Free/cheap services for family?

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My sister keeps mentioning that she wants discounts when I graduate - as does the rest of my family. How do you guys deal with relatives making these sorts of hints?

Originally Posted by chewbacca4321

My sister keeps mentioning that she wants discounts when I graduate - as does the rest of my family. How do you guys deal with relatives making these sorts of hints?

You wouldn't give a discount to your own sister or family?

There's no way I could charge my family for an eye exam or profit off any glasses/cls that they need. Maybe you can deal with it by getting your priorities straight and sparing a half an hour a few times a year to help your family out.

You help out your family members and be quiet about it.

Originally Posted by chewbacca4321

My sister keeps mentioning that she wants discounts when I graduate - as does the rest of my family. How do you guys deal with relatives making these sorts of hints?

Most of us wouldn't be anywhere in life without the continued support of our families. A lot of people talk about giving back to the community and people in need but I think people sometimes overlook the debt they owe to their family. Family comes first. Hopefully you dont have 20-30 siblings.

In addition to immediate family, don't forget distant cousins, friends, everyone you went to school with from k-12, college friends, people that know you mother, people that work with your father..............they will all want free or highly discounted care and be highly insulted if you don't give it to them.

You either nip it in the bud right off the bat (and create some enemies.........amazing how people will ignore the $1/2 million you owe and call you a cheapskate for not giving them free glasses)............if you don't stop it at the get-go, they will abuse you forever.

It's different if they helped pay your way through school. In that case you owe them. But uncle Billy Bob, that you haven't seen in 20 years doesn't deserve anything.

I'm not saying I don't want to help out my family - that was and always has been my plan. BUT, when I keep on hearing from family that they should have waited until I graduated to even get new glasses - because it was too expensive and I can get it to them for free - that makes me mad.

Before you decide to jump on me, YOU also need to understand that optometrists make a living off selling eyeglasses. I don't mind helping out my family, but when it gets to the point that they think it's not worth the cost to pay for those services - well, then crap, you're in trouble, because that is how you make your living. And if your own family thinks that, what do you think the general public think?

Think about that.

Dang Chewy. Do what you have to do to make a buck, and if it's charging your family for your services and hardware, do so. If you're bent on charging them something, there is nothing wrong with charging them cost for materials, unless you are hard up on making a profit off of your family.

My father has AMD and my mother has optic neuritis and glaucoma, all which need frequent monitoring. I do not charge them a cent and I pick up the cost of their progressives. They wiped my butt when I was a baby, it's the least I can do. I provide free services and hardware for my parents, my siblings and their children get free services and hardware at cost.

Originally Posted by chewbacca4321

I'm not saying I don't want to help out my family - that was and always has been my plan. BUT, when I keep on hearing from family that they should have waited until I graduated to even get new glasses - because it was too expensive and I can get it to them for free - that makes me mad.

Before you decide to jump on me, YOU also need to understand that optometrists make a living off selling eyeglasses. I don't mind helping out my family, but when it gets to the point that they think it's not worth the cost to pay for those services - well, then crap, you're in trouble, because that is how you make your living. And if your own family thinks that, what do you think the general public think?

Think about that.

What about the nine months of service your mother provided free of charge? Theres no debate when it comes to that, it can never be repaid.

Originally Posted by Jibslider

My father has AMD and my mother has optic neuritis and glaucoma, all which need frequent monitoring. I do not charge them a cent and I pick up the cost of their progressives. .

There is no way I would treat a family with a chronic medical condition that has the potential to blind them unless there was no other alternative. Obviously, severity is important, is it a druse vs moderate ARMD or OAG (S) vs OAG with field defects. Are you sure you are being completely objective? The answer is you are probably not, which is why in many states you cannot treat a relative with a chronic condition. In addition, you missed a finding on a patient last week, so did I, we all did. Do you want that to be your parents? Anecdotally, I know of two patients who went blind, one with undiagnosed OAG (followed for many years) the other with NVG due to OIS, both were followed by a family member. I know, those docs are idiots, it would never happen to you, but stuff happens. IMO saving a few bucks with new glasses, fine, but you are likely not doing them any favors if they have significant pathology.

Originally Posted by Zorro12

There is no way I would treat a family with a chronic medical condition that has the potential to blind them unless there was no other alternative. Obviously, severity is important, is it a druse vs moderate ARMD or OAG (S) vs OAG with field defects. Are you sure you are being completely objective? The answer is you are probably not, which is why in many states you cannot treat a relative with a chronic condition. In addition, you missed a finding on a patient last week, so did I, we all did. Do you want that to be your parents? Anecdotally, I know of two patients who went blind, one with undiagnosed OAG (followed for many years) the other with NVG due to OIS, both were followed by a family member. I know, those docs are idiots, it would never happen to you, but stuff happens. IMO saving a few bucks with new glasses, fine, but you are likely not doing them any favors if they have significant pathology.

My parents are free to see anyone they please, whether it's their OD or their OMD, but they choose to see me because they trust my abilities and what I am saying. Would I prefer them to see someone else... probably not to be honest. Can they financially afford to see someone else, absolutely not (something for another thread).

Yes, we all miss findings which is why it is called practicing optometry, medicine, etc, but ALL of my patients get treated like they are family members and I would be upset if ANY of my patients went blind. My job is to use all of my resources (technology, referral sources) to make sure I do everything possible to prevent a decrease in vision/ocular health for ALL patients, including my family members.

One of my friends told me he would give me sexual favors for free contacts. That made me a little uneasy.