Medical vs. Routine

Why do we ask for your health insurance?

When you have an eye examination, we are not just checking your vision for a change in your prescription for eyeglasses and contact lenses; we check your overall eye health. We examine your eyes to check for glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic changes, and general health problems.

If you have a medical problem such as diabetes, glaucoma, cataracts, etc., we will be conducting a medical eye examination, instead of a routine eye examination. As necessary, we will be sending your Primary Care Physician a report on the health of your eyes. We will, therefore, be billing your health insurance for the eye examination. Please bring your health insurance card to your visit in the event we need it. If you are under the age of 65 and your health insurance is an HMO, you will need to contact your health insurance company to see if you need a referral from your Primary Care Physician before scheduling your eye appointment. You should also check with your HMO insurance to make sure we are an in-network provider with your specific plan. If you have a PPO, no referral is needed.