Thursday, November 1, 2012

Do all eye doctors charge for contact lens fitting?

I have vision insurance through my work which covers the eye exam minus a $10 co-pay and up to $150 for contacts. Apparently I have been wearing the same brand of contact lenses that have been around for more than 25 years (B&L Soft Lens 66 Toric for Astigmatism) and the doctor recommended I upgrade to a newer, better brand. I had always assumed you leave the office with a free pair of trial lenses but the doctor's office charged me $75 (which my insurance does not cover I was told) for the lens fitting which includes any follow-up appointments needed (such as the one-week appointment to see how these trial lenses work out and if I decide I don't like this brand and want to try another brand, that would include any other appointments to see how any other brands of lenses workout for my eyes).Is this common to be charged a fee to be able to come back as many times as I need to until I find a brand of contact lenses that work well for me? Or can I argue this fee? Is this a bogus fee? Serious answers only please. Thanks!
>>> Do all eye doctors charge for contact lens fitting?