MONEY GRAB HEALTH SERVICE. The extra fees at Visionworks are beyond ridiculous.
First, I was charged an additional fee simply for using a credit card to pay for my eye exam. Visionworks is a huge company, so charging patients extra just for using a credit card feels unnecessary and frustrating.
Second, I was told there is a $50 charge for the Optomap, and it felt like patients using insurance are being pushed toward paying for this service. If you want traditional dilation instead, appointments are apparently only available on Thursday afternoons. Making dilation available during such a limited time makes it very inconvenient for patients and makes the $50 Optomap seem like the easier option.
The technician explained that many patients prefer not to be dilated, but I feel this may also be related to productivity and scheduling since dilation can take more of the doctor’s time. Dilation is still an option, but limiting it to such a small appointment window makes it much less accessible.
We already pay for vision insurance with the expectation that covered services will actually be reasonably available to us. Patients should not feel pressured to pay for an additional service simply because the covered alternative is intentionally difficult to schedule.
I wish Visionworks would make dilation appointments more accessible and reconsider adding extra fees, including credit card fees. After paying for insurance, having additional unnecessary costs added on makes the entire experience even more frustrating.
