I think optometry is very slowly headed this way. In the finance group I’m part of I am constantly seeing posts of another OD planning to drop another insurance. It’s hard because there aren’t a lot of really big risk takers in this profession so gaining solidarity of “we refuse to accept this insurance until higher reimbursement negotiations are met” will likely never happen.
Part of the struggle is the older docs who got their entire 8years of college for $20k and then new grads like me paying $250k+ for the same degree. The older docs don’t need to stand up with us younger gens so they don’t. They made their money and just coast now.
The other part is huge corporations owning ALL of it. Luxottica is the reason your eyecare is so expensive. They own the frames, the optical, the lab that cuts your lenses, the products that’s the labs sell, and they own Eyemed (plus multiple others in that umbrella). Private equity and corporations are making optometrists look like fake, cheap docs but our scope of practice is huge. Places like Target optical, lens crafters, Americas best, etc just wants us to be refracting machines (spit out glasses/CL rx constantly) and we barely have time to even assess your health in those exams.
I agree that doctors are unlikely to seek union formation at the current time. I have suggested supporting the working class overall, to help us develop power against the systems that are harmful to us as a class.
I think optometry is very slowly headed this way. In the finance group I’m part of I am constantly seeing posts of another OD planning to drop another insurance. It’s hard because there aren’t a lot of really big risk takers in this profession so gaining solidarity of “we refuse to accept this insurance until higher reimbursement negotiations are met” will likely never happen.
Part of the struggle is the older docs who got their entire 8years of college for $20k and then new grads like me paying $250k+ for the same degree. The older docs don’t need to stand up with us younger gens so they don’t. They made their money and just coast now.
The other part is huge corporations owning ALL of it. Luxottica is the reason your eyecare is so expensive. They own the frames, the optical, the lab that cuts your lenses, the products that’s the labs sell, and they own Eyemed (plus multiple others in that umbrella). Private equity and corporations are making optometrists look like fake, cheap docs but our scope of practice is huge. Places like Target optical, lens crafters, Americas best, etc just wants us to be refracting machines (spit out glasses/CL rx constantly) and we barely have time to even assess your health in those exams.
I agree that doctors are unlikely to seek union formation at the current time. I have suggested supporting the working class overall, to help us develop power against the systems that are harmful to us as a class.