Cataracts and other visual concerns!

[Oaktree]

I'm with Deserteagle71 on this. Not being a vet I have no experience with the VA, but I've heard plenty of stories. Then there's just the inefficiency (at best) and sheer incompetence (way too often) of anything run by the government.
Obamacare® was theoretically supposed to address many of the inefficiencies of the healthcare system, but instead just piled on more layers of bureaucracy.
Why, for instance if you go into the hospital don't you get just one bill? It seems that half the people who see you, even if for a minute or two are "independent contractors" and bill you separately? Why can't they just bill the hospital and let them act as a clearinghouse for all subcontractors? Never mind the BS charges like $50 for an aspirin or a cup of water.

5030 does make a good point about affordability. The insurance companies nickel and dime every line item, so the hospitals make up the difference by sticking the non/under-insured with exorbitant bills.

I wish I knew the solution...so-called socialized medicine sounds good on the surface, but rationing any sort of elective procedures seems to come with the territory. Our system, while being better in that regard will send you to the poorhouse. There's gotta be a better way, but I don't think the insurance or medical lobby will let anything stop their gravy train.

 

[5030]

All I know is, we have Federal Employees BC/BS with Medicare and whatever Medicare don't cover, BC/BS does and all rates are pre negotiated so we never see any bill except the paid EOB and it's been that way right along. Is it a cheap date? On the contrary but as the folks at the BC/BS office tells us, we have the 'Cadillac' plan and it is. We have never paid out of pocket, any hospital related bill, ever. Not a cheap date but worth it 100%. My ongoing cancer issues as well as a couple operations and radiation and chemo and all the rest has run up total charges of over a million bucks in the last 7 years which is more than enough to bankrupt anyone with no or marginal healthcare. The only thing we pay is the 5 buck co pay on scrips and that is it. Some of the meds I take cost over a grand a bottle (I get to see the actual cost on the EOB's but they are all 5 bucks, no exception. People with limited healthcare or none at all are screwed big time and that isn't us and I'm good with it. I could have went the VA route, I enlisted in the Navy back during the start of Vietnam but my dad died when I had just completed my basic training and I got a sole surviving son's discharge so I was not eligible for VA benefits and in a way, glad I was not as I hear horror stories about the VA and their sub standard care.

We deal with none of that, fine with me. Like the rep at Federal Employees BC/BS told us, we will never be liable for any charges, ever and we can go anywhere, any medical provider, nationwide, in fact I'm dealing with not only one provider, but also the Cleveland Clinic as well. Bit of a drive but I like more than one opinion and expertise.

What does it cost? About 700 a month and the Gummit is picking up 1/2. 700 a month sounds like a lot but in reality it's chump change for what we get and we can well afford it as well.

No, I'm not adopting any of you all either....lol

 

[riptides]

I have had nothing but legal issues and $$$$$ coverage issues with BC/BS in my state.
I think there are multi-plan state by state, group by group, member by member differences negotiated behind the scenes.

As far as eye issues, lost one in a tractor accident. The other retinal hemorrhages, retinal detachments, cataract surgery, retinal hemorrhage, retinal detachment...and now...stability.

For cataracts I saw 20/15 after surgery for a brief while. Life was amazing. Just beautiful. I marveled at the detail, wonder, color and clarity of it all. Unfortunate it did not last. A retinal buckle chained the shape of the eye and I am back to 20/20 with glasses. But at least I can see. But darn, I never knew what I was missing.

Take care of your eyes. Always get second and third opinions. Always.

 

[5030]

Federal Employees BC/BS is an entirely different entity than standard BC/BS. In fact we have to 'educate' the providers as to whom to bill or the charges won't get paid. Always trying to put us an 'Anthem', whatever that is and that don't work.

Never had issue one, so long as they submit correctly, when they don't, they don't get paid. Real simple, problem is, people somehow cannot read the submission criteria.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I have had nothing but legal issues and $$$$$ coverage issues with BC/BS in my state.
I think there are multi-plan state by state, group by group, member by member differences negotiated behind the scenes.

As far as eye issues, lost one in a tractor accident. The other retinal hemorrhages, retinal detachments, cataract surgery, retinal hemorrhage, retinal detachment...and now...stability.

For cataracts I saw 20/15 after surgery for a brief while. Life was amazing. Just beautiful. I marveled at the detail, wonder, color and clarity of it all. Unfortunate it did not last. A retinal buckle chained the shape of the eye and I am back to 20/20 with glasses. But at least I can see. But darn, I never knew what I was missing.

