Sandi's 2021 Planned $avings Challenge

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MackerelCat
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Re: Sandi's 2021 Planned $avings Challenge

Post by MackerelCat »

Sandi, that is amazing! I would love to get on a plane, if such a thing was still possible, and see your amazing eye doctor. I miss contact lenses, but no one is brave enough to attempt prescribing them to me any more with all the stuff wrong with my eyes.
Mackie
SandiSAHM
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Re: Sandi's 2021 Planned $avings Challenge

Post by SandiSAHM »

MackerelCat wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 10:59 am Sandi, that is amazing! I would love to get on a plane, if such a thing was still possible, and see your amazing eye doctor. I miss contact lenses, but no one is brave enough to attempt prescribing them to me any more with all the stuff wrong with my eyes.
DH was told his astigmatism was so bad he can't wear contacts - but this doc asked if he'd ever tried them (the sole beauty of lockdown: we do everything together, including making our shared provider appointments at the same time so we can ride together. Of course now that I'm used to that there's talk of him going back to the office 3 days a week).

So, after discussion (he rides mountain bikes and the field of vision is so much bigger with these) he's decided to get another appointment and see if they'll work for him - his bifocals sure don't cut it on the trail, he's been using his single-vision safety glasses for riding; it works, but it's not ideal. He's got otherwise healthy eyes and a relatively 'simple' prescription, so our fingers are crossed.

I never even knew there were doctors who worked with specialty contact lenses and low vision. I'm a little peeved none of my former eye doctors and retinal specialists ever mentioned the existence of such a thing.
SandiSAHM
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Re: Sandi's 2021 Planned $avings Challenge

Post by SandiSAHM »

I have survived the mountain biking vacation. Rental bike was either super well maintained or brand new, it was amazing. Even biked in a surprise torrential downpour (soaked to the skin, so much water we could pour it out of our shoes and had to wring out of our socks :lol: ). It was mostly fun The not fun part was the bed. I missed my own, LOL. Nothing like playing hard to come back and sleep poorly. Slept in our own beds last night and I finally feel like I'm recuperating.

Also missed the beast (dog), who came back from the kennel looking a little plump. Nice girl who works there said "I just love her, she reminds me of my own dog," and now I wonder if her dog, too, is plump ;), and if maybe she had something to do with all this plumpness. Maybe it was just the weather and she didn't spend as much time as usual out in the run. It's okay, Spring and Summer are coming, she always thins out when she spends more time outside.

Dogs I have previously had always came home from the kennel excited to be back. THIS one barks at us like she's giving us a piece of her mind for having left her (or maybe for having brought her home, since she's not going to be getting treats at every turn here), then goes to her bed and pouts. She forgets by the next morning, so we're all friends again today.

Monetarily, vacation was only mildly painful. What did come as a surprise was that our eye doctor's practice no longer works with our insurance - they'll file, but we have to prepay. So (on top of the other expected March expenses) that $$$... who know how much of all that we'll get back. Doesn't really matter, it's not like it wasn't a necessity. April will have to be low-key around here.

Also sending money to our friend who is seeking more alternative cancer treatment. We were sent stimulus $, may as well do something good with it - obvs pays for the eye stuff but, seriously, they should check and see if you need or even want the $ before just putting it in your bank account. I'm just glad they don't tax it. Rephrase: I HOPE they aren't; I haven't read up on the rules for the most recent assistance.
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Jackielou
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Re: Sandi's 2021 Planned $avings Challenge

Post by Jackielou »

SandiSAHM wrote: Thu Mar 18, 2021 10:16 pm I have survived the mountain biking vacation. Rental bike was either super well maintained or brand new, it was amazing. Even biked in a surprise torrential downpour (soaked to the skin, so much water we could pour it out of our shoes and had to wring out of our socks :lol: ). It was mostly fun The not fun part was the bed. I missed my own, LOL. Nothing like playing hard to come back and sleep poorly. Slept in our own beds last night and I finally feel like I'm recuperating.

Also missed the beast (dog), who came back from the kennel looking a little plump. Nice girl who works there said "I just love her, she reminds me of my own dog," and now I wonder if her dog, too, is plump ;), and if maybe she had something to do with all this plumpness. Maybe it was just the weather and she didn't spend as much time as usual out in the run. It's okay, Spring and Summer are coming, she always thins out when she spends more time outside.

Dogs I have previously had always came home from the kennel excited to be back. THIS one barks at us like she's giving us a piece of her mind for having left her (or maybe for having brought her home, since she's not going to be getting treats at every turn here), then goes to her bed and pouts. She forgets by the next morning, so we're all friends again today.

Monetarily, vacation was only mildly painful. What did come as a surprise was that our eye doctor's practice no longer works with our insurance - they'll file, but we have to prepay. So (on top of the other expected March expenses) that $$$... who know how much of all that we'll get back. Doesn't really matter, it's not like it wasn't a necessity. April will have to be low-key around here.

Also sending money to our friend who is seeking more alternative cancer treatment. We were sent stimulus $, may as well do something good with it - obvs pays for the eye stuff but, seriously, they should check and see if you need or even want the $ before just putting it in your bank account. I'm just glad they don't tax it. Rephrase: I HOPE they aren't; I haven't read up on the rules for the most recent assistance.
We always prepay and then get cash back with our insurance. The only place they work together is the pharmacy.
Jackie
http://inthelandofthelivingskiesii.blogspot.ca/
SandiSAHM
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Location: Oklahoma

Re: Sandi's 2021 Planned $avings Challenge

Post by SandiSAHM »

Jackielou wrote: Fri Mar 19, 2021 8:53 am We always prepay and then get cash back with our insurance. The only place they work together is the pharmacy.
Usually, the rep for the dr's office is in contact with the insurance company (if they work with them) and we know when we leave what portion of the products and services will come out of pocket, including the co-pay, and we typically pay the balance on the way out. This works with most providers.

Those who have told our insurance companies (eye / dental / health ins all with different companies) to take a leap, we pay them up front and then file to see what will come back. The alternative is to change providers and this newly found genius is so close to the house... and they don't waste time - when you walk in, if you're no more than 5 minutes early and you're not new (paperwork stalls things), your exam starts as soon as you say, "Hi," you're shuffled straight from check-in to the machinery that measures eyeball stats, then from that to an exam room. These people have it down! I don't want to have to go farther to get lesser service, so I'll pay out of pocket and wait for insurance to process. I realize that's a privilege, if we weren't able to do this I'd be driving who knows how far to a provider on the insurance's go-to list - which, also, being able to go a distance is a privilege.

This is the first time we've had an eye doctor disassociate themselves from an ins. co. It happens all the time with physicians; Aetna must be hard to deal with.
SandiSAHM
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Location: Oklahoma

Re: Sandi's 2021 Planned $avings Challenge

Post by SandiSAHM »

DH got contacts. When he wants to read while wearing them he has to use reading glasses. Kind of cute ;)

And it was all going well UNTIL... he went riding in them. Turns out they mess with his depth perception in a bad way rather than good. Clobbered a tree, which in turn clobbered him. So he figures he's safer riding in the single-vision safety glasses after all. I noticed that so far today he has been wearing his bifocals rather than contacts. I don't know if that's because he forgot, or if he's just decided against them altogether.

At any rate, it's interesting that she fitted him for them despite the astigmatism that had previously kept him out of the option.
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