I have gone to this practice since I was in college...many years ago. Medically, they are far superior to any other practice in the area. However, their customer service has a whole in it large enought to drive a teuck through.
All along, they have had the policy of issuing eye glass and contact lens prescriptions that expire in one year. Medically, of course, this is very logical. Insurance, however, may only be willing to cover exams and changes to glasses every two years. This had not been a problem because our children are older and their nearsightedness is quite stable. We had the foresight to stockpile contact lens to get us through the odd years between appointments. If we purchasef glasses off site and they were damaged or lost, the store just replaced them without issue.
When my son last replaced his glasses we did it on site at the opthamologists' office. The problem is, he recently lost those glasses. When I called the office to get a replacement pair until we could get him back in MA from college on spring break for an updated exam, they refused. They would not extend his prescription so he could get a replacement pair at school either.
Clearly this is an attempt to stop patients from ordering lens on line or getting glasses off site. While medically it ideal to be examined annually, it is a finacial burden when it isn't covered. It is also impractically to demand a college student drop everything, skip classes, and travel home for an exam before an old but completely serviceable prescription can be filled. Exactly how does this practice expect this college student to manage in a classroom setting for months without glasses?!
This practice has lost five patients because, evidently, a local mall can better serve our needs.
As I said, medically they are superior. This total lack of meeting this patient's immediate need, however, shows a systematic lack of care for the patient in this practice. read more
