Eyemed is a mess

[HarryChiling]

It would be nice if an Eyemed Rep. would log on to our forum and possibly shed some light on the delema. My office does not use Eyemed, we don't file on insurance, but I have worked places that have taken Insurance and I feel your pain, this is awful. They are risking alot. if they don't log on to at least try and ease tensions then yes Harry, Its like you say, there making it Your problem, not there's. :finger:

Two scenarios that leads to me knowing they don't really care and it's ultimately my problem:

1. Our office spent an hour on the phone to get an authorization after numerous hang-ups and the rep on the other line said they could only verify one since they were so busy. The wife got verified the husband walked. (Lost revenue)
2. We asked if it was possible to place the order and then authorize and bill the patient later to prevent unnecessary delays and we were told that no they would not authorize that way.

So EM makes a mistake and then their inflexibility leads to our office having lost revenues. I am assuming they are still collecting from our patients........... or should I be refereeing to them as their members?

It just seems that they could have done more to prevent this, or after the fact prevent the effects on providers.

[pauly47]

We have had a least a dozen people walk out or cancel because we couldn't verify coverage/get authorization. One patient that we were able to get an authorization for had a much lower reimbursement rate than the contracted amount form previous patients with the same plan.
I called Eyemed (and waited, & waited, & waited, & got disconnected, & waited) and the rep gave me a number of different stories_one was that the plan changed and we could opt out if we wanted to & then changed it to giving us the contracted amount & than that we actually will be getting a dollar more (now that will pay for my mortgage).
Eyemed called us (wow) about this and demanded to know where we got the fax sheet with the screwed up reimbursement rate (umm, from you guys). They assured me that rates were same as contracted amount & no raise (damn!).
SOmething fishy...I had another OD a week ago tell me the same amounts that they erronously faxed to me....watch your reimbursements! Make sure they match up!

[LadyDie]

Even when pulled up, when we hit print it will print the rest of the page and leaves the patient specific data off the sheet, so we have to write the patients name on the print out, also it prints on 1 page and a few lines on a second page, you'd think that with technology where it is today they could include all the data on one page rather than waste and entire second sheet on a few lines of text, I guess that's for next upgrade.

I have had the same problem printing. That last column that doesn't show when printed is so important too. When a patient questions their portion I show them that column where it says patients portion and then they are satisfied. Now what do I do, "hey come in the back here and look at my monitor where it says what you owe", yah that is a good idea :(

[Jubilee]

You received a fax?!? We got an authorization this early afternoon, was told it would be faxed and never received it. Tried to pull it up and keeping getting dead pages. Of course when you are all the way to that last hoop to jump through.

Been disconnected on the phone too many times to count, including after I have been on hold for 45 mins to start.

We have lost business and this is ridiculous. You would think that they would allow for back dating or make some allowances to work through this issue. We are losing business. Of course they are hanging on to money short term, but it didn't look good for the three patients who are going to eyemed next year to have to explain the current problems and why we couldn't give a patient accurate information at this time, along with trying to figure out which of 3 answers she got when she called in was correct.

[scograd]

hahahahahahaaa we're suddenly "not providers for EyeMed" anymore!!

Maybe they just solved all my problems for me!:idea:

[LENNY]

hahahahahahaaa we're suddenly "not providers for EyeMed" anymore!!

Maybe they just solved all my problems for me!:idea:

Congratulations!

[scograd]

ok, magically a provider again!

just another day in the life of an insurance provider!

[Drwells]

Two years ago I signed up for Eyemed at the strong suggestion of NVI. After the first claim not going through I decided to call it quits and never looked back. They are nothing but cancer. Sounds like a great time for a mass exodus!

[Susan Stees]

We received a leter from EyeMed today apologizing for the problems and it says they are worked out now. Send your forms in- we did

[deepdiver]

Sorry for the delay however I wanted to provide the latest information available. The systems are operational, but we are still experiencing delays. We implemented additional changes over the weekend and again on Monday, and we continue to monitor the progress.

