Contact lens Price

[jayboi2005]

Well most of you know me by now, been here since January. And still have more and more questions. One question i always ask myself is about contact lenses. I remember when i used to get glasses, there was at least one pair of them that was free! Even though they were horrid! Now when i have been with opticians in the last there is never one set of contact lenses that is free. They all carry quite a hefty cost as far as im concerned.

When i have my appointment at the hospital and im told here you need some more lenses. Will they be free? Or am i going to get the standard £4X charge per lens?

[jayuk]

Depends what records they have of you and how the eye unit deals with Contact Lens

I would suspect they may be discounted for the year where you pay like £40-50 per lens for the whole year........and then pay for replacements....hard to say right now though

[GarethB]

I paid for my lenses first, but very unsure if I will have to pay for the next. The ones I have tried, about 6 were all free, but i never left the hospital with them.

I am also in full time work so would probably have to pay £45, but if you are not working, to be honest I have no idea.

Good question.

[jayboi2005]

I think that this is something that really does need to be changed. As there are a lot of benefits for people who wear glasses, i have to admit i would much prefer glasses. I think that for people like us who cant really wear glasses there should be special contact lens benefits!

What do you all think?

[jayuk]

JB

I guess the argument against that is that "there already is" Contact Lenses, by large across the UK are subsidised...however we are limited as to the types we can ask for / have.....

But I agree....there is a strong argument, as always, that without them many of us are legally blind and cant work...and it costs MORE not to work and support someone, than to fix them up with Lenses

J

[Lynn White]

This ties in with the topic about contact lens solutions on prescription... really it boils down to should KC patients have extra benefits above those other people that require contact lenses medically.

Jay is right.. contact lenses are already subsidised by the hospital and you can actually claim on a normal sight test voucher for contact lenses if you get them through your optician and you are financially eligible for help towards costs.... This though, relies on the coding for your presciption, so that people with higher powers will get more of a subsidy.

Lynn

[rosemary johnson]

Agree entirely that it is more cost-effective for the country (= tax payers) to fit someone in lenses so they can go on working effectively.

HOWEVER

please do not let's equate "blind" with "unable to work". Many blind people do work in regular jobs.
And many more could do so very well, and are prevented by prejudice and ignorance by recruiters than their own lack of capabilities.

Might be worth reckoning also that it is cheaper and more effective/efficient to fit us with a pair of contact lenses than to lash out on the cost of adaptive equipmetn (such as screen reading software and speech synthesisers for our computers) and all the training to learn to use them effectively.

Rosemary

[jayuk]

Rosemary

Agree...hence my entry of Legally Blind......as in majority of cases if this occurs in both eyes...it would prove very hard to work in majority of areas....which then would require further aid...at a cost...

But totally agree with ya

J

[jayboi2005]

I think this is an issue i need to look deep in to, before i start to say this is what we want. This is what i demand! I did speak to our local MP some time ago about it just briefly in conversation. She is very good at getting involved with the community often see her in Morrisons

So if anyone can answer me these questions it would be a help.

What sort of funding is available for people who need to have contact lenses. When i say that i mean don't have contact lenses instead of glasses. I mean who actually have lenses or nothing?

Does the funding cover the whole cost, or just part?

and please add anything else that may help me track and find out more about how the current system works.

[jayuk]

JB

Its partly funded as said earlier....it ranged from £40 / £50 per lens depending on where you are...

aside from that theres not much more to add unless you want to be more specific?

This clearly applies to KC affected people

J