Financial Help
Moderators: Anne Klepacz, John Smith, Sweet
-
- Newbie
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Fri 12 Jul 2019 1:41 pm
- Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
- Vision: Contact lenses
Financial Help
I currently have KC and wear RGP lenses which are provided through a specialised optician- this is where I have to go for my hospital appointments. I have to pay £57 per eye every 6 months towards these appointments (in total £114). These charges include the cost of my contact lenses. Is there any financial help out there for patients like me?
- Anne Klepacz
- Committee
- Posts: 2266
- Joined: Sat 20 Mar 2004 5:46 pm
- Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
- Vision: Graft(s) and contact lenses
Re: Financial Help
Hello AD1 and welcome,
I'm afraid financial help with the cost of contact lenses is limited. Those on certain benefits can get free lenses and there is also some help for those on low income through a HC3 certificate. You'll find details here https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/help-w ... -vouchers/ though it doesn't say what they consider as 'low income' But it's worth finding out whether you might qualify.
The other thing that strikes me is that you're being charged a lot more than those of us who are able to get our lenses through a hospital contact lens department (though where a hospital doesn't have its own CL dept, they usually have a contract with a local specialist optician). Through a hospital eye clinic, the charge is £57 per lens but that covers any changes in prescription in a 12 month period. And if there are no changes in prescription, and no new lens is needed, then there is no charge. How often are your lenses being changed at the moment? Do you get new lenses every year? Even if you are, that seems to mean that you are being charged an extra £114 a year for 'chair time'. That is free in a hospital clinic, but I know from other people who have posted here that the opticians who provide specialist lenses for the NHS often do charge extra. Given how complex KC contact lens fitting can be, that's probably not unreasonable, but I don't know how much variation there is between different opticians and whether there's any sort of cap on what they can charge. It's a difficult one though, because I don't think you can just go to a difference optician if your hospital has a contract with a specific one. A different optician probably wouldn't be able to give you NHS prices at all, and of course would be unlikely to have the expertise to fit KC lenses. What is other forum users experience on this?
I'm afraid financial help with the cost of contact lenses is limited. Those on certain benefits can get free lenses and there is also some help for those on low income through a HC3 certificate. You'll find details here https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/help-w ... -vouchers/ though it doesn't say what they consider as 'low income' But it's worth finding out whether you might qualify.
The other thing that strikes me is that you're being charged a lot more than those of us who are able to get our lenses through a hospital contact lens department (though where a hospital doesn't have its own CL dept, they usually have a contract with a local specialist optician). Through a hospital eye clinic, the charge is £57 per lens but that covers any changes in prescription in a 12 month period. And if there are no changes in prescription, and no new lens is needed, then there is no charge. How often are your lenses being changed at the moment? Do you get new lenses every year? Even if you are, that seems to mean that you are being charged an extra £114 a year for 'chair time'. That is free in a hospital clinic, but I know from other people who have posted here that the opticians who provide specialist lenses for the NHS often do charge extra. Given how complex KC contact lens fitting can be, that's probably not unreasonable, but I don't know how much variation there is between different opticians and whether there's any sort of cap on what they can charge. It's a difficult one though, because I don't think you can just go to a difference optician if your hospital has a contract with a specific one. A different optician probably wouldn't be able to give you NHS prices at all, and of course would be unlikely to have the expertise to fit KC lenses. What is other forum users experience on this?
- Lia Williams
- Moderator
- Posts: 481
- Joined: Thu 16 Feb 2006 5:27 pm
- Location: Surrey
Re: Financial Help
Just to add to Anne’s comprehensive reply. If your lenses are replaced every six months because they only have design life of six months then you will be charged every six months for replacements. But if your lenses were designed to be replaced more frequently than every six months then you would be charged £57, per eye, for a six month supply.
Lia
Lia
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