred doctor and get reimbursed from the vision plan when you submit proof of payment. Plans often don’t promote this “out-of-network” option, so you may have to ask questions to be fully informed. It gives you the ability to maintain the trusting relationship you have with Dr. Olson, and assures continuity of care close to home.
Dr. Olson has access to a network of other eye doctors throughout the country who have had experience with various vision plans. This helps us to assess their track records as well as patient’s satisfaction. When you inform us of your company’s vision plan decision, we consider how it will affect our own patients and evaluate the plan to determine whether it can be offered without compromising our standard of care. Then we do our best to make a sound business decision so Complete EyeCare Center will be able to continue to serve our region and provide employment opportunities in our community for years to come. That’s responsible stewardship.
So it’s a complex question when a patient asks if we will participate in a particular vision plan, why we don’t, or when we will. Be assured that we have weighed these questions carefully. We want to continue to serve you, a member of our patient family. Part of our responsibility in that role is to be sure you understand the value of all that we do, and that we have your best interest in mind. We are always striving to improve and become more efficient, but there are some things that should not be compromised. ”Cheap” just isn’t a good choice when it comes to your health, your eyes, your eyewear, or your eye doctor.
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