I have a client who once told me that he never drove his Porsche in his own community. His reasoning? He didn't want his patients to get the impression that he was getting rich serving them. While that's a pretty conservative approach, it was likely the right approach given my client's visibility in his mid-western community. In any event, he simply didn't want to rub his patient's proverbial noses in his success.
VSP just cut your contact lens reimbursements, eliminated your eyewear case allowance and told you (not a request) to provide additional discounts to VSP patients from your own pocket. Their message: "it's a cold, cruel, competitive world out there and we all have to sacrifice."
The article below comes directly from VSP's own blog and was proudly crafted by a member of VSP's Public Relations staff (thanks to a loyal reader for passing this on to me). What a great response to your sacrifice.
I only participate in VSP signature plan, which in Ohio they have not raised our Eye exam fees in the past 10 years eventhough we submit their joke of a new fee schedule every year to VSP. When I call them and say hey in FLORIDA< CALIFORNIA you pay almost double what you pay in Ohio for an eye exam. VSP gives me the answer your at the maximum fee schedule for your area. Don't even call your VSP represenative because they will not do anything for you, they are a figure head for VSP. Now I have a neighbor that has VSP for years and sees me all of the sudden he calls me upset and says VSP sent me a letter stating that our new VSP coverage you don't participate in their plan and I can't see you and here is 5 other optometrist in the area that take the lesser plan that I have to see. He was at first upset at me almost as if I had wrote the letter. I told him I couldn't believe VSP wrote him a letter stating that. I told him to go back to his Human Resourse person and see if he could get back on the signature plan first. If they said no I told him to drop VSP and save his premiums and I could do a discount that would be better for both of us
Posted by: VSP IS UNBELIEVABLE | November 11, 2009 at 09:43 AM
VSP won't even let me advertise my web site unless I buy another web site through them. THAT IS ILLEGAL! I have been a provider for eighteen years now and they have let me advertise my web site for the past ten years but then they took that luxury of their free web site away and have no room because their system server won't let up put a web site in unless it is purchased through them.
Posted by: John DOE | October 21, 2009 at 04:59 PM
Interesting...
http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2009/08/03/daily65.html
Posted by: Angela Smithson | August 06, 2009 at 04:51 PM
We welcome Dr. Kuhlman's opinion and perspective. We do think it important that readers understand that, according to Dr. Kuhlman's website, she is the Ohio Representative for VSP.
Posted by: Alan Cleinman | July 25, 2009 at 09:12 AM
I am not sure that providing a cafe where your employees can purchase healthy and delicious food is a crime. Also, where do you get that VSP is paying anything, let alone more for this partnership with Bon Appetit than they would with an inferior food service?
Posted by: Tamara Kuhlmann, O.D. | July 24, 2009 at 06:27 PM
Did you notice that they have closed comments for this post?
Posted by: Eye C You | July 18, 2009 at 06:05 PM
The reason that I didn't direct readers to the blog by way of a link was that the last time that I commented about something on VSP's blog (an O.D. student's tour of their facilities...I mean brainwashing) that article on their blog mysteriously disappeared. Let's see if that happens with this article. AHC
Posted by: Al Cleinman | July 15, 2009 at 03:26 PM
Atta boy Jace! Great PR for VSP!
I was wondering why they needed my $2 case fee. Guess shrimp prices are up.
VSP is just going to run itself out of business just like the government is doing.
Posted by: Tory Moore, OD | July 15, 2009 at 03:09 PM
Here is the link to the VSP blog page for this piece - if you want to follow it over and leave your comments for VSP on their site directly also!
http://vspblog.com/2009/07/09/is-it-time-for-lunch-yet/
Posted by: Jason | July 15, 2009 at 02:24 PM
What a slap in the face from VSP. It's nice to see us all making sacrifices.
Posted by: Howard V. Moore, O.D. | July 15, 2009 at 10:34 AM