Actions Speak Louder than Words!

VSP continues it's arrogance, this time with the announcement that it has launched a “pilot” program with Costco Wholesale.  Yep...of all retailers...COSTCO!  Under this brilliant plan, employees of a number of employer groups (and current VSP clients) who are Costco warehouse club members can now use their VSP vision benefits at the vision centers in Costco’s stores.

What a great way to build a brand!

Perhaps, in all it's wisdom (after all, VSP knows all about private practice optometry...they have 27,000 optometrist "employees") VSP is simply setting up a comparative whereby the "brand" of the private practice optometrist is compared with that of Costco? 

VSP appears to be claiming that failing to have a retail option for it's members is causing competitive challenges.  I believe that this is simply rationalization for VSP to continue it's "globalization" plan and push for more, more, more.  After all, VSP's employees need higher salaries, new cars, more gourmet meals and, of course, to maintain their 15% of salary 401k contribution.  Also, VSP needs dough to expand around the world...because that will, of course, help it's providers who gave VSP life 50 years ago.  What is VSP's mission? 

Why can't VSP just be honest?  Why can't VSP leadership simply come out and tell everyone who they really are:

"We are driven by money and we are going to continue to do whatever we can to grow our business for the benefit of our employees; private practice optometrists be damned!" 

Sorry, VSP...this is just one more action that says it all.

Comments

[Tem]

I'm also disgusted with allowing Costco in the VSP network. It has been demonstrated that if you are a grocery chain, tire dealer, electronics store or a private practicing OD, you cannot compete with Costco on price. VSP was our "protection" against this. I believe they are hedging their bet on the future of private practice optometry. They, along with other greedy insurance plans, will add another nail in the coffin. Will the Costco optometrist, or any other corporate slave for that matter, respond to an emergency page by a patient at 10:00 pm on a Sunday as I do? Ha! Do you think these OD's, who may be very competent clinically, will take care of successive generations of families within their store environment over the course of their careers? Ha! Sad state of affairs!

[Pete]

VSP does not deserve any support and that last line you said about them - "We are driven by money and we are going to continue to do whatever we can to grow our business for the benefit of our employees; private practice optometrists be damned!" - nailed it! This is really true and I support this statement.

[Don Furman]

I disenrolled with VSP one year ago. My gross charges are actually down a bit this year - by almost exactly my amount of VSP charges last year. My net, however, is almost exactly the same as last year. So I am working less hard and making the same money. Correlation does not mean causation, but it is a heck of a coincidence, isn't it?

Would I like to have my net up? Sure - who wouldn't? But it hasn't gone down. And I have much more room to grow my practice this way.

[Alan Cleinman]

Don,

Do I recall that you recently dumped VSP? How did you do it and what have been the results?

Regards,

Al

[Don Furman OD]

No outrage, or even comments from anyone after a week - I guess no one is shocked or surprised at any actions VSP takes anymore. Why do private practice ODs continue to support this entity?