LensPriceCompare Blog

We recently had a question about how online retailers handle Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) / Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and insurance claims. We inquired at two retailers who both replied that they did not deal with insurance companies at all. Some online retailers notate their products indicating the product likely qualifies for FSA spending. FSA credit cards may be used to pay online retailers directly from an FSA account.

FSA accounts work really well with contact lens purchasing because remaining FSA balances must be forfeited or used by the end of the year. Excess money in the account can be spent on up to 12 months worth of contact lenses with a new prescription.

Generally, we cannot answer for merchants on FSA policies and procedures. Specific inquiries must be directed to them by phone or email.

LenspriceCompare blog was quiet during the summer but as the seasons change once again so do contact lens prices, coupons, rebates and discount offers.

We have had many inquiries for CoastalContacts $100 rebates, and sorry to say this promotion ended for Focus Night and Day and Focus Dailies 90 Packs on Aug 31st 2008. The good news is, we continue to run great deals on them and the purchase quantity has been reduced. During the rebate offer a purchase of 10 boxes of Focus Dailies and 6 boxes of Focus Night and Day was required. O2 Optix and FreshLook Colorblends rebates, although now reduced, are still great deals.

Summertime Acuvue rebates are still valid until the end of Sept 2008, so if you are looking to buy Acuvue contact lenses anytime soon, get your prescriptions ready and place your orders. Once the rebate expires there is no guarantee it will be renewed. As you can see above, Cibavision rebates were reduced this time, Acuvue might follow suit.

Coupons have remained very stable during the summer, but we are seeing fluctuations from some merchants and some coupons have changed. Lenspricecompare contact lens coupons are regularly updated and are removed automatically once they pass the expiration date. This way our coupons are always valid.

Changes are on the way to Lenspricecompare.com and we will announce them here as they happen, so stay tuned and subscribe to the RSS feed for convenient viewing. If you would like to see any changes to the site, leave a comment or email us.

Acuvue rebates are now scheduled to expire on Sept 30th 2008. Now is a great time to begin planning for your next Acuvue lens purchase. Usually new prescriptions are required to take advantage of rebates. The details and (not that much) fine print are on  the forms on retailers sites and the Acuvue website. Some retailers like 1-800-Contacts.com use their own rebate forms. The forms need to mailed in along with receipts, box tops, and prescription.

Acuvue rebates, set to expire on April 30th 2008, have been extended to June 30th 2008. New rebate forms have not been published yet and Acuvue may have them ready by mid-May.

After contacting several several stores, the word is that they will send customers to the old rebate forms, until new forms are available. Current forms with the April expiration date are still valid.

Compare contact lens prices at Lenspricecompare.com.

Find English and Spanish Acuvue rebate forms posted here.

LASIK (acronym for laser assisted in situ keratomileusis) and contact lenses both have risks. Without a full-blown set of statistics here, it is not appropriate to comment on risk factors. No doubt, a study is available from some organization or corporation. What’s troubling though, is that LASIK is probably irreversible, and you only get one chance to get it right. If it’s a case of getting what you pay for, don’t scrimp on LASIK.

About 700,000 people per year have laser surgery at an average cost of $2000. According to this article one in four candidates are not suited to receive LASIK treatment, and 1 percent or fewer experience serious side effects.

In the second eye-opening article in as many weeks, we are again reminded about the risks involved with LASIK eye surgery. On Friday April 25^th in Washington, former LASIK patients who suffered unsuccessful eye surgery complained about lack of LASIK risk information to federal health advisors.

To summarize the federal health advisors recommended warnings to be more prominent:

• Add photographs that illustrate what people suffering certain side effects actually see, such as the glare that can make oncoming headlights a huge “starburst” of light.

• Clarify how often patients suffer different side effects, such as dry eye. Some eye surgeons say 31 percent of Lasik patients have some degree of dry eye before surgery, and it worsens for about 5 percent afterward. Other studies say 48 percent of Lasik recipients suffer some degree of dry eye months later.

• Make more understandable the conditions that should disqualify someone from Lasik, such as large pupils or severe nearsightedness.

• And spell out that anyone whose nearsightedness is fixed by Lasik is guaranteed to need reading glasses in middle age, something that might not be needed if they skip Lasik.

