Hello,
I recently changed insurance companies and unfortunately for me was in the middle of getting new contacts when it happened. My new insurance company won't cover my old optometrist. Too make a long story short, I don't want to waste my one appointment a year with my new insurance getting contacts when I already have my prescription (and need new glasses as well) . I was told they would be $75 per box for a 6 month supply. I decided that I would look on the internet for an alternative and found several less expensive brands.

My question is this: Does the brand I buy matter?
I wear toric lenses and on my prescription my dr. wrote OSI Toric, is it a must that I get that brand, or will any toric do?

[ removed - members are not allowed to post any kind of information to find a commercial website. Brand names, only. ] Any advice with ordering online?? Any good brand names that you had good luck???

ok, I will quit with the questions.

Eggplant!

I'd say with toric lenses it's VERY important that you stick to the same type of lens! They all have different fitting characteristics, so if you change brand your vision may be compromised.

You can't go online and buy any ol' contacts that you want. You have to give your doctor's name and phone number and they call up to verify your prescription.. that includes the strength AND the brand. Some doctors refuse to release this information to online services.

Doctors are required by law to provide you or anyone you choose w/ a precscription.

Also not all websites require that info - I have ordered tons of lenses online for years and never once had to get the info checked.

But with toric I agree stick with your exact brand/type.

Doctors are required by law to provide you or anyone you choose w/ a precscription.



That is true of eyeglass prescriptions. In the case of contacts, doctors are only required to release those measurements that would be included in an eyeglass prescription. In other words, they only have to give info regarding strength, astigmatism, etc, and are not required to give any information at all regarding contacts themselves, such as base curve or diameter. Without that info, you can't buy contacts.

Also not all websites require that info - I have ordered tons of lenses online for years and never once had to get the info checked

That was true in the past, but have you tried getting contact lenses from any of the major suppliers lately? Any new contact lens order requires verification.

If you have the old boxes from your lenses it should say the brand name of the lens, the strength, etc. Then shop around and buy the same brand of lenses that you had before. You can save a lot if you shop around.

Ive ordered lenses from 3-4 different sites this year alone - its not the one always advertised on tv (those have high prices I find ) but pretty big ones - in any case, they never ask and are at my door within a week . Plus are MUCH cheaper - i pay half of what that 'major' site lists them as

I just read an article that a new law was passed that REQUIRES them to provide contact prescriptions - not just glasses ones. This was within the past month , so maybe its a new change. I just read this in the past 2 weeks before I placed my last order :)

hope this helps!