Contact Lenses and $$

[mbalmer]

Hi All,

I am going to be fitted for contact lenses for the first time. I use Kaiser and their fitting is $99 for a regular fitting. I'm not sure the price of the contacts. I was wondering if anyone has advice about going to Costco or Walmart for the fitting and the contacts, and if it's worth it? I tried googling it but came up with very little. Any thoughts?

[cyrus buelton]

Do you have Vision Insurance?

[supakpow2]

Costco is good if you get them on sale there. Otherwise go on line once you have you contact prescription, which is different from glasses, and 1-800-contacts or other on line places are better priced. just compare once you have your prescription.

KP

[corey]

+11tby.
don't order through your eye care professional.
call 1-800-contacts after your fitting and order from them directly.
my ECP marked up my biofinity lenses 150%
it pissed me off so much, that i called him and told him he will never have my business again, and i will need a paper copy of my prescription.
get your prescription in paper form so you can get contacts from the cheaper source you can find.

[mbalmer]

I have the prescription. Thanks for  your advice. I'll swing by a Costco and ask about fittings and cost. Kaiser gives me $150 off glasses/frames but even with that they are more expensive than some of the alternatives. I had no idea about contacts.

[Vindingo]

I got my eyes checked at Costco last week and I think they charge $80 for  a contact scrip.  They also mentioned something about a 2 hour fitting class or something.

[triangleforge]

I'm assuming you're going with soft lenses, which work a lot better for me. When you're getting fitted (though it sounds like you might have been already), see if you can get the prescription written for as many different brands & styles as you can (with, of course, the same diameter, correction & one other number that I forget what it measures). When i first got fitted (at a Sears store, if I remember right), the Dr. listed three or four different types within a couple of brands, so I could order online from among those -- made it much easier to choose the ones that worked best, let me pick both some daily disposables & some long-term wear ones, and even let me pick ones that were on sale occasionally. When that scrip ran out, I went to an independent optometrist, and he wrote the prescription for one brand, one type, and that's all that Vision Direct will now let me order online.

As a bonus, the Doc will likely send you out the door with free samples of the several different types he/she is prescribing, which covered me for a good month or so the first time 'round! 

[supakpow2]

When you order online if you have a current contact prescr. they are a lot less expensive. You can still get thm w/o but are more expensive. You do need to send the actual prescr. (a copy will do) for the cheaper price.

You don't need a "fitting class" for 2 hours.  The doctor or another qualified person at the office can show you in a few minutes how to put your contacts in properly. Not an easy job at first.

KP

[The Plumber]

Costco is good if you get them on sale there. Otherwise go on line once you have you contact prescription, which is different from glasses, and 1-800-contacts or other on line places are better priced. just compare once you have your prescription.

KP

I ordered my contacts last week from
1800contacts..  Alot cheaper it was 86.00 for 6 months..   Just make sure u have ur prescription..

Good luck..

[swampduc]

I used to moonlight at a Wal Mart down in NOLA fitting contacts. We used to charge $70 for the exam/fitting, which you probably won't beat elsewhere. The prices you get on the internet (1800 contacts etc.) will definitely be better than any store, Walmart included.

[Autostrada Pilot]

I get my eyes checked at an opthamologist.  He is perfectly happy to give me a paper copy of my prescription (and often gives me a trial pair or two as I leave the office to try out).

I usually buy my contact at costco, although I've used 1800 contacts.  Costco has a good price on the lenses I like (acuvue Oasis).

[IZ]

EyeMasters quoted me $27/box using my previous insurance (4 boxes=1 years worth of lenses).  Not too bad.

I waited a couple days until I got my new insurance and now they're FREE!! 

I'm using my Rx to order a few extra boxes online too.

[hmbalmer]

It took a while, but I finally had my first contact lens experience today. One is for distance and the other for reading. It's a bit awkward, but I think my brain will learn to adjust. I can't read the motorcycle gauges as I have to be about 8" away from what ever I want to read. They are making an adjustment for that lens. Riding was okay. I didn't want to lane share since it was different but then I did and it was no big deal. I've had them on for about 2 hours now and they don't hurt, but my eyes feel tired. Thanks for your advice on buying lenses. I will get the first batch from Kaiser and then go elsewhere.

[NAKID]

Why did you get a new user name?

[swampduc]

Let us know how you adjust to the monovision setup. I personally wouldn't use that because on a moto, I'd want my depth perception to be as good as possible. Good luck though, and ride safe.