Per the discussion here, we are also aware that some of our fax-backs have had incorrect reimbursement amounts listed. Be assured that EyeMed has NOT reduced reimbursement amounts for any of our in-force plans. We know this has caused additional confusion, and we apologize.

In addition, you can back-date authorizations up to 90 days. Authorizations are not a guarantee of payment, and eligibility will be verified again during claims processing.

Please continue to check our Web site for frequent updates. We’re committed to keeping you informed as we work to resolve these issues.

We apologize for any inconvenience this is causing to your practice. Our teams are working around the clock to ensure you have access to the tools and information you need to serve your patients.

John W. Lahr, O.D.
Medical Director
EyeMed Vision Care

[sharpstick777]

Sorry for the delay however I wanted to provide the latest information available. The systems are operational, but we are still experiencing delays. We implemented additional changes over the weekend and again on Monday, and we continue to monitor the progress.

Per the discussion here, we are also aware that some of our fax-backs have had incorrect reimbursement amounts listed. Be assured that EyeMed has NOT reduced reimbursement amounts for any of our in-force plans. We know this has caused additional confusion, and we apologize. In addition, you can back-date authorizations up to 90 days. Authorizations are not a guarantee of payment, and eligibility will be verified again during claims processing.

Please continue to check our Web site for frequent updates. We’re committed to keeping you informed as we work to resolve these issues.

We apologize for any inconvenience this is causing to your practice. Our teams are working around the clock to ensure you have access to the tools and information you need to serve your patients.

John W. Lahr, O.D.
Medical Director
EyeMed Vision Care

A couple of questions beg an answer here John. Most companies (I have experience in web developement) pre-test or beta-test any site changes before taking it "live" to a wider audience. This is easy to do with a sniffer that sends one IP address to the new site, the rest of IP addresses get sent to the old.

I was a test office a few years ago in Sacramento for Eyefinity. Changes were only visable to a few offices and they worked out the bugs before flooding the site with everyone else.

1) Why didn't EyeMed beta test the new site like every other company who cares about their customers?
2) No offense to you, but why is the Medical Director answering computer questions on this forum?
3) Wasn't it just 11 months ago that the site also melted down and no one could get through (on the phone or web) for days? If I remember right, they were working diligently on that issue too.
4) is it true that Lenscrafter's stores were given special treatment and priority (special 800 #) over the independants in this issue?

John, do you have the guts to answer these questions truthfully?

they don't call me...

Sharpstick

...for nothin'

[tigerlilly]

FWIW, if LC was given priority, other Lux brands were also left out in the cold. Yesterday was the worst day yet since this whole mess started, and the company hasn't done anything to make it easier or offer a workaround for our brand.

We're on day ten of this fiasco now.

[cocoisland58]

Sorry I hate to be redundant but the old system worked. It worked just fine. In fact I once praised it here on this forum as a user-friendly, seemingly well thought out site.

Our cash register is ancient but reliable and accurate. The boss, in love with all things techy but knowing nothing, recently brought in a complete retail set-up with computers, programs, etc. etc. After a week I realized it could not do what we needed it to do without us jumping through hoops and no doubt costing us time and inconveniencing our customers. So the set up was packaged and sent back. Our cash register still hums along and when it finally does puke if I have anything to say about it we will get a new cash register not some techie's idea of virtual retail. My motto: Leave well enough alone.

[OHPNTZ]

It would be great to have patients call Eyemed and deal with this mess themselves...they could experience first hand what a hassle this is...


Also, what sort of "Medical Directing" does John Lahr have to do? What is "medical" about EyeMed?

[HarryChiling]

It would be great to have patients call Eyemed and deal with this mess themselves...they could experience first hand what a hassle this is...


Also, what sort of "Medical Directing" does John Lahr have to do? What is "medical" about EyeMed?

You don't see the paint on the walls? They like every other vision plan is going to have OD's submit all their medical related claims through the vision plans rather than through the medical insuance. If I hav to break it down any further you might want to look into selling the practice and packing up now. There are alreayd a few doing it now.

[orangezero]

Exactly right Harry. If nothing else it should be further evidence these vision plans are trying to make an unneeded, unnecessary, and unwelcome wedge between patients and their real medical insurance all in the name of improving patient care.

