Ruling on “free second pair of glasses”

In our opinion, it is unacceptable that, on the one hand, the statutory health insurance funds completely stop the co-payment for spectacles, but on the other hand, spectacles continue to be legally classified as a medical device, in that they are subject to the Medical Devices Act and the strict law on the advertising of therapeutic products, which was and is primarily intended for prescription drugs, but not for spectacles, which are now primarily regarded as a fashion accessory.

If spectacles continue to be seen as a medical device, then the statutory health insurance funds should include them in the benefits catalog again and contribute their share to basic medical care.

Is visual impairment a disease at all?

Any doctor would probably spontaneously say no.

As a result, spectacle wearers no longer need to visit an ophthalmologist to have their visual acuity determined. This has no longer been necessary since the health reform came into force on January 1, 2004. The optician is the specialist for good vision and appearance. For many years now, glasses have no longer been a nose wheel and certainly not a crutch. By wearing glasses, the wearer can emphasize their style or, if desired, even change it completely. Glasses are now also a fashion statement.

The optician combines traditional master craftsmanship with state-of-the-art technology and fashionable advice. However, irrespective of the politically unresolved issue of the classification and treatment of the product “spectacles” and the ruling of the Federal Court of Justice, Binder Optik continues to stand by its promise of quality and will continue to offer its customers the best quality optical advice, services and products at an outstanding price-performance ratio, as it has done for the past 39 years since the company was founded. True to the motto: Good vision and good looks don’t have to be expensive.