Government mandated medical exams made me a libertarian

[The Real Hawkeye]

Well, not quite, as I've leaned that way for a while now, but it sure stirred up the libertarian in me. Reaching that age where to read (uhh, gun books, of course) I have to lift up my glasses and look under them. Decided I needed some bifocals (need em to read those gun books). Went to the nearest glasses establishment and explained the situation. They said I needed to make an appointment with the optometrist. Ok, so I figured the guy was going to put those funny glasses on me, and somehow he'd determine what strength optic I needed in the bottom part of a bifocal (I was already very happy with my prescription for the upper part). Couple of days later I show up for my appointment, and it's like a medical office in the back. Go to the desk and let the girl know I'm here for my appointment. She hands me a couple of pages of questionnaires, just like in a medical office. There must be some mistake, I think, but I read on. Turns out, the State of Florida mandates that whenever you require any alteration in you glasses prescription, you have to submit to an examination for medical disease processes of the eye.

Now, I have nothing against medical exams of any portion of one's body, should one feel the need to have it, or should one's family doctor refer one for this, but I will decide on my own when I get an exam for any disease processes, thank you very much. I'll be damned if I am going to be forced to submit to one just because I want bifocals. All they need to do is determine my reading prescription. I don't get a podiatric exam every time I get a new pair of shoes, for gosh sake, nor do I need to see an ear nose and throat man to purchase a neck tie.

It was a matter of principle, dag gonnit. I walked out of that place. I'd rather lift my glasses up to read than submit to any of these nanny state regulations. Who do they think they are? It is obvious that the American Optometric Association made a large donation to someone's reelection campaign to get this piece of nanny state pork through the legislature. Am I the only one who has this reaction? It drives me up the wall. I'll be damned if the government is going to tell me I have to get a medical exam just to get a new prescription. This is (was) a free country, dag nab it!!!

 

[Dale Taylor]

I don't believe you were given accurate info about law. I was told go to Dollar General and try 5 dollar reading glasses. My 2.0 x work fine. No money to optom . You have been ripped off. Happened at large Fl clinic.

 

[Jim Watson]

If you are old enough to need bifocals or reading glasses, you are old enough that you ought to get checked for glaucoma and other eye diseases.

Now, you say you should be free to determine when and by whom you get examined or even to go to hell on your own terms. OK. Do I have the freedom to not pay into your disability coverage if you neglect your eyes and go blind?

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

If you are old enough to need bifocals or reading glasses, you are old enough that you ought to get checked for glaucoma and other eye diseases.

Now, you say you should be free to determine when and by whom you get examined or even to go to hell on your own terms. OK. Do I have the freedom to not pay into your disability coverage if you neglect your eyes and go blind?

Jim, I get regular checkups by my family doctor. If he determines that it's time for an eye exam for possible disease processes, he will refer me to a competent opthamologist. This is a scam, plain and simple, and I cannot believe you buy into it (Besides, to avoid it, I told them I just had a thorough eye-health exam by an opthamologist, to which they replied that according to the law, it didn't matter. I still needed another one from an optometrist to get a new prescription, even if I just had one last week). We are not government owned live stock to be prodded and poked at the behest of our masters. Decisions like this are between myself and my physician, based on age, symptoms, family and personal history.

 

[Dale Taylor]

Mr. Watson what you say is good health care. So is weight control, exercise, mamograms Pap Smears, Ekg stress tests, colonoscopy, none are mandated by law, even those of presbyoptic eye age. Retina exam for diabetic eye are good. My tension is checked yearly. Thanks for your concern. None of this required by law.

 

[bogie]

Guys, keep in mind that a lot of eye doctors don't look at other portions of the body. Given that, a lot of MDs don't pay any attention to dental problems, eye problems, etc... That's not their thing, really, and they assume you're getting checked out elsewhere. Someone probably passed that due to large numbers geezers on the roads.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Who do they think they are?

They think they're your owners. Sad to say, a great many people are perfectly content to be owned.

