So, I'm still JJ Hunsecker to you guys, right?

You know, the bespectacled baddie of the classic film Sweet Smell of Success? The newspaper critic whose column is powerful enough to make or break careers, carrying the influence of a dozen television news pundits crammed into one? That's me at OH, right?

And you, my loyal readers, flock to my column month after month, waiting to see what frames I endorse and what styles I favor, all in an effort to tape into the vein of unmitigated cool that my taste-making represent?

What's that? I couldn't hear you above the sound of the crickets.

...oh.

All right, so, I may not be an almighty kingmaker (yet), but, I still like to share my experiences in the dispensary, and bring attention to those styles and lines that I think might be of benefit to other practices. This month, I'd like to turn my attention to insurance lines. It's something of a verboten phrase in dispensaries, especially when one of our biggest obstacles is the patient who "only wants what's covered" (as several of my colleagues have artfully addressed in other columns of late). Because of our crossover with the medical field, it's a touchy subject to address, but, yes: opticianry is a business, and without profit margins, there is no business; and without patients buying something over that insurance allowance, there is little to no profit margin. Nevertheless, there will always be those patients who refuse to budge on the insurance allowance, just as there will always be those patients who legitimately need to stick with that budget frame and CR-39 lenses without treatment. Shall we send them away to the magic land of Zenni? Write them a one-way ticket to Warby?

Of course not.

So, it benefits us all to dedicate that corner of the frame board to an insurance line—something that fits neatly within the allowance for those special (or stubborn) cases in order to keep them happy and in our dispensary. How to choose, though? For every handful of high-dollar frame vendors out there pushing branded product and high-end designer lines, there are almost just as many off-brand supplier churning out frames that run the gamut from "wow, you should really charge more" to "what's that you were saying about Zenni?"

This is where I start talking about Enhance.

An unbranded line from New York Eye, Enhance is an impressively well-put together selection of budget frames that would work well as any dispensary's insurance line. What caught my attention in looking for budget lines for our dispensary was the simultaneous breadth and depth of selection. Many budget lines I've encountered in the past either had numerous frames to choose from, but all in the same general style or design, or offered diverse frames in a small selection. With Enhance, there really is just about at least one frame for every patient: In my overview of the line, I found translucent frames in every color of the rainbow, basic black zyls, bulky retro glasses, rectangular wire rims, and even a clear plastic oval frame with temple accents especially for the female patient looking to relive 1979 all over again. Most notable frame? The 3879, which will have more than one hipster reconsidering that Warby Parker try-on kit:

And a brief note on those color zyls: They're really something, and the first thing that struck me about the line. Patients, especially women, are becoming much more willing to try out a wider number of colors in their eyewear, and so colored frame selection is always something I keep my mind on when visiting with reps. Many lines still haven't jumped on this bandwagon, though, and those that have can be unimaginative in their offerings (no, unidentified vendor, a navy blue frame in 2015 does not constitute a radical paradigm shift). The colors offered by Enhance are vibrant, nearing the "neon electric" mark and standing in a startlingly comfortable place to really find a niche should the looming return of 90s fashion become a reality. I would really love to capture the luminescence of some of the colored zyls I saw, but for now, this somewhat toned down picture will have to do:

You can't see that it's electric.

Beyond the diversity of frames, I also found them to be well put together for a budget line. Regardless of your own particular opinion of them, spring hinges are a tremendous selling factor for many patients. While I've never personally had someone turn down a frame simply based on them having spring hinges, the same has happened to me multiple times for frames with standard barrel hinges. This has been an issue with our insurance line in the past, which offered a smattering of spring hinge frames amidst a sea of loose barrel hinges. Impressively enough, spring hinges are to be found in a vast abundance in the Enhance line, increasing likelihood of patient sales. The zyls are of a nice construction as well, far surpassing that used by many other insurance or off-brand lines; while some of the frames are of a lighter weight, more pliable variety, the bulkier zyls are of a quality to compete with many lower-priced brand-name lines.

Far from simply being an insurance line, the low wholesale cost would also make Enhance an excellent line for package deals, back to school promotions, or just about whatever you could come up with for patients unconcerned with brand or very concerned with money. In the absence of branding, you as an optician can dictate the narrative any way you like; I, for one, am really looking forward to the stories I've got to tell with these little gems. The sky really is the limit, and with the frame quality being offered, there are really no losers.

Other than Zenni Optical, I guess.

Special thanks to Betty Groos of New York Eye for assistance in researching this article.

Preston Fassel was born in Houston, Texas and grew up between St. Charles, Missouri and Broken Arrow, Okla.

In 2009, Preston graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Liberal Arts. In 2011, he graduated Cum Laude from Sam Houston State University with a Bachelor's of Science.

Preston currently works as an Optician in the Houston area. His interest in the history of eyewear goes back to his time in high school, when he developed an interest in all things vintage.

In addition to his writing for The 20/20 Opticians Handbook and 20/20 Magazine, Preston is a featured writer for Rue Morgue Magazine, where he reviews of horror and science-fiction DVDs. His fiction writing has been featured three times in Swirl magazine, the literary arts journal of Lone Star College and Montgomery County. He is the author of the definitive work on the life of British horror actress Vanessa Howard, Remembering Vanessa, which appeared in the Spring 2014 edition of Screem Magazine.