Insured but not happy

I ordered new glasses Friday, no thanks to Sears Optical.

I went there for the eye exan because it is on my insurance. But the signs suggested we run far away from Sears. We should have listened.

We parked at Point A, the curb cut was at Point B 30 feet away. The ramp into the store was back at Point A.

But that's not all. At the optician's office, they had a space heater going.

After the exam, I went to buy some glasses. They had 20 frames to choose from, none of them titanium, which I wanted since I bang my glasses around, and a harried technician.

We left without buying anything, and I noticed Target Optical was also in my network, so we stopped there. What a difference. Selection, plenty of titanium frames and pleasant help.

She rang up the glasses and told me that it would be cheaper to buy without insurance because the generic discount would be better. I wish I could say I was surprised, but my vision insurance is the a joke. That's OK, though. I know it is a joke -- it gets me cheap eye exams mainly -- and its price hasn't changed for several years.

Unlike, say regular health insurance. My co-pay for one of the two drugs I need went from $20 to $80. I am dreading buying the other one. It is brand name still.

I don't know what I am supposed to do. Do I not take these meds anymore, which would leave me depressed with lots of continence issues. which in turn would make me less able to work and contribute to the country's economic well-being?