Winning with vsp

[Kiwideb]

With all due respect to the VCP bashers, are you really seeing a high percentage of patients who don't know how their plan works? I ask because I don't. I. just. don't. At least 80% of my patients whether returning or new, know/expect co-pays for exams and materials. They expect to pay out of pocket for "thin lenses" "no lines" etc. I don't get the whole "poor patient" story.
I do understand the soapbox principle of the thing sticking in the craw of the provider. Sure I wish they paid more, offered more, and shined my shoes as well. But it is what it is, play the ball or get out of the game.

Oh, I have a fairly informed crowd too… until it gets to those nitty gritty portions of the plan they slip in the small print for things like contact lens wearers having their frame reset for 2yrs for purchasing contact lenses. HUGE company moving into our area (yay!), and many of them CL wearers… who have no idea they will NEVER get a frame from their plan unless they blow their plan for over a year...

Lots of new patients looking like

Yes, I know - we get to sell them glasses Pvt pay (nice for us), but so puts us on the back foot for customer satisfaction, even though the customer acknowledges that I'm only the bearer of the bad news.

Sorry back to the regularly scheduled "how to make VCP profitable".

[opty4062]

Oh, I have a fairly informed crowd too… until it gets to those nitty gritty portions of the plan they slip in the small print for things like contact lens wearers having their frame reset for 2yrs for purchasing contact lenses. HUGE company moving into our area (yay!), and many of them CL wearers… who have no idea they will NEVER get a frame from their plan unless they blow their plan for over a year...

Lots of new patients looking like

Yes, I know - we get to sell them glasses Pvt pay (nice for us), but so puts us on the back foot for customer satisfaction, even though the customer acknowledges that I'm only the bearer of the bad news.

Sorry back to the regularly scheduled "how to make VCP profitable".

OK, I totally get that. Logically since the VCP is going to "pay for" more value ( to the pt) on glasses than contacts, we try to always present to our patients their best out of pocket scenario to get both, and make it seem incredible that someone would choose either/or.

[obxeyeguy]

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[JENNIFER H]

VSP is one of those plans that you can figure out, it's kinda like hunting for a treasure though. Some things are much more clear than others when trying to make VSP work for you instead of fighting it.
After saying that I have a strange question, especially as many years as I have been dealing with VSP, but I am confused. Am I supposed to charge a dispensing fee?

[Uncle Fester]

I think the doc is referring to progressives that require panto wrap and vertex specified in category N. Enhanced Fit Zeiss Individual etc. It's a $10 charge to the patient. You should list it on U+C charges as $20 or whatever you charge.

After saying that I have a strange question, especially as many years as I have been dealing with VSP, but my doctor has confused me. Am I supposed to charge a dispensing fee?

I don't know of any separate general dispensing fee under VSP's contract

[JENNIFER H]

Thank you, I thought we had been doing it the right way, I just thought I would make sure.

[Paul Smith LDO]

Thank you, I thought we had been doing it the right way, I just thought I would make sure.

Jennifer, one of the points that I have been making is to ensure that you are recouping services when selling to VSP patients. If you have to, establish a trier pricing for frames a Frame can have an," at time of service discount" and another price for your discount insurances plans like VSP. Also, if someone brings me an outside POF I charge a service fee between 40.00 and 50.00 depending on the lens design. I thoroughly clean and recondition any pre-worn frame prior to installing a new set of lenses along with an adjustment irregardless of where it was purchased. If the frame comes from me it is at no additional charge but for it to work through discounted insurance plans that amount has to be accounted for at time of purchase.

[dv]

sigh

[JENNIFER H]

Thank you Paul, we do have that type of pricing structure, and the way you worded it sounds like it may be easier for staff in training to understand. I have a "just say no" policy to POF when it comes to any vision plan, but the service fee may be something I should start on the occasion that I do have to use POF.

[Quantrill]

The best response I've heard from a guy that owns a couple dispensaries: "You're paying what, $10-20 a month for VSP? Send that money to me each month and I'll give you our cheapest frame every 2 years and a set of our cheapest lenses every year."

[Uilleann]

The best response I've heard from a guy that owns a couple dispensaries: "You're paying what, $10-20 a month for VSP? Send that money to me each month and I'll give you our cheapest frame every 2 years and a set of our cheapest lenses every year."

And yet STILL higher quality than the "covered" VSP options I'd bet. And no added patient required co-pay for materials to boot! :) I like it!

[racethe1320]

Race has made plenty of valid points here.

However, there is one glaring miss: "The amount of earnings you can make with VSP today far exceed that of just 5 years ago. "

In my neck of the woods the balance of VSP Signature to Choice has tipped from roughly 10:1 5 years ago to nearly 50:50 now and reimbursement on Choice plans is less than half of Signature plans. And patients have much more out of pocket costs on Choice plans, so they are less happy as well.

You can still make more on Non Signature plans today than 5yrs ago. There are also ways to increase your earnings on Choice plans. Yes, more of the costs have been pushed to the member/patient, but that's due to the client/employer not the Managed Care Company. So if the member is unhappy then they need to discuss that with their employer.

[Tallboy]

I really gave the Unity lenses a chance, I really, really have. I have had more re-fits with them than any other progressive I have used in the past 3 years.

They are terrible, at least to people who have worn Varilux, Shamir, and Zeiss lenses.

My most used lens is a POW compensated house design from my favorite wholesale lab. It is loved by almost all that wear it. The Unity lenses are not.

I had success with the Plxpression for a while, their camber based lens, but in the last few months (since Unity "changed" symbols on their lenses) the remakes came with a VENGEANCE.

The AR is a fine AR, it is not Avance, but Unity Elite is decent enough that I use it.

I use the Sola Instinctive as a budget design, and it has a vastly superior remake amount % to any of the Unity lenses since they changed their "formula" last month.

I don't know what happened to the Unity design but I've had it, and I will NEVER give them a chance again.

[Johns]

So, here's the answer to the original question:

The AR is a fine AR, it is not Avance, but Unity Elite is decent enough that I use it.

Lower your standards, hold your nose, dispense, and repeat.