 

[dolanp]

I agree with you Hawkeye. Just out of curiousity (not because I agree with the gov't), how invasive is this exam they want to do?

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

I agree with you Hawkeye. Just out of curiousity (not because I agree with the gov't), how invasive is this exam they want to do?

It requires squirting a chemical in your eye to dilate the pupil. Then the optometrist scopes the interior using a bright light. Then the head is placed in a brace, and a mechanical arm is brought up to your eye, where a small piece of plastic is pressed against the cornea, measuring the eye ball's psi, as it were.

 

[Azrael256]

where a small piece of plastic is pressed against the cornea, measuring the eye ball's psi, as it were

The first time I had that done, they didn't tell me what they were doing. The opthamologist just turned my head up, and pressed something against my eyeball. It startled me (I can't even think of contacts without my eyes watering), and I involuntarily jumped with surprise... all of me but my head. Gah, I hate that part.

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

The first time I had that done, they didn't tell me what they were doing. The opthamologist just turned my head up, and pressed something against my eyeball. It startled me (I can't even think of contacts without my eyes watering), and I involuntarily jumped with surprise... all of me but my head. Gah, I hate that part.

Yeah, they either don't tell you and hope you won't notice, or if you ask, they will lie to you and say it never makes contact with your eye. I think they must teach them to do that in their professional schools. I don't mind the actual procedure at all, as I used to wear contacts for years. It is entirely painless, and I've had it done many times in the past (because the doctor persuaded me that it was a good idea, not because he said I couldn't get a new prescription without it), but I just resent being required to have any kind of a medical exam for disease just because the government says you can't get a new lens prescription without one. What the hell are we coming to as a nation when you can no longer just have the guy determine your prescription change, if that's all you want them to do? Why should the government intrude in a thing like that? Seems to me that's a violation of my rights.

 

[cracked butt]

The first time I had that done, they didn't tell me what they were doing. The opthamologist just turned my head up, and pressed something against my eyeball. It startled me (I can't even think of contacts without my eyes watering), and I involuntarily jumped with surprise... all of me but my head. Gah, I hate that part.

LOL. I have a story about that one.

The first time the Eye Doc tried doing that pressure test on me, the nurse came in to give me eye drops. I asked what they were for, she said one to dilate my pupils (ok with me, makes sense) the other to numb my eyes (WTH?). I said ok to the first ones and told her not to even come near me with the second ones because I had no idea what they were going to do and didn't want any part of it. The Eye doc came in and told me about the procedure, I still said "no way, no how" The Doc grabbed my wife in the waiting room (she was getting her eyes checked as well that day) and asked her to pressure me, but I didn't give in. The Doc was absolutely shocked that I had said no.

A year later when I had my next eye exam, I let them do the pressure test, the Doc had remembered me and gave me a lollipop for being a brave boy.

 

[WayneConrad]

Do I have the freedom to not pay into your disability coverage if you neglect your eyes and go blind?

And that, right there, is the danger of socialist programs. Once government is taking someone's money to give to someone's else, people will urge the government to place all kinds of reasonable restrictions upon the freedom of the donees (which we all are) for the protection of the donors (which we all are).

 

[c_yeager]

Now, you say you should be free to determine when and by whom you get examined or even to go to hell on your own terms. OK. Do I have the freedom to not pay into your disability coverage if you neglect your eyes and go blind?

Why is it his fault that the state is taking money out of your check to pay for this?

The fact that the government is forcing you to take care of people doesnt give you the right to control them, it gives you a reason to vote them out of office.

 

[miko]

Now, you say you should be free to determine when and by whom you get examined or even to go to hell on your own terms. OK. Do I have the freedom to not pay into your disability coverage if you neglect your eyes and go blind?

That's an even better reason to become a libertarian.

Unfortunately you would rather side with fascists.

What other aspects of our lives - diet, physical activity, lifestyle - would you prefer the government to control just because you have that excuse? How about procreation of unfit individuals? Would you like to reinstate the eugenics laws under which tens of thousands of american citizens were unvoluntarily sterilised in 1920s-1930s?

miko