What is an Optometrist?

An Optometrist is a Doctor of Optometry, (O.D.) To become an optometrist, one must complete a pre-professional undergraduate college education followed by 4 years of professional education in a college of optometry. Optometrists must pass a National board to become licensed and each state then has their own requirements. Some optometrists also do a residency. Optometrist are licensed to provide primary eye care services--

• to diagnose and treat eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, and retinal diseases;
• to diagnose systemic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes that may affect the eyes;
• to examine, diagnose and treat visual conditions such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia; and
• to prescribe glasses, contact lenses, low vision rehabilitation and medications as well as perform minor surgical procedures such as the removal of foreign bodies.

What insurance do you take? Do you take Medicare?

• Yes, we do take Medicare, as well as many other forms of eye care insurance, including VSP, VBA, NVA (Willoughby office only), MMO, Anthem, Aetna, Restricted United Healthcare, Carpenters Union, and many other plans.
  
  For medical problems such as pink eye, glaucoma, and other diseases, we work with all major insurance companies BECAUSE OF THE RAPIDLY CHANGING STATE OF INSURANCE, OUR STAFF WILL GLADLY EXPLAIN HOW YOUR INSURANCE FITS INTO OUR PRACTICE.

How do I pay for your services?

• We accept major credit and debit cards, cash, and check.
• We accept care credit as well.
• We request payment when service is provided.

What does the new health insurance law mean to me?

Our professional association, the American Optometric Association, is keeping us up to date on the new law. Here is what we understand so far:

• Medicare patients are not affected by this bill;
• The new health care bill does not affect anyone's ongoing insurance at this time; in fact, you will not see any difference in your billing or reimbursement, except your payment turnaround is likely to be faster;
• The new bill establishes children's vision as an essential health benefit;
• Your Optometrist visits are now covered by all insurance plans;
• Eyeglasses and contact lenses are exempt from a new 2.9% medical device excise tax.

There will certainly be more information to come: however, all the signs point to improvements in the way the law handles your optometric care, and to more efficiencies in your billing and reimbursements.

What is involved in my yearly eye exam?

Learn More Here

How has Optometry improved over the years?

Just as in many other areas of medicine, Optometry has benefited from ongoing medical research, improvements in equipment, laser technology, diagnosis, and better collaboration between other disciplines. Optometry is now recognized as being on the front line for early warning of various problems, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, that respond to early treatment when caught in time.