As a part of catching up with general maintenance that I'd let slide during the past year, I made an appointment with a new eye doctor. My previous guy retired so I picked out a group nearer to us. I don't wear prescription glasses, but use over-the-counter readers for close work. After cataract surgery and a lens implant five years ago, my vision has been not perfect but quite adequate for my needs. Lately though I've noticed blurring and having to squint to read some text.
After the routine tests for glaucoma and macular degeneration (I don't have either, thank goodness,) the doctor told me that the implanted lens has a film growing over it. She said it happens in about fifty percent of implants and is easily dealt with by laser surgery. I'm not thrilled but it could certainly be worse. The doctor said the cataracts in the other eye could wait a bit--but I know that's something in the future,Then she talked about Dry Eye--which I've had in the past but it had seemed to be better. She begged to differ and suggested warm packs on my eyes four times a day and some prescription eyedrops.Okay, I said and they called in the prescription to the grocery store that was going to be a stop on the way home.When I asked for the prescription, the pharmacist told me that for a 90 day supply--which was what the doctor had ordered, the bill would be $2,ooo. Did I still want the eyedrops?Uh, no. I have Medicare and a Blue Cross Supplement but I don't have coverage for prescription drugs. I think I'll go with the warm packs and some OTC drops and see what happens.I remember being shocked at the price of the eyedrops I had to use after the cataract surgery. No doubt there'll be something equally outrageous to accompany the laser surgery to clean off the implant.The thing is, I have a real feeling that my friends in Canada, France, and the UK wouldn't be paying this exorbitant price.Big Pharma is a disgrace. These particular eyedrops aren't critical to me at the moment--not like insulin and other meds that folks depend on to live. But the Right's fear of the bogeyman Socialism will ensure that Big Pharma continues to rake in profits while ordinary people suffer and die. Disgraceful.