Legal Stiffarming?

[fly]

HERE IN ILLINOIS EYEMED IS RESTRUCTURING THEIR FRAME PURCHASING PLAN. INSTEAD OF BUYING ALL THE FRAMES UP FRONT YOU ARE REQUIRED TO PURCHASE $100.00 LUXOTTICA PRODUCT WITH EVERY EYEMED CLAIM, UP TO A MAX OF $15,000 ANNUALLY.
I ADMIT I AM NOT A FAN OF LUXOTTICA A.K.A. LENSCRAFTERS/EYEMED, VSP, COLE OR OTHER "MANAGED" PLANS. HOWEVER,VSP FOR EXAMPLE DOES NOT FORCE ME TO BUY THEIR FRAMES. THEY OFFER THEIR PRODUCT BUT DO NOT FORCE IT ON US HOLDING FUTURE PATIENTS HOSTAGE. I KNOW SOME OF YOU WILL SAY DROP IT ALL AND GO FOR THE CASH SALE ONLY. WE CONSIDERED THAT AND WE WOULD BE COMMITING BUSINESSIDE. I JUST THINK THAT EYEMED IS STARTING TO CREATE A BIT OF A MONOPOLY ON OUR INDUSTRY AND WONDER IF IT MAY BE BORDERLINE ILLEGAL. I ADMIT THE HIGHER EXAM REIMBURSEMENT IS ALLURING, ALLOWING THE USE OF OUR OWN LAB IS MORE REASONABLE AND NOT HAVING TO HAVE A 51% O.D. CLAUSE IS NICE. I JUST THINK THAT AL THE EMPIRE IS TRYING TO FORCE THEIR PRODUCT TO THEIR "INSURED CUSTOMERS" VIA THE THREE O'S. THEY HAVE ALWAYS SAID THAT THEY WANT TO HELP US EX. SUNCENTER, ADVERTISING AND SO ON BUT HAVE THEY REALLY FOLLOWED THROUGH AND IS THIS JUST ANOTHER PHASE.

[Johns]

VSP does require new plan member to buy frames. Granted, they consign them up front, but they now require a certain volume of purchases now.

As far as EYEmed, that sounds great. People would kill to do that here. What has happened in our are is that a lot of places bought into the plan, and no members showed up. If I only had to buy a frame when I saw a member, that'd be fine w/ me. Now if yo have to stock their frames AND reorder for every claim, FORGET it !!

[paw]

VSP does not require you to purchase their consignment frames. We've been taking VSP for years and they have never required us to carry the frames.

Are you saying that VSP requires NEW VSP providers to carry the consignment frames???

[R10957]

When did VSP REQUIRE a purchase of product???? We have been a provider for years, and yes we handle 2 of their line on consigment, we have only purchase what we sold, just like you would do in frame board management.

As for the EyeMed thing, well, too bad you EyeMed contract holders aren't. Some time between now and the end of the year you will all se a change in the Lenscrafters EOB advertisement, and we just got a SPecial contract for 7500 per year, at 50.00 for every other claim, retro to Jan 1, 03. No stocking required, and no minimum. The HOOK, we still have to discount everybodys product, so if we end up with allot their product, we can only return 20% of total sales.

It is still Buying Patients. Cole, VSP Davis, Spectera, none of them require anyhting like that. They couldnt. The provider networks they all have, would quit left and Right.