Navigating managed vision care can be complex.
Between reimbursements, benefits, and patient expectations, finding the balance between patient satisfaction and profitability is no small feat. But what if the key isn’t fighting the system, but understanding lesser-known opportunities that exist within managed care?
In this episode of Power Hour, host Eugene Shatsman sits down with Todd Lassone, Senior Manager for Strategic Partners at EssilorLuxottica, to unpack how practices can optimize their relationship with managed vision care plans. With over 30 years of industry experience — both in the exam lane and on the corporate side — Todd brings a refreshingly practical perspective on turning managed care into managed opportunity.
Todd starts by reframing how most practices think about managed care. Instead of viewing it as a limitation, he highlights it as an untapped ecosystem full of strategic opportunities. The conversation centers around what Todd calls “the missing middle” — the patients who leave with exam-only visits, never converting into eyewear or contact lens purchases. These patients often represent the single biggest profitability gap for practices, and according to Todd, closing that gap doesn’t require radical change, just smarter strategy.
From frame board design to optical flow, Todd dives into the details that drive real-world impact. He explains how even subtle shifts in how practices present options, handle benefit education, or curate product mix can significantly increase capture rates. One of his standout ideas, his “folder strategy,” shows how simple, repeatable systems can help patients better understand their options and feel more confident purchasing at the point of care.
Throughout the discussion, Eugene and Todd emphasize collaboration over competition. Managed vision care isn’t positioned as the enemy — it’s a framework that, when navigated strategically, can amplify patient access and long-term loyalty. Todd’s insights underscore that success isn’t about rejecting managed care; it’s about optimizing it, leveraging data, staff training, and merchandising to align business goals with patient needs.
Key Takeaways
- The ‘Missing Middle’ Problem: Learn why so many practices are leaking profitability from patients who leave with exam-only appointments, and what to do about it.
- How to Increase Capture Rate: Discover Todd’s actionable strategies for optimizing your frame board, refining patient flow, and unlocking downstream revenue.
- The Folder Strategy: Learn the simple but brilliant folder-based approach to reinforcing value for patients at the point of decision-making.
- Reframing the Managed Care Conversation: See why Todd challenges the conventional thinking around VBMs — and outlines a more empowered way for ODs to leverage their benefits.
- Are You Profiting From Your Panel? We close the episode with a handful of key metrics and red flags to assess whether your current managed care participation is truly working in your favor.
In This Episode
- 00:00 Introduction
- 04:02 Todd Lossone and His Role
- 06:12 Understanding Managed Care in Optometry
- 06:59 The Influence of Vision Benefit Managers
- 10:02 Reimbursement Challenges in Optometry
- 14:47 Maximizing Patient Capture Rates in a Practice
- 26:45 The Missing Middle: Engaging Value-Centric Patients
- 36:02 Strategies for Re-engaging Patients and Boosting Sales
- 43:53 Balancing Affordable Options with Premium Sales
- 52:16 Key Metrics for Practice Success
Contact Information
Connect with Todd Lossone
Todd accumulated a lot of knowledge after spending 30 years in the industry. He has benefitted at every stage of his career from enduring partnerships with industry leaders who constantly nurtured and challenged him to go further, do more, and never settle. He started his career being mentored by a master optician which was foundational for him, and learned how to run his own practice, produce flawless finish work, and built himself into a brand.
After leaving the ECP side, he worked for industry leaders like Rodenstock, VSP, Hoya, and for the last 15 years at EssilorLuxottica as the Senior Manager for Strategic Partners. Todd is regularly asked to speak on topics such as practice efficiencies, capture rate, managed vision care profitability, frame board management, as well as lens and frame technologies and how they benefit their patients.
- Website: https://www.essilorluxottica.com/en/
Connect with Eugene Shatsman (Managing Partner, NSG)
Website – https://www.eugeneshatsman.com/
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/eugeneshatsman