Maryland gov't tells me how to buy glasses! - Politics and War Forum

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Maryland gov't tells me how to buy glasses!
Friday, May 26, 2006 2:18 PM on j-body.org
Following is an email I just sent off to three area representative in the Maryland House of Delegates. I'll let the email tell the story...
Quote:

From: Joe Carroll [mailto:jcarroll@revpachotels.com]
Sent: Friday, May 26, 2006 5:09 PM
To: 'susan.aumann@house.state.md.us'; 'william.frank@house.state.md.us'; 'john.trueschler@house.state.md.us'
Subject: Optical prescription "law"?


I have a few questions about a law I learned about today.

I broke my glasses this morning and went to a Lenscrafters to get a new pair, assuming they could just read my prescription from my existing lenses and make me new ones. I was told they didn't do that anymore and needed a written prescription, so I called the place that made my old glasses to ask them to fax it over. Imagine my surprise when I was told that my prescription was "expired" and, while they could send it to me, no optician would make glasses from it because "making new glasses from an expired prescription is ILLEGAL in Maryland".

A little background here...I am 34 years old, and have been wearing glasses since I was 7. Through many visits to opticians, I have had the exact same prescription since I was 15. Today I was in a bind, as my only pair of glasses was broken and I needed to get a pair made as quickly as possible as cheaply as possible. The glasses I was wearing, right up until the moment I broke them, were working just fine so I can see NO potential harm in an optician making me an identical pair. The only possible harm would be that I wouldn't pay some doctor for a service that I felt I didn't need. In the end I had my arm twisted and paid the money to get an exam. Lo and behold, the prescription the doctor came up with was IDENTICAL to the one she read off my existing lenses. So I spent my hard earned money for something I didn't want for no good reason other than "the state says so".

That leads me to my questions. I've talked to quite a few people who are as taken back by this as I am. All assumed it was "doctor's advice" to review your prescription every few years, and not some legislative mandate. I've searched the internet and Maryland's online system and come up empty. Is this in fact a law, or is it eye doctors trying to force me into paying for something I don't want?

If it IS a law, when was it passed, who were it's sponsors and what were the purported reasons for it being so necessary? Is it the result of a true need to protect the interests of the public or is it the result of large campaign contributions by an opticians lobby? If this is really a law, I'd consider it yet another example of over-regulation and government intruding into areas of our lives where they don't belong. People like myself are entirely capable of making informed decisions on our own and shouldn't be forced into doing something we don't want to, especially when it involves involuntarily spending money on unneeded services.
Discuss.







09:f9:11:02:9d:74:e3:5b:d8:41:56:c5:63


Re: Maryland gov't tells me how to buy glasses!
Friday, May 26, 2006 2:51 PM on j-body.org
First of all.. That letter was very good! You made the point really clear.. I also agree.. I can't believe it's a law, but some eye doctor trying to make a few extra dollars.. Keep us up to date.




Red 2005 Saturn Ion-3 Coupe
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Re: Maryland gov't tells me how to buy glasses!
Friday, May 26, 2006 10:14 PM on j-body.org
Jimmy: if it helps,

http://www.oag.state.md.us/consumer/edge73.htm

The only other thing I could find was information on contact lenses.

I think the reason they were getting in a bind is possibly because corrective eye-wear are FDA regulated appliances. I dig what you're saying though... But most places are less interested in fixing the problem than covering their liability and fattening their coffers.




Transeat In Exemplum: Let this stand as the example.


Re: Maryland gov't tells me how to buy glasses!
Saturday, May 27, 2006 12:43 AM on j-body.org
@!#$ that



Re: Maryland gov't tells me how to buy glasses!
Saturday, May 27, 2006 4:41 AM on j-body.org
I've had places make me up glasses here in Pennsylvania when my pair has broken with no eye exam.



Re: Maryland gov't tells me how to buy glasses!
Saturday, May 27, 2006 5:33 AM on j-body.org
I did the same last year for my prescription saftey glasses. I used 2for 1 (big chain here) and they didnt really want to do t, but after a little sweet-talking they did take the prescription off my regular glasses.




Rice.....Part of a balanced Pontiac diet.
Re: Maryland gov't tells me how to buy glasses!
Saturday, May 27, 2006 6:01 AM on j-body.org
Same thing in NY. My Fiancee and I went for new contacts and i needed some eyeglasses as we cant wear contacts at work and We both had to get new eye exams. I just had one a year ago. I know the eye Doctor very well which is why i go there and he said they just cant do it, if they ever got caught the state would fine them. He did give us free eye exams but still, what the @!#$ is up with that.



Re: Maryland gov't tells me how to buy glasses!
Saturday, May 27, 2006 9:40 AM on j-body.org
Get over it, your script *could* have changed.




Re: Maryland gov't tells me how to buy glasses!
Saturday, May 27, 2006 10:38 AM on j-body.org
Cable wrote:Get over it, your script *could* have changed.
Yeah, you're right. I've only been wearing glasses since you were still @!#$ting green and I don't know my own eyes. I don't know for a fact that I've had an identical prescription for almost 20 years. None of that is true and you're right...I should just get over it. Hell, maybe I'll go buy a Mac today too. Moron.

I went in there with my own assurance (and repeatedly told them) that my prescription hadn't changed, and I was forced to pay for an exam to find out I was dead right. Besides, if you're focusing on my prescription changing or not changing, you're missing the whole point. I believe that eye doctors are there for a reason. What I have a very strenuous objection to is being FORCED to go to one by a state law. They are my glasses, they are my eyes, and the government has no business passing laws affecting either.







