How fees work
Which plan pays for which part of a visit, and what you pay yourself.
Insurance we work with
A routine eye exam is billed to a vision plan. A visit for an eye problem, a check on an eye condition or a follow-up is billed to medical insurance, and many visits include both. We bill each part to the plan that pays for it. Contact lenses are often a separate vision plan benefit, and some medical plans cover specialty lenses when the doctor documents a medical reason.
Vision plans: routine exams, and often an allowance toward glasses or contact lenses
Medical insurance: eye problems, eye condition checks, follow-ups and some specialty lens fittings
Employer and school plans: ask us to check yours
If you pay yourself
If you pay yourself, the front desk tells you what the visit will cost before you start. The fitting fee, the lenses themselves and any replacement pairs are billed separately from the exam, and we say so up front. We don't promise a price we haven't quoted.
Receipts for reimbursement
Ask for an itemized receipt and send it to your plan. Whether the plan pays you back is up to the plan.
An estimate in advance
If you are paying without insurance, you can ask for a Good Faith Estimate in writing before your visit. If a bill comes in $400 or more above that estimate, you can dispute it.
Your rights under the No Surprises ActChecking your benefits
The front desk checks your benefits before the visit when we can, and asks you to confirm with your plan too. Your plan makes the final decision on what it pays.
What the first visit includes
A first visit is a full exam and, if you want contact lenses, a fitting. Plan on about an hour and a half. The exam is billed to the plan that pays for it. The fitting, the trial pair and the lenses are quoted separately, and we write down what each part includes before you agree.
Your prescription
Your prescription is yours
We give you a copy after your exam and your contact lens fitting, and you can fill it anywhere. You never have to buy from us to get it.
Questions
Questions about paying
Why was part of my visit billed to medical insurance?
When the doctor looks into an eye problem or checks an eye condition, that work is medical, so it goes to medical insurance. The routine part of the visit goes to your vision plan.
Will my plan pay for contact lenses?
Many vision plans pay toward lenses as a benefit or an allowance, and some medical plans cover specialty lenses with a documented medical reason. The front desk checks yours before the visit.
How much will my visit cost?
It depends on your plan and what the doctor does. Call us, and the front desk checks your plan and tells you before the visit.
Can I use a receipt with my plan?
Ask the front desk for an itemized receipt. Your plan decides whether it pays you back.
Questions about your plan?
Call the front desk. We check your benefits before your visit when we can.