Patient Center

Medical and Vision Coverage

Many of our patients have both medical insurance and a separate vision plan. Some patients have only medical insurance, while others pay out of pocket for their eye care altogether. Whatever the case may be, we are here to help! However, if you have both medical insurance and vision coverage, it is important to understand the difference between them. While each plan pertains to your eyesight in general, both cover very different aspects.

Medical Insurance Versus Vision Coverage

Your medical insurance is designed to provide coverage in the event you have a specific medical problem pertaining to your eyes. This could range from glaucoma to pink eye, allergies or cataracts, to name just a few examples. However, it is not intended to cover vision problems, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. However, if your optometrist discovers during your examination that you have medical issues in conjunction with vision problems, this would be when your medical insurance would potentially also be utilized.

Your Vision Plan Coverage

Your vision plan is designed to help maintain your vision. This can include:

• Paying for a yearly vision examination
• Determining a prescription for glasses
• Helping to pay or paying for glasses or contact lenses in otherwise healthy, asymptomatic patients

If you have a medical condition that affects your eyes, such as high blood pressure, diabetes or various eye diseases, then your vision plan may not cover your yearly eye exam. Instead, your medical insurance may be required to cover the cost. We can discuss the details of this with you when you schedule your appointment, as well as which insurances and vision plans we accept.