MyOptometryLawyer is a one-of-a-kind low-cost, pre-paid, optometric business and legal consulting and VSP audit defense service offered to a limited number of clients, called “concierge clients” because of the concierge nature of the service, provided by optometry’s best known and foremost legal and business consulting expert, Craig S Steinberg, OD, JD.

There are important benefits to becoming a concierge client and not waiting until you need Dr. Steinberg’s services. First, and perhaps foremost, Dr. Steinberg is cutting back his practice and is committing his time to working with and representing only his limited number of concierge clients. Becoming one of his concierge clients now is the only way to guarantee you’ll have access to Dr. Steinberg’s unique expertise and experience when you need it. Think of it as an insurance policy. You hope you won’t need it, but you are glad you purchased it when you do! You also benefit by locking in Dr. Steinberg’s services for low monthly fees and not having to incur the substantially higher fees attorneys, including Dr. Steinberg, charge when you hire them only when you have a problem.

There are also clear economic advantages. A single 2-hour consult with a lawyer to review a contract or a lease will cost nearly as much as a year of being a Concierge Client — and will likely start with you explaining to the lawyer what the difference is between an optician, an ophthalmologist and an optometrist! That will be followed by telling him what “VSP” stands for! That’s not a great use of your money. In contrast, if it pertains to optometry, Dr. Steinberg already knows it! Moreover, defending a single VSP audit — from an attorney that knows virtually nothing about VSP or your business — typically costs from $7000-$15,000, sometimes even more, and that’s enough to pay for YEARS of being a Concierge Client and having access to the services of optometry’s leading expert in defending VSP audits!

Platinum Level concierge clients receive everything that a Gold concierge client receives, and more. If you have a significant VSP patient base, or VSP is important to your practice’s financial success, the Platinum Level was designed for you. It includes both annual preventative reviews of your records to try and help prevent audits, and, through Dr. Steinberg’s law practice, full legal defense for any audit that does occur. In addition, Platinum Level concierge clients can request the preparation of custom documents.

Over the past twenty years Dr. Steinberg has defending hundreds of doctors after they were audited by VSP and received a bad outcome. He has gained valuable insight into what VSP looks for in records, and where doctors are lacking and vulnerable. As a Platinum Level concierge client, Dr. Steinberg will guide you in submitting a sample of records that VSP would be likely to audit for his review and comments. He will look to identify areas that may result in a bad VSP audit outcome and billing practices that make you vulnerable to being audited in the first place. He will provide you an analysis that helps you avoid being audited, and, if you are audited, having the best possible outcome. VSP audits often (typically) result in restitution demands that exceed $40,000. The simple truth is, if Dr. Steinberg’s prophylactic record review prevents you from being audited or having a bad outcome you will probably avoid having to repay VSP more than what 10 years of being a Platinum Level concierge client costs.

Dr. Steinberg’s assistance often begins at the time of the audit. Clients can call Dr. Steinberg while the auditor is in the office and get advice on what to provide the auditor and how to address the auditor’s concerns. When you receive the letter from VSP audit describing the audit results Dr. Steinberg will immediately take over the matter and will interact directly with VSP on your behalf, so you don’t have to. He will work with you in developing your response, negotiating a resolution, organizing your records and documents, and if a hearing is required, he will appear with you in-person to help you oppose the audit.

When you need a question answered, an agreement reviewed or drafted, or any other service including in your concierge level all you need to do is either call Dr. Steinberg using the dedicated number available to only concierge clients, or email Dr. Steinberg using the dedicated email address also available only to concierge clients. In most cases you will receive a response within hours, often within minutes, even on weekends and evenings. That’s the nature of concierge service, after all! You are acquiring, not only Dr. Steinberg’s experience and expertise, but you are getting it when you need it, not days or weeks later, and not by paying high legal fees that usually exceed $400 per hour.

Yes. Under VSP’s contract rules, all disputes concerning VSP, including all audits, are resolved in California under California law. Not only can Dr. Steinberg represent you, but only a California-licensed attorney like Dr. Steinberg can represent an optometrist in a VSP audit or dispute. Dr. Steinberg has represented hundreds, perhaps thousands of doctors, both optometrists and ophthalmologists, in VSP audits over the past 20+ years.

Dr. Steinberg is not licensed to practice law in front of administrative boards, including optometry boards, in any state other than California. Therefore, he can offer State Board representation only with respect to matters brought by the California Board of Optometry.

No. The cost of being a concierge client is based on how many practice locations you have, not how many doctors or employees you have.

If you are a Gold plan concierge client it does not matter how many practices you have, the fee is the same. For Platinum plan concierge clients the $199/month fee is for your first/primary practice location. For doctors with more than one practice location the monthly fee for the Platinum plan is $299/month for 2 offices, and $499/month for 3-5 offices. Please contact Dr. Steinberg directly for pricing if you have more than 5 offices.

The introductory price of $99 and $199-$499 may increase in time after the initial one-year contract, depending on demand and other factors. However, the first 100 concierge clients will be locked-in at the $99 or $199-$499 pricing for as long as they remain a concierge client. Others that wish to lock in the introductory pricing by committing to a longer initial contract should contact Dr. Steinberg at craig@myoptometrylawyer.com to make arrangements.

They are the same. It does not matter how many owners there are because the fees are based on plan and the number of practices (each practice being a unique address), irrespective of the number of doctors or owners there are.

No. All fees are based upon being billed on a monthly basis in advance and all fees are charged to your credit card. No checks are accepted.

The initial commitment is for 1-year (12 payments). After that you are on a month to month basis and can choose to give up your status as a concierge client at any time provided (i) you give at least sixty days notice and (ii) Dr. Steinberg is not at that time currently defending or representing you in an audit or state board matter. In that case you can terminate 60 days after his representation of you ends.

Yes, you can upgrade at any time with no less than sixty days notice, provided you are not subject to any known or suspected VSP audit or, if you included State Board defense, any known or suspected State Board matter. Any upgrade restarts the 1-year (12 payment) requirement starting from the time the upgrade first takes effect (that is, from the first day of the current month).

No. If or when legal services are needed (such as for a VSP or State Board matter), MyOptometryLawyer arranges for Dr. Steinberg to represent you through his professional law practice. A separate legal retainer agreement may be required. For Gold plan concierge members, your legal fees payable to Dr. Steinberg will be discounted below his usual and customary fees. For Platinum plan concierge clients, depending on the nature of the representation your fees may be waived entirely by virtue of you being a Platinum plan concierge client. But all legal services are provided by the Law Offices of Craig S Steinberg, O.D., a Prof. Corp.

To cancel your account all you need to do is either call or email and advise us that you wish to terminate your account. Your account will continue to be active through the last day of the month that is at least sixty (60) days from the date you give notice. (For example, if you give notice on July 10, your account will end on September 30 and you will be billed for August and September.)