VSP Buys Capitol Optical Lab in Olympia WA

[Craig]

One is three and three is one!

They are almost one in the same. The lines that divide them are getting fuzzier and fuzzier!

Did you mean Fezzier and Fezzier?

[Craig]

Are you trying to say VSP Is sending folks to Coscto or Frames Direct ? I hope not. Nothing in the Costco VSP relationship is different than last year. Patients could always go there. It's called out of network. Same now as it was in the past.

VSP labs have also always processed non-vsp patients lenses.

You have not been kept up to date; VSP is sending certain companies to Costco and the internet is the next wave! Also VSP is hiring OD's in California to go into retail. They get all the frame and lens business from a captured source with no big outlay for the OD and they get to pretend they have their own VSP business.

Beware of the VSP monster or you will end up with a practice that they want you to have.

[racethe1320]

You have not been kept up to date; VSP is sending certain companies to Costco and the internet is the next wave! Also VSP is hiring OD's in California to go into retail. They get all the frame and lens business from a captured source with no big outlay for the OD and they get to pretend they have their own VSP business. Beware of the VSP monster or you will end up with a practice that they want you to have.

Not true. I already explained the Costco arrangement in the other thread. Internet is NOT coming. PLease enlighten me if you would. They are also NOT hiring OD's. I'd really like to know where that rumor came from. Please enlighten me and prove it. Ask me how I know and am so sure ;)

[Fezz]

Ask me how I know and am so sure ;)

Are you on VSP's payroll?

[Diopterman]

Ask me how I know and am so sure ;)

How do you know and why are you so sure?

[optical24/7]

Are you on VSP's payroll?

Of course! racethe1320 is an OD! :bbg:

[sharpstick777]

Not true. I already explained the Costco arrangement in the other thread. Internet is NOT coming. PLease enlighten me if you would. They are also NOT hiring OD's. I'd really like to know where that rumor came from. Please enlighten me and prove it. Ask me how I know and am so sure ;)

Actually, VSP has secretly purchased 2 clinics, one in California as a test. Where the other one is I am not sure. VSP is also allowing a few 10 Optician owned practices to be VSP providers (with reduced reimbursements). In all cases, they have signed non-disclosure agreements, and for the Opticians they cannot reveal in any advertising that they are VSP providers, the patient has to walk in and ask. I have talked to people in both circumstances.

VSP is trying desperately to cut their costs and make themselves more affordable to companies health plans. They have lost many huge accounts to Eyemed over the last few years. Of course, they could make their plans more simple, but that would be too easy.

[Jacqui]

The best thing they could do is to just go away :)

[Uncle Fester]

We take both of them...

VSP is trying desperately to cut their costs and make themselves more affordable to companies health plans. They have lost many huge accounts to Eyemed over the last few years. Of course, they could make their plans more simple, but that would be too easy.

And most of those employees are ticked at the higher costs after being promised the same level of benefits!

[Johns]

Actually, VSP has secretly purchased 2 clinics, one in California as a test. Where the other one is I am not sure. VSP is also allowing a few 10 Optician owned practices to be VSP providers (with reduced reimbursements). In all cases, they have signed non-disclosure agreements, and for the Opticians they cannot reveal in any advertising that they are VSP providers, the patient has to walk in and ask. I have talked to people in both circumstances.

Again, you've failed to see the benefit to the private OD. (Of course, I don't see it either, but I'm neither smart, nor an OD.)

[racethe1320]

Actually, VSP has secretly purchased 2 clinics, one in California as a test. Where the other one is I am not sure. VSP is also allowing a few 10 Optician owned practices to be VSP providers (with reduced reimbursements). In all cases, they have signed non-disclosure agreements, and for the Opticians they cannot reveal in any advertising that they are VSP providers, the patient has to walk in and ask. I have talked to people in both circumstances.

I would love to know who these 2 clinics are. Would you care to enlighten us?
Please share with us the Optician owned practices as well. Feel free to PM me if you do not wish to share publicly. If you really have talked to them, I would expect you'll reply in one way or another.

The best thing they could do is to just go away :)

Oh really? And what impact do you think that would have on the market for Private Practice docs? Please explain your thoughts.

[racethe1320]

I would like to note that in April VSP revoked the contracts of 2 Seattle-Tacoma area labs, Capitol Optical and Noveau. .

I also found out at VEW that VSP never cut Capitol. They were part of the partner lab program until the day they were purchased.

[dalcar]

One of the worst.....

I only dealt with this lab for a few months before VSP bought them. In my opinion, it was one of the worst labs I ever dealt with. Doesn't surprise me they were bought out by VSP. It was always one problem after another, like constant 'breakages' which would add weeks to an already overdue job, coatings that were very poor quality, prescription problems, lenses falling out of frames, and MAJOR problems with billing. We had to stay constantly on top of the invoices, or we would be GROSSLY overbilled. I suppose a huge accounts receivable would possibly look like a great asset to the buyer. And now that VSP owns them, good luck getting any warranty problems solved or billing problems (of which there are many) resolved.

Just my own personal experience.

[pezfaerie]

I would love to know who these 2 clinics are. Would you care to enlighten us?
Please share with us the Optician owned practices as well. Feel free to PM me if you do not wish to share publicly. If you really have talked to them, I would expect you'll reply in one way or another.
.

Call Vsp provider line and ask them about the Marchon Preferred Provider Program. Then ask them who the participants are if you really want to know. I'm sure that the participating offices don't wan't to say anything for fear of losing the ability to be part of it. And it sounds to me like sharpstick777 is on top of the game.