Superior Vision Insurance

**TEC** · 03-20-2014, 11:42 AM

So here is something new for me, I received a letter from Superior Vision. In the letter they told me they were going to have a website for patients to order contacts. I can enter the order for the patient or give them the Rx so they can order. They can use xxx amount of benefit for contacts. My reimbursement is ZERO! "you get the exam fee and they buy glasses" is what the rep told. My yearly cl patient buy glasses every few years and usually what I have on sale, so that doesn't help. I am optician owned so Dr. gets most of exam fee's. So still no profit. They did say that they would train my employees to use their website. So I can pay my employee to learn a website that I enter contact rx's in for free. What is next? I dropped them by the way. Took less than an hour to decide that. PS ABB is the direct supplier for them. Update ABB told them NO we won't do it.

**drk** · 03-20-2014, 09:40 PM

Update: Superior is putting the plan on hold for now.

**erichwmack** · 03-20-2014, 10:23 PM

I also was told the contact lens fit reimbursement is $5. We are dropping them also

**braheem24** · 03-20-2014, 10:30 PM

Originally Posted by drk

Update: Superior is putting the plan on hold for now.

...after everyone threatened to drop them as well as ABB for being the vendor.

Apparently it was too much of an initial shock to the ODs, They wont be as shocked when they roll the plan back in phases.

Some people never learn, The only victim is ABB everyone else deserves everything they've sowed.

**Johns** · 03-20-2014, 10:35 PM

Originally Posted by braheem24

Some people never learn, The only victim is ABB everyone else deserves everything they've sowed.

That would not have been ABBs first misstep this year. After assuring us that we would not inherit the rep from the company they merged with, guess who showed up with a box of donuts?

**David_Garza** · 03-20-2014, 11:51 PM

People should not be ignorant enough to take this VCP in the first place......

**TEC** · 03-21-2014, 09:41 AM

This is good news. Glad I called and complained. Hope you did too! I looked in my records and had never had a patient with that insurance. I think my Dr.'s other location takes it, hence they had me on it. Dropped it anyway just to make sure. Abb did call me yesterday and told me they dropped Superior. Abb did say however that they were working with another large insurance company to supply contacts. He said they would release info in a couple weeks. Now we can speculate who that may be.

**TEC** · 03-21-2014, 09:43 AM

Originally Posted by erichwmack

I also was told the contact lens fit reimbursement is $5. We are dropping them also

I was told they were going to pay $5.00 more on cl fit, Not $5.00 total.

**erichwmack** · 03-21-2014, 11:19 AM

Just got the fax this morning. They are holding off on the roll out. But I am sure as others have said they will be re-implementing this plan piecewise in the future. The backlash must have been swift and severe!

**Stan Tabor** · 03-21-2014, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by braheem24

...The only victim is ABB everyone else deserves everything they've sowed.

Why is ABB a victim? Your definition of victim and mine must be different. Do you really believe they did not understand what they were getting into when they made a deal with Superior? They made a miscalculation and then got caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

**TEC** · 03-21-2014, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by Stan Tabor

Why is ABB a victim? Your definition of victim and mine must be different. Do you really believe they did not understand what they were getting into when they made a deal with Superior? They made a miscalculation and then got caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

Glad you said, I was thinking it!

**bryanquinn1981** · 03-21-2014, 02:25 PM

Originally Posted by erichwmack

Just got the fax this morning. They are holding off on the roll out. But I am sure as others have said they will be re-implementing this plan piecewise in the future. The backlash must have been swift and severe!

I laughed and laughed when I read on the fax, "Based on feedback from some of our providers regard the Contact Lens Program, we are taking a step back to evaluate the program components," same as the fax Tuesday about "confusion". It was warming to translate corporate managementspeak spin to human and read, "had our asses handed to us". If only we could educate our patients to understand what we do about insurances, about how they try to provide less and less while charging and promising more and more.

**Judy Canty** · 03-21-2014, 02:30 PM

If only we could band together and stop the madness that is "vision insurance". What happened with Superior/ABB was huge.

**TEC** · 03-21-2014, 03:25 PM

Originally Posted by Judy Canty

If only we could band together and stop the madness that is "vision insurance". What happened with Superior/ABB was huge.

Good point. I called Both Superior and ABB. Just wondering if anyone else posting to this did?

**braheem24** · 03-21-2014, 04:25 PM

Originally Posted by Stan Tabor

Why is ABB a victim? Your definition of victim and mine must be different. Do you really believe they did not understand what they were getting into when they made a deal with Superior? They made a miscalculation and then got caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

ABB created a sales portal for Providers, The insurance company decided to become a provider and use the portal.

Stop giving money and supporting the the provider that has started a competing business with you.

