The optometrist recommended seamless bifocals. I have a very painful nerve condition in my face (atypical trigeminal neuralgia), so this is what I need with glasses: the lightest weight frames possible- known as ultra light- with the lightest weight lenses possible and automatically darkening lenses so I don’t need the weight of sunglasses. The cheapest frames brought the total to $250 on the site the insurance worked with.
The frames are $20 on the cheap site. Everything else in the cost is the lenses.
As for why I have to buy them online- I don’t want anyone touching my face unless it’s absolutely necessary. The exam was painful enough.
American for-profit healthcare is fucking awesome.
I am from cheap part of Europe. While you can get glasses for 20 Euros, with those kind of requrements 250 sounds about the same.
I guess some countries might get prescription, but I doubt “light frame and light lenses with darkening” would qualify.
Basically, what I have found out since I posted this is that glasses need to be cheaper everywhere.