This morning I visited the optometrist and confirmed that I’m due for glasses. I last had my eyes checked three years ago and was told that I’d likely need glasses in my 30s. I thought this meant sometime in my 30s and not when I am 30! No matter, this news was of no surprise or bad news and I’m looking forward to having sharp vision again. Perhaps I’ll go for laser eye surgery in a few years, if possible.

After this news I called my health insurance to find out if they would subsedize the cost of the glasses. With the basic insurance, I was told, they would pay CHF 200.- on the condition that the prescription was completed by an eye doctor and not an optometrist. They also noted that the cost of such a doctor visit would cost more than CHF 200.-, so it would probably not be in my best interest to visit the eye doctor or to make the claim. I then asked if my "Zusatzversicherung" (an optional complimentary insurance) would cover the costs and was told that this insurance wasn’t valid since I had cancelled it. This is true, but their policy only allowed the cancellation to take effect in 2005 (2 months from now). They finally conceeded that I would receive the CHF 200.- subsidy. If I actually get the money remains open.

[Update: I received the money. :)]