 

 

In a recent article on 10 News KWTX.com (April 15th 2008) entitled “Lasik for Soldiers”, the CDRAMC Refractive Surgery Center is ready to perform corrective eye surgery on 60-80 soldiers per week. The implication is that it doesn’t cost anything for active duty personnel.

In response to the article, DR Mark Shear former Capt. USAR MSC, and chief of Optometry Clinic WEED ACH NTC Fort Irwin, CA, warns of complications for soldiers and athletes should they suffer eye trauma after LASIK. He says “the ability to treat and/or reposition a cap dislocation in a field situation will be difficult if not impossible”. He goes on to say, “Caution should be exercised and Combat Soldiers / Athletes should be warned of the possibilities of complications.”

AClens.com just issued an exclusive coupon to Lenspricecompare.com. The coupon offers 10% off contact lens prices for new AClens customers. To use the coupon type in LPC10NEW into the special instructions box during the ACLens checkout process.

Volume discounts apply to popular lenses like Acuvue and Focus. ACLens also offers a free contact lens case with each purchase, free regular shipping over $89, and free shipping and handling.

AClens just introduced a Bill-Me-Later program, which defers payments for 90 days on orders over $100.

As a further incentive to visit their store, you can buy a pair of reading glasses for 10% off until the end of April 08 (11:59 EST). Use the coupon “READ” without the quotes to take advantage of the offer. Only one coupon code can be used at any time.

Limited Time Offer! Order reading glasses and save 10% off. Enter coupon code READ in the instructions section of our order form. Offer expires 4/30/2008.

This month we would like to provide you with consumer tips to help the informed consumer.

Provide your users with these easy steps to ensure eye health when wearing contact lenses:

• Wash your hands thoroughly before handling your contact lenses.
• Perform all contact lens care steps (clean, rinse, disinfect!) every time you remove your lenses from your eyes, on a schedule recommended by your eye care professional.
• Use only fresh contact lens care solutions that are recommended by your eye care professional — and never tap water!
• Replace your lenses with a fresh new pair on a schedule recommended by your eye care professional.

Lens.com: Get FREE Standard Shipping + $5.00 off first time orders of $149 or more with code FIRST-08OU. Offer expires 4/30/08.

Discountcontactlenses.com coupons will expire very soon. This coupon will remain current on Lenspricecompare.com until 4-14-08. Don’t forget it’s really worth $16.95 because free  shipping is included as well.

Discountcontactlenses have excellent prices and we highly recommend their store.

10% off any order of contact lenses with FREE Shipping over $89. Use code DCLTEN at checkout. Expires 4/14/08.

Acuvue Alert - The current round of Acuvue contact lens rebates end on April 30th. We have no information on future rebates.

It is probably a good idea to take advantage of the rebates now. Some retailers seem to link coupons and volume discounts to manufacturer rebates, so as the rebates expire discounts may change too.

When Acuvue rebates expired in December 2007, the subsequent rebates turned out to be less valuable. So don’t assume anything about future rebates.

Here’s a summary of coupons from the Acuvue site. Compare contact lens prices here.

$20 Rebate
ACUVUE 2 Buy 8 boxes (send in 5 box tops)

$30 Rebate
ACUVUE OASYS with HYDRACLEAR Plus buy 8 boxes (send in 5 box tops)
ACUVUE ADVANCE with HYDRACLEAR buy 8 boxes (send in 5 box tops)
1·DAY ACUVUE buy 12 or more boxes (send in 8 box tops)
1·DAY ACUVUE MOIST buy 12 or more boxes (send in 8 box tops)
ACUVUE Bifocal buy 4 or more boxes (send in 3 box tops)
ACUVUE 2 COLOURS buy 8 or more boxes (send in 5 box tops)

$40 Rebate
ACUVUE ADVANCE for Astigmatism buy 4 or more boxes (send in 3 box tops)

$55 Rebate
ACUVUE Bifocal buy 8 or more boxes (send in 5 box tops)

$65 Rebate
ACUVUE ADVANCE for Astigmatism buy 8 or more boxes (send in 5 box tops)

$75 Rebate
1·DAY ACUVUE buy 24 or more boxes (send in 12 box tops)
1·DAY ACUVUE MOIST buy 24 or more boxes (send in 12 box tops)