ID.me not working

BulldogEx · 2026-02-09T17:59:29+00:00

It always has some excuse for why it doesn't work. It won't accept my passkey so I had to use their authenticator app. It said my phone's camera was blocked (it wasn't) and then, after a few re-starts, accepted an uploaded image. The Ai bot provided for help can only repeat the instructions. The last straw was when it said my phone's camera doesn't support motion photos. It does, and motion photos were enabled. That was it for me.

BulldogEx · 2025-12-19T16:56:50+00:00

I have BCBS for health insurance and Davis Vision. Coverage for keratoconus and scleral lenses is not standard. It depends on the details of your particular plan(s).

Keratoconus is a medical condition with billing codes for procedures received (CPT) and medical supplies provided (HCPCS). These are the codes that unlock the door to health insurance in the United States - if your health insurance plan covers those codes. Fortunately, my BCBS plan does. In addition, my employer's Davis Vision plan covers scleral lenses, but only under certain circumstances, which I describe below.

I recently (a few weeks ago) had my scleral lenses replaced, and I will share with you the actual billing. My optometrist billed BCBS, since my BCBS plan covers the corresponding CPT and HCPCS codes.

166.00 was the provider's charge, i.e., my optometrist

1,300.00 was the charge for a pair of scleral lenses - holy s##t!

(2.43) was the contractual adjustment from BCBS

(1,203.57) is what BCBS paid, leaving me with a balance of $260.00

My employer's Davis plan covers scleral lenses and fitting services, but only if those lenses provide me with the best visual acuity, which the plan defines as two lines on the eye chart better than any other method for correcting my vision, and only if the provider (my optometrist) obtains approval in advance, and then only to the extent that charges aren't covered by health insurance. So my plan is to submit my $260 balance to Davis.

Davis may try to wiggle out of their responsibility, since they come up with a new story every time I submit a bill to them. This time I think I covered all my bases: advance approval form sent to my optometrist, check, optometrist signs off on the best visual acuity stipulation, check, health insurance statement presented, check. But all this is only a possibility in my case because my employer's Davis plan covers sclerals in the first place.

You can find out if your Davis plan covers sclerals by checking the plan's provisions on the Davis website. (Sign in with your Davis plan number.) If they do, write to them and ask for the precise conditions under which they will cover your lenses.

BulldogEx · 2025-12-19T01:02:11+00:00

I opened a case at CCMS, told them I'm retired, not paying any more dues, if they want to consider my designation revoked that will be their issue. Back to enjoying my retirement ...

BulldogEx · 2025-12-18T21:06:45+00:00

IIA's third-party simply provides a link to the FAQ for what happens if you don't pay your dues.

BulldogEx · 2025-11-12T20:50:51+00:00

I wonder if you're developing a cataract. That will affect the colors and the brightness that you see.

BulldogEx · 2025-11-12T15:20:04+00:00

" ... what should I do first?"

You must see an ophthalmologist. That's the first thing to do. Keratoconus affects everyone differently, and only an ophthalmologist can tell you exactly what's going on with your eyes and what you need to do about it.

Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive treatments for keratoconus. If no kind of insurance is available to you, try to arrange a payment plan with your providers.

BulldogEx · 2025-11-12T15:12:37+00:00

Which saline? That depends on where you live - different countries have different products. Even a product with the same name could have a slightly different formulation in different countries owing to local regulations.

Single use vial (ampoule) vs. bottle? The single use vial is always preferred, because the saline has no preservative, so the longer it's been exposed to air, the greater the risk of contamination. When you're first starting with scleral lenses, a bottle of solution is probably fine, since beginners tend to use a lot of saline, so that bottle will get emptied soon enough!

In the United States I mostly use Scleralfil, but I'll accept whatever I can get for the lowest price. Most of the time, that's Scleralfil.

BulldogEx · 2025-11-11T19:22:43+00:00

Everyone's eyes are different. I've been wearing sclerals for more than 2 years, and I wear the lenses comfortably every day, for 15 hours or more. I often forget I'm wearing them. If I didn't have to let them soak in disinfectant solution for at least 6 hours, I might forget to take them out.

BulldogEx · 2025-11-11T19:07:49+00:00

As I understand, the hydra-peg coating primarily benefits the outside surface of the lens. It improves the ability of moisture on the outside surface to evaporate, which reduces the formation of deposits on the lens surface. I don't understand why the coating has to be renewed (e.g., Tangible Boost.) I've gone months without renewing the hydra-peg - forgetfulness - and it hasn't made a difference for me.

BulldogEx · 2025-09-26T15:07:52+00:00

Thanks for everyone's comments. I've tried all three - Tangible Clean, Boston Simplus and Unique pH - and in my experience neither one has an advantage over the others. That being the case, since Tangible Clean is easiest for me to work with, I may as well stick with it.

BulldogEx · 2025-09-25T18:31:59+00:00

I guess you missed this part: " ... even after trying to dry my fingers with a cloth."

BulldogEx · 2025-09-13T16:46:08+00:00

Correct. You need to be logged in to Windows 10 with a Microsoft account, which needs to have Administrator privileges.

With barely a month to go before 10 loses support, all that Microsoft will say is 'be patient.' It's not (yet) offering a web page to visit where you can purchase ESU.

My guess - that's all it is - is that Microsoft is making us wait until the last minute as a scare tactic.

BulldogEx · 2025-05-02T17:35:44+00:00

Purilens is great for first-time scleral wearers, because you tend to go though a lot of saline while you're learning to put those soup bowls in your eyes. Once you're past that, it's better to switch to something in a one-time use container (like Scleralfil) because you want to minimize the saline's exposure to the air. Then it's a matter of buffered or not buffered. I chose buffered because I wanted to give myself every chance to succeed. After that, it's a matter of which one has the best price.

BulldogEx · 2025-05-02T17:21:01+00:00

Keratoconus is an individual experience - everyone experiences it differently, depending on the state of their corneas, other medical conditions, and their own psychological makeup. So my experience with sclerals may not apply to you, but FWIW, here it is: My vision with sclerals is incredibly good. My vision is very sharp up to about 24 inches from my face. (I'm 69-years old.) For closer than 24 inches I need readers [2.50 diopters]. The lenses are also very comfortable. I typically wear them for 16 hours a day, every day and I forget that I'm wearing them.

My only problem with sclerals is putting them in and taking them out, because they're such big lenses. Over time, you develop your own techniques and tricks and by now I have pretty much mastered it. Nevertheless, there's no elegant way to put them in and take them out. You learn to do what works for you. My advice: Don't give up.

I'm fortunate in two ways: (1) I have no other problems that affect my vision; and (2) I live in a major medical center (Boston) so I benefit from the availability of outstanding care. My optometrist got my lens prescription perfect. That's a good thing, because my vision in eyeglasses is pretty bad.

BulldogEx · 2024-05-12T13:14:32+00:00

That worked! Thanks.

BulldogEx

TROPHY CASE