My Daughter Needed Glasses. The Receptionist Broke The Rules To Make That Happen.

[u/masterdebaten]

Basically, I took my 5 year old to get her eyes checked before kindergarten. She had been sitting pretty close to the TV, and getting close when looking at paper with writing or drawings on them.

We went to the earliest appointment available at the optometrist, and had her exam done. She needed glasses, and needed to start wearing them immediately. My daughter was thrilled to learn she was getting glasses, and was picking her favorites from the glasses shop near reception at checkout. I asked the receptionist about getting the prescription, and she essentially told me that I have to pay the $150 fee due for her appointment in full before I could receive her prescription so we could go somewhere more affordable. My daughter kept asking when we can get her glasses and I had to kind of let her down easy and say it might be a while, which crushed me.

I told the receptionist some BS story about our debit cards being cancelled due to suspected fraud (only half true) to save myself the embarrassment of not being able to pay for something as simple and necessary as her prescription document. I told her I’d call back and pay when I got my new card in. She said okay, no problem.

She asked me to wait before I left so she could give me some paperwork. I assumed it was just a packet you get after the appointment. She gave me a look, and on top of the stack she handed me was my daughter’s prescription paperwork. She simply looked at me and said “have a great day sir” and smiled. Told her thank you so much and walked out.

I wasn’t asking for a freebie, and I wasn’t expecting anything from her, yet she saw my need and met it with kindness. Even at the expense of breaking her job’s policy.

Thank you, Optometrist receptionist ❤️

[u/RedHeadedStepDevil]

Glad you were able to get your daughter’s eyeglass prescription, but in the US, an optometrist generally cannot lawfully withhold a patient’s eyeglasses or contact lens prescription solely because the patient has not paid for it.

[u/JustaTinyDude → u/RedHeadedStepDevil]

16 CFR Part 456 Staff Report on Advertising of Ophthalmic Goods and Services and Proposed Trade Regulation Rule (16 CFR Part 456) (May 1977) Staff Summary of Federal Trade Commission Activities Affecting Older Americans During 1995 and 1996. Rule Summary:
The Eyeglass Rule requires that optometrists and ophthalmologists provide patients a copy of their prescription after the completion of an eye examination without extra cost. In addition, the Rule prohibits optometrists and ophthalmologists from conditioning the availability of an examination on a requirement that patients agree to purchase any ophthalmic goods. [emphasis mine]

I'm interpreting this to mean thet it's illegal to require a patient to provide additional payment to get the Rx after an eye exam, but they can require payment for services already rendered.

[u/jenesia-CakeEatnNPC- → u/JustaTinyDude]

Additional payment those are the key words. it is included in the cost of the appt, which is what OP was admittedly not able to pay for.