Insurance

There are 2 important elements of your comprehensive eye exam, the eye health examination and the refraction. The refraction consists of checking your glasses prescription, ensuring you are seeing as well and comfortably as you can. The eye health exam allows the doctor to evaluate the condition and health of the entire eye. This even allows for monitoring and care of numerous systemic conditions including diabetes, hypertension and auto-immune diseases.

Vision insurance plans will cover a comprehensive eye exam once a year. This includes both the eye health and refractive portion of the exam. Vision insurance may also help cover the cost of glasses or contacts. If you need eye care outside of your yearly exam (injury, red eye, management of eye conditions) then your vision insurance will not cover that care and it will be the responsibility of the patient’s medical insurance or the patient to pay for the visit.

Conversely, medical insurance plans typically cover the healthy portion only and do not pay for the refractive portion. If you are wanting to use medical insurance for your yearly eye exam there will be an additional fee for your refraction, if you choose to have that portion of the exam.