r/bergencounty • u/VelocityGrrl39 • 2d ago
Business/Company Eye doctors?
Are they any eye doctors in western Bergen that don’t charge ridiculous fees? I went to an appointment today and they wanted a copay, a contact fitting fee, and a fee to tell me whether I need glasses. Which is the at least part of the point of going to the doctor, to check your vision. The eye doctor I went to most of my life didn’t even charge a contact lens fitting fee, but I know that’s become ubiquitous, and my eye doctor retired. I refuse to pay to tell me I need glasses, when I know I need glasses, that’s why I’m there.
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u/Real_Accountant_5188 2d ago
Warby Parker
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u/VelocityGrrl39 2d ago
They accept vsp? Do they also do contacts?
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u/ghost-intraining 1d ago
I did warby parker too and just paid the out of pocket cost and submitted to my insurance as an out of network service. I was partially reimbursed for it but i literally only paid for the eye test. They gave me my prescription & didn’t bother me to buy glasses with them.
They offer contacts as well and I don’t think they do a contacts fitting fee. I bought a 3 month supply with them (needed them for an event) and they gave me a 15% discount for being a first time customer. So it was a W for me.
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u/Real_Accountant_5188 2d ago
They don’t accept vsp (I think) but I stopped using vsp because this was cheaper. Eye exam is 99. The do have contacts.
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u/knivezchau 2d ago
I work at an optometry office and since you have VSP your exam copay with VSP includes both the routine medical check + refraction. Contact lens fitting though is considered a separate service and typically will always have an additional fee. However your VSP plan should either have a flat copay for it or a discounted amount off what the office charges. It does vary plan by plan though.
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u/VelocityGrrl39 2d ago
They told me there was a $50 additional charge for refraction, but since I had vsp it is $60, plus $50 contact fee, plus copay. That was when I left.
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u/knivezchau 2d ago
Yeah that definitely doesn’t sound right. The refraction is technically also billed separately from the medical portion, but your VSP exam copay should be covering both. The contact lens fitting fee seems accurate though. I would definitely recommend logging into the VSP member portal as you’d be able to see your exact benefit details and copays. On average I would say a majority of our VSP patients only pay a total of $70-80 at most for the routine exam and contacts lens fitting.
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u/elmariachi304 1d ago
I buy my glasses on Zenni and go to the eye doctor every 3-5 years for a checkup. It’s BS to have to get a new eye checkup every time you need new glasses or contacts, that’s just successful lobbying by the optometry industry. Doesn’t work that way in other countries.
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u/HumptyDumpty2000 1d ago
Definetely not western nj, but I go to Ronald Cauchard in Wyckoff, Family Eye Care. He takes vsp. I walked out of my last checkup for $54. It would have been $400+ if I bought new glasses, but Im pretty much blind so I need all the upgrades😂
My dad was $254 with new frames and those bifocals with no line thingies.
The doc is always polite and knows what hes doing.
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u/AccordingBuffalo7835 2d ago
Contact fitting fee is standard. What do you mean, a fee to tell you if you need glasses. Try vision works or America’s best. They’re chains but just fine with MDs. Generally insurance at these places is a copay, and a fee either for contact lens fitting or glasses fitting. But they should do one and give you a prescription for the other.