I'm seriously considering getting Lasik—am done with glasses. However, I have had a series of frustrations with the company, and am having second thoughts, both about the place itself and about the surgery.
I've been wearing eyeglasses for the past ~25 years, and I'm at a point in my life where I'm seriously considering getting Lasik surgery. My vision insurance company is offering 25% off with a specific company (The Lasik Vision Institute), which is nationwide, and which is why I'm trying to pursue a connection with this company.
As I am Deaf, I inquired if an ASL interpreter would be provided during the (free) consultation. I was told by the national call center yes, but they'd need 2-3 weeks lead time to schedule an interpreter. We worked back and forth to find a suitable date, and I was given the recommendation to contact the local office to arrange for an interpreter. I did that (contacted the local office), did a bit of back and forth on email. It's a bit difficult for me to arrange stuff in advance, given I work retail with a fluctuating schedule. After some back and forth, they stopped responding, so after around a week of that, I called the call center to follow up, spoke with someone who made a confirmed reservation, noted the record that I would need to be emailed and informed whether or not an interpreter could be provided for my reservation. I heard nothing at all after the estimated timeline the rep gave me, so called the local office again, and was told they couldn't secure an interpreter for me, and couldn't do anything.
I was at the end of my rope, asked for a manager, explained my frustrations with the back and forth and miscommunication. This manager reached out to me via email, and explained that there was some contractual issues in play, so they were unable to actually provide an interpreter for me, initiated on their end. He did suggest that I pay for the interpreter service myself, then they'd give me a credit for $400 total for the interpreter service at the consultation, surgery itself, and any post-surgery meetings, towards my total bill. While this was very nice and well-intended on his end, a flat $400 is not enough to cover all those issues (especially at a high COLA where I live), and it was implied that it would only be if I chose to go ahead with the surgery (the consultation only would be free and would not generate a bill).
I suggested instead that they contract/partner with a local interpreting agency (which I name dropped), OR I pay out of pocket, then they reimburse/give me a check, if not going through with the surgery. I also explained that a flat $400 would not cover all meetings (but might cover the consultation only). He did not respond to this, rather asking what my RX was, and suggesting I come over and that we handwrite back and forth if I felt comfortable doing so.
I mean, I made it very clear in my original email that I would much rather communicate in my natural language (ASL). I'm OK with typing back and forth, but for something as important and life-altering as this is, I'd really prefer an interpreter.
So, at this point, a few questions.
a) Would this seem like a red flag and a sign to avoid this company?
b) This skews more general, but overall, would Lasik be recommended? I'm awfully nearsighted (around -7 and -9), and my main fear is that being Deaf, if I somehow lose my vision after the surgery, that's it, game over, which scares me. I mean, having eyeglasses is a pain, but at least if something's wrong, it's easy to adjust. Once the surgery is done, there's no going back.
c) Any other questions I should ask the provider (if I decide to go through with the consolation)?
I'm just feeling mixed by this. Originally, this morning, I was so frustrated at the lack of helpfulness that I point blank asked to cancel the whole thing, but then I called to give feedback, and it led to this email thread.
Thanks for your insights! |
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