Stop Asking Insurance for Permission: The Refractive Mindset

About this episode

Dr. Greg Parkhurst discusses refractive surgery and the role of insurance in patient care.

What if every cataract patient is actually a refractive patient? And why are we letting insurance companies decide how patients get to see? Dr. Greg Parkhurst — cataract and refractive surgeon, founder of Parkhurst NuVision in San Antonio, and Army veteran — joins Dr. Lisa Nijm and co-host Dr. Grayson Armstrong to challenge how ophthalmologists think and talk about refractive surgery. He makes the case that the most common refractive procedure today is cataract surgery, walks through exactly how his practice scripts the premium IOL conversation (including the "magic words" that eliminate sticker shock), and explains why patients — not insurance companies — should decide how they want to see. Plus, learn how his high-volume fellowship gives trainees 5–10 years of surgical experience in one year, how to get started in clinical research at any career stage, and the mission behind the Visual Freedom Foundation.

People in this episode

Hosts: Dr. Lisa Nijm, Dr. Grayson Armstrong

Guest: Dr. Greg Parkhurst

Topics covered

• refractive surgery
• cataract surgery
• patient autonomy
• insurance companies
• surgical training
• clinical research

Keywords

• refractive mindset
• cataract patients
• premium IOL
• surgical experience
• clinical research
• patient decision

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Parkhurst NuVision, Visual Freedom Foundation

Places: San Antonio

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