Anyone care to treat glaucoma for eyemed reimbursements? Come on. It is truly a shame more providers do not understand these issues.

Let me know when they come up with a balance billing plan and I may reconsider. :)

Sorry you guys have to deal with this garbage for so long.

[OHPNTZ]

Harry,

yeah I already knew that...

Maybe Davis will follow suit "install" their own visual field machines in offices, and patients with that insurance are only allowed visual fields on that machine...

[HarryChiling]

Harry,

yeah I already knew that...

Maybe Davis will follow suit "install" their own visual field machines in offices, and patients with that insurance are only allowed visual fields on that machine...

If anyone's taking Avesis or Advantica wait til their lab is up and running. It probably won't be for a couple of years but it's in the works. Strip profit from every angle is the name of the game.

If I can use an analogy, the mentality used to be:

Nice car = practice making too much money

Lately the philosophy seems to be:

Your still driving = practice making too much money.

It could be worst in the analogy opticians would be riding bicycles with a bent front wheel. :shiner:

[Johns]

If anyone's taking Avesis or Advantica wait til their lab is up and running. It probably won't be for a couple of years but it's in the works. Strip profit from every angle is the name of the game.

I'm not taking Avesis, but they've contacted me a number of times recently.

I thought you could do the work in-house, and the reimbursements weren't bad.

Maybe I misread it? Like I said, we didn't sign up, so I didn't waste much time re-reading teh material.

[jediron1]

Sorry for the delay however I wanted to provide the latest information available. The systems are operational, but we are still experiencing delays. We implemented additional changes over the weekend and again on Monday, and we continue to monitor the progress.

Per the discussion here, we are also aware that some of our fax-backs have had incorrect reimbursement amounts listed. Be assured that EyeMed has NOT reduced reimbursement amounts for any of our in-force plans. We know this has caused additional confusion, and we apologize.

In addition, you can back-date authorizations up to 90 days. Authorizations are not a guarantee of payment, and eligibility will be verified again during claims processing.

Please continue to check our Web site for frequent updates. We’re committed to keeping you informed as we work to resolve these issues.

We apologize for any inconvenience this is causing to your practice. Our teams are working around the clock to ensure you have access to the tools and information you need to serve your patients.

John W. Lahr, O.D.
Medical Director
EyeMed Vision Care

I got a call from a friend at Sears and they said the Eyemed system is terrible and wish they could go back to I think I heard it right he called it a RIS system what ever that is. He said it worked very well and they never had the problems they have with this system. Oh just got another call around 2:30 or 3:00 he said were down again. Boy I love my little old P/C.
Just does my books and works fine. ;)

[allanon]

Someone needs to buy a baseball bat and start swinging.

I got cussed out today because I filed a claim for exam only and it took her lens benefit. Heh.:shiner:

[HarryChiling]

I'm not taking Avesis, but they've contacted me a number of times recently.

I thought you could do the work in-house, and the reimbursements weren't bad.

Maybe I misread it? Like I said, we didn't sign up, so I didn't waste much time re-reading teh material.

They're not bad to deal with and d reimburse pretty well, you can use whatever la you want for the moment, but they are looking into putting a lab in plae and then guess which lab you will have to use and guess how they'll force your hand.

[LadyDie]

Someone needs to buy a baseball bat and start swinging.

I got cussed out today because I filed a claim for exam only and it took her lens benefit. Heh.:shiner:

That isn't new. If you had an author. for exam lens and frame and file exam only, it always took the beni. for materials. You could get it back but had to jump through hoops to get it. Before if you had and author. for E,L, and F, or exam and contacts and wanted o file for something different, or less you had to void the author. and get a new one. One good thing with the new update is you can "edit" an author. and get it for just the beni. you want. A few less steps than it was under the old system.

[partyoptician]

Lux is soooo uptight on payroll that they damage their long term future. Keep going LUX- the worse you do the better for the real professionals!

[Fezz]

Talking about labs......

How many know that Hoya offers additional discounts when you order Eyemed jobs through them?


Interesting.......

;):cheers::cheers::cheers::D