Take care of your eyes. Always get second and third opinions. Always.

Keeping functional vision can be a chore for sure.

The cataract in left eye started forming about 10 years when I was 63 but I still seeing ok when COVID then long covid happened.

My annual eye exam nearly 3 months ago got me off a top dead center. My optometrist who I have known since 1982 because we were classmates for the four years of optometry college asked if I wanted to wait another year on cataract surgery and I said NO

I am 10 days post surgery on the left eye and I should have done this years ago.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

So it is a baby boomer boom?

@Gale Hawkins What made you decide to have your eyes different, or are they different, and the corrected vision target is 20/20?

@ultrarunner What triggers an overnight order?

Personally, I suspect this is in my future and I don't look forward to it. I have had a heck of a time with glasses not being ground to the specified prescription (robotic grinding made my life so much better) and the aberrations drive my brain nuts. I've tried plastic lenses more than a few times and my brain doesn't adjust to the chromatic aberration, ever. Changing an ocular lens is not quite the same as a new pair of glasses...

All the best,

Peter

@ponytug when I got glasses in the 7th or 8th grade I was already nearsighted. About 10 years ago I started getting what the old-timers used to call second sight and got to the point where I could see at distance and still read without any glasses. Second sight typically comes right before you start getting cataracts because the index of the lens is changing. I told the clerk at the courthouse that I didn't need corrective lenses when I renewed my license along that time and she took the restriction off.

Fast forward until the last couple years in the left eye went back to being near sighted so I could not see well at a distance but I could read well and my right eye did not go backwards. It stayed where I could see 20/20 at a distance but couldn't read well up close so over the years I lost my glasses because I could see off in the distance to the right eye and I can see up close with the left eye.

The ophthalmologist he said people usually prefer to stay the same way they were before cataract surgery. So that is the reason I got one eye where I can now read and work on the phone or computer.

After the cataract surgery on both eyes is doing well and vision and stabilized, I will get a pair of glasses so that I can see 20/20 at a distance and 20/20 up near in each eye at the same time.

Being able to read and drive and not have to keep track of glasses is a huge Plus for me for daily living.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Your Vision Can Predict Dementia 12 Years Before Diagnosis, Study Finds

Having the best information possible going to the brain from the ears and eyes I see as important to keeping our mental facilities as healthy as possible.

 

[scootr]

I had cataract removal and distance lenses implanted last fall. Astigmatism corrected. Great improvement but readers required. Readers everywhere is a PIA. Some glare in certain lighting but generally a big improvement. And I finally get to wear cheap sunglasses lol.
My advice is let them do both eyes at once. One and done was offered but I chickened out. Wish I had done them both at once.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Thousands of New York driver's licenses suspended over lack of vision tests: How to check your status

Kentucky is trying to put in place testing for senior citizens when they renew their driver license. But as of now you could live to be 120 and get yourself into the courthouse and renew your license without an eye exam or you could do it by mail.

 

[scootr]

Thousands of New York driver's licenses suspended over lack of vision tests: How to check your status

Kentucky is trying to put in place testing for senior citizens when they renew their driver license. But as of now you could live to be 120 and get yourself into the courthouse and renew your license without an eye exam or you could do it by mail.

In CA at age 70 a driving knowledge test and vision test is required every 5 yrs in person at the DMV I had the glasses restriction removed after the cataract surgery lastfall.

 

[ultrarunner]

Thousands of New York driver's licenses suspended over lack of vision tests: How to check your status

Kentucky is trying to put in place testing for senior citizens when they renew their driver license. But as of now you could live to be 120 and get yourself into the courthouse and renew your license without an eye exam or you could do it by mail.

Im moving to Kentucky if the time comes.

 

[MTGreen]

I had a torn and detached retina. Happened as I was teaching. Like a curtain going down in my right eye. Drove to a DR nearby, against the schools advise, about 15 minutes using one eye. He said, get to the hospital ASAP. I did. They tried freezing as a patch, something else as a patch. Came back the next day for final surgery to fix. Stuck a needle in my eye to inject gas to put pressure on repair. At one point a popsicle stick was jammed between my eye ball and the side to move out of the way. 2 years later developed a cataract. Had that done. Wife calls that eye the billion dollar eye... all that was NOT FUN!!!
2 years later, went to surgeon who did first eye. He said don't wait so long... repaired in his office. Just waiting on that to develop a cataract...
On a side note, floaties make me laugh at myself as I swap at them like fruit flies.

Ask your eye doc about compounded low dose atropine drops for the floaters

 

[ultrarunner]

For many procedures we had offed a flat fee but ran into conflict with the new laws like the Stark anti kick back law.

