What if the key to fixing our broken healthcare system isn't more policy—but a return to purpose, prevention, and human connection?

In this episode of Opt-Out with Kara Foster, OD, we explore how the world’s healthiest communities—known as the Blue Zones—have achieved extraordinary longevity and wellness, not through high-tech care, but through simple, powerful lifestyle habits. And we connect the dots between these habits and the Direct Care movement: a transparent, relationship-based model that gives doctors time to care and patients the power to heal.

We’ll cover:

• What makes Blue Zones different (and what we can borrow from them)

• Why Direct Care creates the space for true prevention and connection

• A plan to create “pockets of health” in your own town, office, or neighborhood

Healthcare doesn’t have to be confusing or corporate. It can be local. Personal. Transformational.

What if going to a restaurant worked like your insurance plan?
No menu.
No prices.
8 minutes with the waiter.
And a surprise bill three weeks later.

Sound ridiculous? That’s exactly how most vision insurance works.

In this episode, Dr. Kara Foster pulls back the curtain on how vision plans create confusion, drive up costs, and force rushed care—for both patients and doctors. We’ll unpack:

Why vision insurance isn’t true insurance
How patients end up overpaying (and don’t even know it)
The lab trap that puts profit over quality
A real patient receipt breakdown
What medical and vision providers really get paid
And why the system isn’t broken—it’s doing exactly what it was designed to do

Whether you’re a patient, provider, or someone who just wants care that makes sense—this episode will open your eyes.

Tune in now and share it with someone who needs to hear the truth.

#OptOutPodcast #DirectCare #VisionInsuranceExposed #EyeCareTruth #BreakTheMatrix

karafosterOD.com

The Direct Care Toolkit: How to Start Without Burning It All Down

Episode Description:
What if you could leave behind the chaos of insurance-based care—without blowing up your schedule, your sanity, or your team culture?

In this episode of Opt-Out: The Kara Foster OD Show, Dr. Kara shares her complete Direct Care startup toolkit, built from the ground up after leaving the insurance grind behind. She breaks down the exact steps to transition your practice with clarity and confidence, including:

• How to price your services fairly and transparently

• Sample schedules that prioritize both revenue and relationships

• Legal considerations (including Medicare opt-out!)

• Scripts for front desk, doctor, and optical staff

• How to get your team on board—and your patients excited

• Marketing that feels aligned, not awkward

Plus, a sneak peek at next week’s episode: a deep dive into how insurance really works, featuring the viral "restaurant analogy" that will change how you see the entire system.

This is the episode you need if you’re ready to practice medicine on your terms—and still sleep at night.