Are you also upset with every VSP approved labs? The only difference is they use you for a pd and seg and give you a dispensing fee. They're in the lens providing business too the only difference is they give you some of the crumbs.

It's time for insurance companies to act like insurance companies instead of providers and for providers to stop supporting their own downfall.

ABB is doing what's best for ABB, They are nothing but a vendor in an open market.

**drk** · 03-21-2014, 04:49 PM

Good (but sad) post Braheem.

**bryanquinn1981** · 03-21-2014, 08:12 PM

(Only half facetiously, revealing a true prejudice against insurance trying to act like providers) Which should we go after next: Spectera or EyeMed?

**Stan Tabor** · 03-21-2014, 09:52 PM

Originally Posted by braheem24

ABB created a sales portal for Providers, The insurance company decided to become a provider and use the portal.

Stop giving money and supporting the the provider that has started a competing business with you.

Are you also upset with every VSP approved labs? The only difference is they use you for a pd and seg and give you a dispensing fee. They're in the lens providing business too the only difference is they give you some of the crumbs.

It's time for insurance companies to act like insurance companies instead of providers and for providers to stop supporting their own downfall.

ABB is doing what's best for ABB, They are nothing but a vendor in an open market.

I agree with much of what you said, but I do not understand why you believe ABB is a "victim"? They made a business decision to allow their "portal" to be used by an insurance company to cut out ECPs from profiting on contact lens sales. Some ECPs made the business decision to dump ABB as they feel as though a company that would pull this stunt does not support private optometry. When ABB realized there would be a backlash due to this business decision, they reversed course to minimize the damage. I listened to ABB's management team discuss this on the internet show the other night and their excuses were very weak. If there had not been an outcry, they would have continued their relationship with Superior.

I am no fan of VSP either. They claim to be a not-for profit with a charitable mission when in reality, they are using their profits to overtake the industry. They are not accountable to shareholders or owners and this goes against our capitalist system.

Today's vision insurance companies are not insurance companies. Insurance, by its very definition involves the transfer of risk. Vision insurance companies are really prepaid discount plans. There is little to no transfer of risk.

**braheem24** · 03-21-2014, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by Stan Tabor

I agree with much of what you said, but I do not understand why you believe ABB is a "victim"?

Would the situation be any better if ABB ships contacts to superior and superior ship it to the patient? Superior needs a provider of contacts which they could fulfill directly from vistakon, alcon, ciba will there be a cry to boycott them too?

We have allowed the "Insurance" companies to cloud the industry to the point where we no longer have a viable business without their leftovers so we pick on the entity who cant push back, the vendor.

If anyone wants to make a statement drop the insurance company and DONT SIGN BACK UP when they change their policy.

Set a backlash precedent for other "insurance companies" who think of manipulating the field.

**CNG** · 03-22-2014, 01:39 PM

Vision plans are not insurances....they are organized discount plans.
CNG

**Johns** · 03-22-2014, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by braheem24

Would the situation be any better if ABB ships contacts to superior and superior ship it to the patient?

You are correct. ABB is out of line here, so far as being so willing to step up an divert business from optical. The real problem, as you state, is that if ABB didn't do it, someone else would be just as willing to do it instead. Third parties have been empowered to take over our businesses, and we let them do it.

**CNG** · 03-23-2014, 10:28 AM

I think Abb is also at fault...they should have flat out refuse to play game. You cannot be in bed with them...it is like cheating your loved one...who gives you all the goodies yet wants more goodies on the side. Does not work like that. Shame on Abb even for playing with them.
CNG

**Barry Santini** · 03-23-2014, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by Johns

You are correct. ABB is out of line here, so far as being so willing to step up an divert business from optical. The real problem, as you state, is that if ABB didn't do it, someone else would be just as willing to do it instead. Third parties have been empowered to take over our businesses, and we let them do it.

John,

I think the real, underlying culprit is the paradigm-changing disruptor we call the internet.

Companies we traditionally bought from can now easily sell direct to what we used to term "our" customers.

B

**Johns** · 03-23-2014, 02:17 PM

Originally Posted by Barry Santini

John,

I think the real, underlying culprit is the paradigm-changing disruptor we call the internet.

Companies we traditionally bought from can now easily sell direct to what we used to term "our" customers.

B

Very true.

**obxeyeguy** · 03-23-2014, 05:22 PM

Originally Posted by Barry Santini

John,

I think the real, underlying culprit is the paradigm-changing disruptor we call the internet.

Companies we traditionally bought from can now easily sell direct to what we used to term "our" customers.

B

We handed them our customers. How many practices give out the transitions card to the patient to "win free lenses"? How many have their patients do on line re-order at a place like ABB? Contact lens online rebates? Can anyone here spell database? We handed it to them, well, some of you did, and just like insurance for half our fees, we complain, yet continue. down the same road.