“I am a member of a team, and I rely on the team, I defer to it and sacrifice for it, because the team, not the individual, is the ultimate champion.” – Mia Hamm, Olympic gold medalist soccer player
THERE’S SOMETHING NOBLE about your spirit as an eyecare business owner. You took the risk. You built something from scratch. You wear every hat — from clinician to CEO to problem-solver — and you do it with pride and purpose. Independence is your badge of honor. It’s the reason you chose this path in the first place.
But what if that same independence is costing you your influence? What if your determination to stand alone is the very thing allowing outside forces to chip away at your autonomy, your profitability, and ultimately, the future of private practice?
You may not want to admit it — but it’s something you need to confront. Because while you’re fighting to protect your freedom, others have figured out how to use that freedom against you.
Recently, I sat in a room with a group of private practice optometrists frustrated about reimbursement rates from a well-known third-party payer. Everyone agreed; the model wasn’t sustainable. They were being squeezed again and expected to do more for less. Something had to give.
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Then someone asked, “What if we all just dropped this plan until they paid us fairly?”
The room went silent.
Then the responses:
- “Well, I can’t afford to drop them. I get too many patients from that plan.”
- “I just re-signed the agreement.”
- “I’m afraid the doctor down the street will take those patients.”
And just like that, their collective power vanished. Not because the concern wasn’t valid, but because no one was willing to take the leap together.
Third-party payers count on that. Their strategy hinges on the assumption that you’ll protect your own corner rather than risk collaborating for something bigger. It’s strategic. And it works.
It doesn’t stop with insurance. I recently heard from an OD who had been loyal to an independent lab for years — one she believed shared her values. That lab was quietly acquired by a major lens manufacturer. Nothing changed at first — same team, same reps, same products.
Until the pricing changed.
“You can keep your current rates,” the new owners said, “But only if 80% of your lens orders go through our house brands.” Technically optional. Practically coercive.
If you’re like most private practice ODs, you care deeply about your patients, your business, and your profession. You’re proud of what you’ve built. And you’re concerned about the future of private practice. But that concern for the greater good often fades when collaboration comes at a personal cost, whether it’s margin, convenience, or control.
You’ve been trained to believe that independence equals strength. That charting your own course is the highest form of success. But here’s the hard truth: independence, without connection, is vulnerability.
Imagine what could happen if even 40 or 50 private practice ODs in your area agreed to negotiate collectively, with third-party payers, labs, or vendors. Imagine forming a local peer network to share best practices and unify your buying power. Imagine banding together, not to give up your autonomy, but to amplify your voice.
You don’t have to give up your practice to gain power. But you do have to give up the illusion that you’re stronger alone. I’m not suggesting you trade in your freedom. I’m suggesting you use it wisely. True freedom isn’t about going it alone. It’s about choosing how to partner, how to grow, and how to lead on your terms.
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You can keep your name on the door. You can run your business with your values. But unless you’re willing to link arms with others, you will always be at the mercy of those who are more organized, more connected, and more unified than you are.
The future of private practice doesn’t belong to the most independent. It belongs to those wise enough to collaborate.
So, will you protect your independence at all costs, or will you use it to build something bigger?
