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"You're off base ..."

Optometrists vs. the World • Rebecca • Larry • Gene • Keith • Will • Lee --- Readers Respond • Joe • Kim

Keith E. Watson, O.D. (9/5/03)::
I think your comments about optometry are a little off base. I agree with Rebecca; however, I would like to add to her comments.

Optometrists (ODs) and Ophthalmologists (OMDs) can easily live in the same world. We both have our jobs. ODs see more routine eye exams and OMDs see more referrals for eye disease and surgery. We refer a lot to them when we diagnose a problem that is beyond our scope of practice. They in turn refer back to us for routine exams such as refractions for glasses or contacts.

That doesn't mean our jobs don't overlap. They certainly do. But I hardly think that a little conjunctivitis warrants a $120 exam from the local retinal surgeon. That's a job for us. We are more than qualified to treat people for conditions like this. And get this: We save people money--and we save insurance companies money too! That's why more and more insurance companies are discovering that we have a place in the medical world and we can actually save them some money. OMDs charge a lot more than we do for even simple treatments like conjunctivitis. Which is why your comment that people should only visit OMDs is wrong.

We did not say, and do not contend, that consumers should "only visit OMDs." We said -- and will continue to say -- that it is "a good idea" for consumers to have at least an occasional exam by an ophthalmologists. We think the otometrists doth protest too much.

Kim of Woodlyn PA writes: (9/16/03):
Keith is incorrect on his statements about treating conjuctivitis. Most insurances will not cover going to see an optometrist for anything other than refractive work and such. If you are on the outside of your two-year visit allowable for insurance, you cannot just go see an optometrist if your eye is red, your medical insurance wants you to either see your primary care physician or an opthalmoligist.

So I am sorry to tell Keith as a patient I would much rather spend my copay of $10 or $20 to a physician, then getting denied through my medical and optical insurance and paying full price for you to exam my conjuctivitis.