Vision and Medical Insurance

We have patients that have both VISION and MEDICAL insurance. They are very different in terms of the services they cover and it's important for our patients to understand these differences.

Vision Coverage (VSP, Davis Vision, Eyemed, etc) is mainly designed to determine a prescription for glasses and contacts and help pay for some of the cost of glasses or contacts. Think of vision insurance as a "discount plan" for materials - certain copays and overages will apply.

It is NOT equipped to deal with complex medical conditions and/or diagnoses. It does allow for screenings of these medical conditions, but once they are determined, then medical insurance is filed on those services. 

Medical Insurance covers medical conditions or diagnoses that affect the eyes. When a medical condition is present (such as diabetes, cataracts, dry eye, floaters, etc) it is necessary to file the visit with your major medical carrier (BCBS, Aetna, Cigna, etc) and the copays for that insurance will apply as well as any non-covered service. 

Insurance Carriers set these rules and our office is obliged to follow them. In most cases, there is no way to know prior to the examination which type of insurance our office will be abe to file for you. We make every effort to be on every major carrier for your convenience and we will file those claims for you. In the event that we do not take your insurance, we will provide you with an itemized receipt so that you may file with your carrier for reimbursement. If you have any questions, please let us know.