09:f9:11:02:9d:74:e3:5b:d8:41:56:c5:63

Re: Maryland gov't tells me how to buy glasses!
Saturday, May 27, 2006 12:22 PM on j-body.org
Jimmy: I'm going to point back to my comment about corrective eye-wear being FDA regulated appliances. I doubt it was anything personal.They're covering their asses, and your prescription was expired.

Think of it like a driver's license that expired if it helps.

As an aside though, my grand-dad's prescription hasn't changed in 30 years... even though he's legally blind now.




Transeat In Exemplum: Let this stand as the example.


Re: Maryland gov't tells me how to buy glasses!
Saturday, May 27, 2006 12:23 PM on j-body.org
actually JIMMYZ; You are going to be driving, therefore it IS the states responsibility to make sure you have the right script, and if your script hasnt changed in 20 years you are in the minority. Your script will change its just a matter of time, keep in mind all the cells in your body including your eyes are replaced every ~7 years. Granted your eyes dont 'grow', but they can and do change, for that matter you have 2 eyes, and they can be damaged, What you are whining about I would have anticipated, and accepted not just because I understand it, but BECAUSE IT MAKES SENCE.

Why dont you just get laser eye surgery?

Make sure you find someplace that uses Windows to control the laser tho, you wouldnt want to use a unreliable machine for soemthing like your eyes.





Re: Maryland gov't tells me how to buy glasses!
Saturday, May 27, 2006 12:37 PM on j-body.org
^^^ Macs would require an interface unit that's only available for PC's anyhow.

Either way, they use a proprietary *NIX, and laser corrective surgery leads to night-blindness more often than not, so I've heard.




Transeat In Exemplum: Let this stand as the example.


Re: Maryland gov't tells me how to buy glasses!
Saturday, May 27, 2006 12:42 PM on j-body.org
i like the way you put it, Jimmy.

I do agree with GAM though, and really, think about this...if you perscription had change--how much would it have compared to you sans corrective lenses? at least they could have made a cheap pair of your old perscription to get you that much closer to 100% vision as opposed to letting you go at whatever....nd chances are your vision wouldn't have totally reversed (i.e. nearsighted to farsighted)

why i'm so glad i don't wear glasses...yet <knock on wood>


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Re: Maryland gov't tells me how to buy glasses!
Saturday, May 27, 2006 2:22 PM on j-body.org
GAM (The Kilted One) wrote:^^^ Macs would require an interface unit that's only available for PC's anyhow.

Either way, they use a proprietary *NIX, and laser corrective surgery leads to night-blindness more often than not, so I've heard.


I know a few people who have had it done and none of them suffered from night blindness. One how ever suffered from being blind period lol....they fixed it of course but before hand, his vision was @!#$ up and it burned like crazy



Re: Maryland gov't tells me how to buy glasses!
Saturday, May 27, 2006 3:07 PM on j-body.org
My mom can't drive at night because of the procedure, same with 2-3 of my co-workers. Mom and one of my co-workers went to a place in the US to get the wave-front procedure done.

If you have minor night vision problems, laser surgery will most always exasperate it.




Transeat In Exemplum: Let this stand as the example.


Re: Maryland gov't tells me how to buy glasses!
Saturday, May 27, 2006 3:24 PM on j-body.org
I do have minor night vision problems already but my eye site isnt that bad in the first place. 20/20 in the left eye and 20/40 in the right. So i wont be getting it any time soon. And i do know plenty of people that dont have night blindness who have gotten the surgury done.

I think the main problem is it depends on how bad your vision is in the first place. That decides the type of surgury. A focal laser will not cause night blindness. Typically its only when your vision is horrible and they have to do extensive surgury that your peripheral retina loses rod cells which are needed to see at night. Even so, its not always that way. It only happens when its a really bad case in the first place.



Re: Maryland gov't tells me how to buy glasses!
Saturday, May 27, 2006 4:27 PM on j-body.org
Cable wrote:actually JIMMYZ; You are going to be driving, therefore it IS the states responsibility to make sure you have the right script
In Maryland, a basic eye test is part of your drivers license test/renewal. If you can't pass the test without glasses you're required to take it with your glasses on and will have a restriction put on your license stating that you require glasses or contacts. I have that restriction and passed the test when I last renewed my license. Beyond that my vision and glasses are none of the state's business.
Cable wrote:Why dont you just get laser eye surgery?
My vision with my existing prescription glasses tests at over 200/20. I can read street signs from hundreds of yards away and can read a stock ticker on a 13" TV from across a large room. Laser vision correction generally says you "can achieve 20/20 vision" but they usually only guarantee 20/30 (the minimum required in most states to drive without glasses). There are also the well known side effects as well as the danger of something going wrong. I'm better off with glasses than I could ever be with "corrected" vision.






09:f9:11:02:9d:74:e3:5b:d8:41:56:c5:63

Re: Maryland gov't tells me how to buy glasses!
Tuesday, May 30, 2006 3:08 AM on j-body.org
If you have minor night vision problems, laser surgery will most always exasperate it.
---------------------------

And if you fly or dive, the laser quite often leads to decompression/presuriztion blindness.




Rice.....Part of a balanced Pontiac diet.
Re: Maryland gov't tells me how to buy glasses!
Tuesday, May 30, 2006 5:51 AM on j-body.org
Jimmy I agree its stupid for it to be legislated to us about how we care for our own eyes but welcome to the great state of Maryland. Honestly does something even this out there really surprise you in our state? It shouldn't.


Remember its the govt's job to be our big brother and take care of us and watch after us because after all we're just the stupid masses and have no clue how to do anything for ourselves.






Semper Fi SAINT. May you rest in peace.



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