http://taxine.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] taxine.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] davis_square2012-03-03 08:02 pm
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New prescription and glasses

Well, I ruined my glasses(not just sitting on them this time), and my prescription expired years ago, plus my eyes have changed anyhow.
Catch is, I have no insurance whatsoever. So I need the absolute cheapest place to get my eyes checked and get glasses. I have astigmatism, it that changes anything.
I did check the "eye care" tag but the closest hit was from 2009, and I feel like plenty of places have likely changed in 3 years.
Anything in Davis, Arlington, or Cambridge is ideal.

My other question is, how much can I expect this to be? The last time I got glasses I was a teenager and on my parents' insurance, so I have no idea what a fair price even is...

Thanks in advance!
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[identity profile] chantalzola.livejournal.com 2012-03-04 01:34 am (UTC)(link)
When I didn't have insurance as a kid, my mom would take me to the eye place at BJs, which was like Costco. Does your local BJs/Coscto have glasses? Is there a med school by you? If there is, call them and see if they have an optometry department and if they do appointments on a sliding scale, etc. A lot of schools, NYU as an example, do that.

ETA: I'm an ass, I didn't see what community this was posted in. There are definitely med schools by you, haha.

ETA2: And I know you in real life, haha. Wow. My reading comprehension is utter fail tonight.
Edited 2012-03-04 01:38 (UTC)

[identity profile] taxine.livejournal.com 2012-03-04 01:44 am (UTC)(link)
Ha! When I saw this pre-edit I was like..."you know where I live!"

The funny thing is, I thought of BJ's/Costco too, but there aren't any too easily accessible by T, and I need the glasses pretty much solely to drive, so I can't borrow a car to go really. Total glasses fail.

[identity profile] chantalzola.livejournal.com 2012-03-04 01:49 am (UTC)(link)
Hahaha, I've even been there! Man, I need to get more sleep. We should get together soon! On the weekend though (my job often keeps me over time. God I hate it). I don't know if you work on the weekends or not?

Yeah, there's no BJs/Costco around here that I can get to. Lame. What about Target? I don't remember. They might have an eye department if it's a Super Target. I know Walmart does... In Florida. Haha. One of the bad things about living around here is that nothing cheap is T accessible. I don't get it!

With insurance, my current eye stuff came to about $200, but I have REALLY bad eyesight and had to have all of this special crap done to my glasses just to make them wearable. I vaguely remember it being $250 without insurance. I need to get a new prescription as well. With my current insurance, I might as well not have insurance, it's so bad. Boo Mass Health Bronze =(

[identity profile] taxine.livejournal.com 2012-03-04 02:01 am (UTC)(link)
I work all weekend, every weekend. :( I typically only go out now when it's like 2pm on a weekday, ha. Life of a cafe worker sucks... I guess let me know if you're around a weekday afternoon though!

I think the closest Super Target is in Everett or Woburn, which isn't easy to get to either. It's ridiculous.

I would happily take Mass Health at this point, the closest thing I've got are prescription discount cards for Walgreens.

[identity profile] chantalzola.livejournal.com 2012-03-04 02:05 am (UTC)(link)
Will do. i work out of Quincy (puke) some of the days and the Copley Mall the other days. I'm pretty sure you had a job at the place I currently work. And didn't like it. I can't wait until I find a new job, then I'm going to do the most dramatic 'Fuck You, I quit!' that I can, haha. I dream of this.

Yeah, I didn't think there was one that is T accessible =( Does Tufts do any sliding scale stuff? I would call their optometry department and see. They might.

Problem with Mass Health is that I pay the copay, etc. and then I get a huge bill weeks later. Also some of my prescriptions are the same price as it is without insurance. One of my meds alone is $163. It's freaking ridiculous. There's got to be a better option =( I don't get why I pay every month, only to be charged the same as if I didn't have insurance.

[identity profile] taxine.livejournal.com 2012-03-04 02:14 am (UTC)(link)
BMCHP? Yeah, I hated it, but I hate all offices, so I'm not a good judge.

That fucking sucks about your Mass Health, but I'm guessing the real benefit is not getting penalized for not having insurance at all(as I will be, ugh)

[identity profile] chantalzola.livejournal.com 2012-03-04 02:16 am (UTC)(link)
No, a financial company. I think they bought the offices from BMCHP. They've pretty much taken over the mall.

That's true. I do pay less than I would if I were penalized (we did the math, heh). I find the penalty so ridiculous. Most people who don't have insurance, don't have it because they can't afford it. So you're going to make them PAY????

[identity profile] taxine.livejournal.com 2012-03-04 02:22 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, ugh. Even worse than BMCHP, maybe...

I got rejected for Mass Health, and I have to find out more stuff to find out if I qualify for CC instead. I've been going through that mess since December.

[identity profile] chantalzola.livejournal.com 2012-03-04 02:23 am (UTC)(link)
That's another thing, insurance companies won't cover everyone. So you're going to punish people for trying and being denied???? I don't get it. I don't get why our system is supposed to be like, the 'model' for other states. It fucking sucks.

It's so horrible. I actually burst into tears on a conference call the other day.
Edited 2012-03-04 02:24 (UTC)

[identity profile] intuition-ist.livejournal.com 2012-03-04 03:11 am (UTC)(link)
I anti-recommend BJ's -- I got glasses there once, ended up damaging my vision and had to go to my HMO's ophthalmologist to get a second, correct pair. :\
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[personal profile] ckd 2012-03-04 03:33 am (UTC)(link)
The Costco in Everett is...well, not super accessible but doable. (T to Wellington, #97 bus to Gateway Center.)
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[personal profile] avjudge 2012-03-04 03:36 am (UTC)(link)
Depends on how well you walk. It's not a fun walk, but Costco is about a mile from Wellington, out the drive to Revere Beach Parkway, across the Malden River, then into the shopping center. There is a bus there from Wellington (I don't know its schedule, I just see it there - just checked, it's #97), but it's probably faster to walk unless your timing is really lucky.

(At least that's what I find in general, living in the middle of Somerville, a mile and a bit from Davis - definitely faster on average to walk to Davis than to fiddle with buses!)

[personal profile] ron_newman 2012-03-05 03:03 am (UTC)(link)
If the OP has a bicycle, this is a pretty short ride from Davis.

[identity profile] ionicaq.livejournal.com 2012-03-05 04:19 pm (UTC)(link)
There is a BJs down the street from the Quincy Adams T station. Bit of a hike on the train, and a couple minute walk, but definitely accessible.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/bjs-wholesale-club-quincy
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