Transparency is the new byword with everything broken out as to who gets paid what along with itemization..

Staff and patients generally liked one fee but insurance companies and Medicare not so much.

 

[deserteagle71]

Thousands of New York driver's licenses suspended over lack of vision tests: How to check your status

Kentucky is trying to put in place testing for senior citizens when they renew their driver license. But as of now you could live to be 120 and get yourself into the courthouse and renew your license without an eye exam or you could do it by mail.

Been a thing here in Nevada for some time now. Up to age 70 you could renew your driver's license on line, good for 8 years. After age 70 you have to go in person and get vision tested at a DMV site before you can renew...and you have to do it every 4 years!

 

[Mtsoxfan]

Ask your eye doc about compounded low dose atropine drops for the floaters

Can you give some details on this? Pros/cons

 

[MTGreen]

Can you give some details on this? Pros/cons

Standard commercially available atropine for eye dilation prior to procedures is a 1% solution. Atropine is an anti-cholinergic (anti-rest-and-digest) which acts on nerve receptors naturally existing in your eye. "Low dose" or more appropriately low strength atropine is "compounded" by a pharmacy as 0.01%, 0.025%, and 0.05% solution. By far the most common use for it is to slow the progression of (not reverse) myopia in children and adolescents either alone or in conjunction with "OrthoK" type hard lenses worn at night that act as braces to remodel the shape of the eyeball. Studies have shown benefit for at least 2 and possibly 3 years for the low dose atropine during childhood/adolescence.
Side effects with this indication(use) are not common and are typically limited to temporary (1-5min) burning sensation, bad taste in mouth, and temporary light sensitivity (used at night before bed).

A newer use for low dose atropine that does not yet have the same level of robust double blinded placebo controlled studies is for "floaters" in adults. Again, there is not nearly as much data as for myopia in children, but preliminary efficacy has been excellent and side effects are uncommon and similar to those listed above.

The strength is between 1/20th to 1/100th of the commercially available formulation. "Compounded" means that it is either sterilely diluted down from the commercial formulation or made directly from the raw chemical ingredients and sterilized in a strictly controlled (and heavily regulated) cleanroom.

Your ophthalmologist would be able to give you more information and write a script if you'd like to try it

[And before anyone asks or assumes this info didn't come from "ask Google", nor do I have anything whatsoever to gain from anyone having their doc write a script for it]

 

[newbury]

It was suggested to start a visual related thread. I have my left eye cataract surgery finished and currently scheduling for the right eye.

Long time coming for this thread and I hope it can stay non-political.

Cataract surgery used to be chancy. Twenty years ago I heard many stories about problems and complications. Flaps coming undone were the worst. My MIL (RIP) put off surgery for many years, much to her dismay. When she finally got the surgery (on both eyes) she was aggravated with herself for not having gotten it sooner.
When my "time" came my right eye started clouding first, it progressed gradually for a couple of Covid years then over the course of a few months clouded over such that I could barely see to drive slowly with my right eye, left eye was fine. "Luckily" I was able to get the cataract lens replaced almost immediately.
My vision in that eye after surgery came back better than before the cataract.
Recovery after operation was quick and easy.

Now how about wet AMD in this thread?

 

[riptides]

....

Now how about wet AMD in this thread?

I had a bad diagnosis on that one. I ended up going elsewhere for a second opinion which they said it was just a capillary had busted. Saved me injections and what not. Ended up staying with that second opinion doctor and organization.

I get monitored every six months. Just because.

 

[jaxs]

Long time coming for this thread and I hope it can stay non-political.

Now how about wet AMD in this thread?

Into my 5th year with injections in right eye and monitoring left. Thanks to a doctor that takes his job serious I've preserved my vision.

 

[Oaktree]

I had cataract removal and distance lenses implanted last fall. Astigmatism corrected. Great improvement but readers required. Readers everywhere is a PIA. Some glare in certain lighting but generally a big improvement. And I finally get to wear cheap sunglasses lol.
My advice is let them do both eyes at once. One and done was offered but I chickened out. Wish I had done them both at once.

Don't you have to wear an eye patch for a couple days after surgery? ISTR that being the case when my wife had hers done a couple years ago. Not sure I'd want to be blindfolded for a couple days.
How bad was your astigmatism? I have it pretty bad in one eye (to the point of just barely being correctable with glasses), and I was told that cataract surgery would require a special procedure that was not typically covered by insurance. Fortunately, I have minimal cataracts so not really an issue right now.