COMMON QUESTIONS
WHEN SHOULD MY CHILD HAVE THEIR FIRST EYE EXAM?
Children think that everyone sees the world the way they do. A vision issue does not always present with a complaint from the child. Are there hereditary vision problems in the family? Do you or anyone else close to the child notice one of their eyes turning more inward or outward than the other? Is the child holding reading material very close to their face? Does the child struggle with and dislike reading? Children cannot tell you if everything appears blurry if they have never experienced clear vision. If you have a problem or concern with your child’s eyes, they should be seen by 1 year old by a pediatric specialist. If there are not any noticeable problems, the American Optometric Association recommends the first eye exam at Kindergarten or 1st grade.
HOW OFTEN DO I NEED TO HAVE MY EYES DILATED?
The American Optometric Association recommends healthy eyes be dilated every 2-3 years. If you begin experiencing vision changes- any sudden vision change, flashes of light, floaters (or tiny spots or strands that are floating in your vision), please contact an eye doctor immediately- a dilation may be necessary to evaluate your eye health. If you have certain medication conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, it is advised to have an annual dilated exam. There are also many “normal variations” we can find in the eyes that may be benign but require monitoring.
DOES MY INSURANCE COVER MY EYE EXAM AT YOUR OFFICE?
Our office participates with many medical insurance plans including Tricare, Medicare, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Aetna, and United Health Care to name a few. Eye exams can be considered "medical" or "routine." Our doctor performs a complete medical eye health examination and therefore we bill the eye exam through your medical insurance. You may have a separate vision plan that covers a "routine" eye exam, however we do not participate with vision plans at this time. Since each medical plan is different, you should check with your personal plan to determine coverage. Our office staff will be happy to assist you and answer any questions you may have.