How fees work
Insurance we work with
A routine eye exam, and glasses or contact lenses, are billed to a vision plan. A dry eye visit, a red or irritated eye or a follow-up is billed to your medical insurance, because it is care for an eye health problem. Many visits mix both, and we explain which part goes where. Medicare does not cover routine eye exams or glasses, with a few exceptions.
Vision plans, for routine exams, glasses and contact lenses
Medical plans, for dry eye and other eye health visits
Medicare, within its limits for eye care
If you pay yourself
Self-pay covers the visit and any treatment you choose. In-office dry eye treatments are often paid by the patient rather than a plan, as are contact lens fittings, premium lens options and replacement lenses. We don't promise a price over the phone. We give you the figures in writing first.
The exam or the dry eye evaluation
In-office dry eye treatments
Contact lens fittings, lenses and coatings
Receipts for reimbursement
Ask for an itemized receipt and send it to your plan. Your plan decides what it reimburses.
An estimate in advance
If you pay without insurance, we give you a written Good Faith Estimate before your visit. If a bill comes in $400 or more above the estimate, you can dispute it. Ask for an estimate when you book.
Checking your benefits
Before your visit we check your benefits where we can and tell you what we find. Please confirm with your plan too, because the plan has the final say.
What the first visit includes
A dry eye evaluation takes about 45 minutes. It covers questions about your days, pictures and tests of your tear film and eyelids, and a talk about the options. It is billed as above, and anything you pay yourself is agreed in writing first.
Which visit goes where
Vision plan, medical insurance or you
Most visits fall into one of three groups. We tell you which one yours is before you pay.
A vision plan pays
Routine eye exams, and glasses and contact lenses within your plan's benefits.
Medical insurance pays
A dry eye evaluation, a red or irritated eye, a check of an eye condition and follow-up visits for them.
You pay
Treatments or services your plan doesn't cover, and anything you ask for beyond it, with a written estimate first.
Your prescription is yours
Your prescription is yours. We give you a copy after your exam and fitting, and you can fill it anywhere. Paying for an exam doesn't oblige you to buy glasses or lenses from us.
Questions about a bill?
Call before your visit, and Nasrin will go through it with you.