Comprehensive Eye Exams
Several eye diseases, such as glaucoma and macular degeneration, do not show noticeable symptoms in their early stages. An examination by an optometrist is the best option to ensure your eyes are happy and healthy.
A comprehensive eye examination is the best way to support healthy vision. It allows our doctors to screen for the early detection and management of eye diseases, monitor visual acuity, and ensure that your eyes remain healthy throughout your life.
A comprehensive eye exam will:
- Ensure your eyes are healthy
- Detect any early stages of glaucoma and macular degeneration
- Stay proactive in reducing age-related vision loss
- See signs of chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure
Plus, routine eye exams are your best opportunity to protect your eyesight!
What to Expect At Your Comprehensive Eye Exam
During your exam, your pupils will be dilated so our team can see your retina. This will allow us to check your vision and screen for eye diseases or disorders. If further testing is required our optometrists will recommend possible testing or a visit with our highly specialized ophthalmologists. Suppose you experience any changes in your vision between regularly scheduled visits with your eye specialist. In that case, you should schedule an appointment at Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center as soon as possible. We have more than 20 eye centers throughout Arizona. Early detection of eye conditions and treatment can be the key to preventing vision loss.
When and Why do I need a Comprehensive Eye Examination?
A comprehensive eye examination is paramount to supporting good eye health and can be necessary at different points throughout your life. Here are three instances when you may need a comprehensive eye exam:
1. During Adulthood: As an adult, you should have a comprehensive eye exam at least once every two years, even if you do not wear glasses or contacts, to ensure that your eyes are healthy and to check for any signs of eye disease.
2. With Risk Factors: If you have certain risk factors for eye diseases, such as a family history of glaucoma or macular degeneration, or if you have certain medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, or autoimmune diseases, you may need more frequent eye exams.
3. As You Age: As you get older, your risk for eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration increases. It is recommended that adults over the age of 60 have annual comprehensive eye exams to monitor their eye health and catch any problems early.
Benefits of a Medical Eye Exam
Monitor for the development of eye conditions like Cataracts, Glaucoma and Macular Degeneration.
Understand if prescription glasses or contacts could be beneficial for you and at what power.
Speak directly with an optometrist about your eyes and any concerns you have related to your vision.
Regular Vision Eye Exam
If you opt for a regular vision exam, our team will run simple tests to ensure the health of your eye, including testing your vision to determine the need for glasses and contacts or updating your current prescription. You will not be dilated for this exam.
You can also receive updated eyeglasses and contact prescriptions in addition to your comprehensive medical exam. It is important to note that your prescription will be charged separately from your comprehensive exam if you are using medical insurance. See more on what to know about insurance below.
Importance of Eye Exams
Eye exams are an important part of maintaining good eye health, but not everyone understands why they are so crucial. Have you ever considered the importance of your eyes in your daily life? They are one of the most important senses we have, and a good way to take care of them is through regular eye exams.
Much like an annual mammogram is important to screen for breast cancer, an eye exam can detect problems before they become more serious and can help prevent future eye issues. Some eye conditions that can be detected during an eye exam include glaucoma and cataracts, both of which develop and become more difficult to treat if they go undetected.
Eye exams are especially important for people who have a family history of eye disease, have certain medical conditions like diabetes, or who wear glasses or contacts.
Insurance
Insurance can be complicated. It varies based on employer, age, and location, and unfortunately, no comprehensive guide exists to navigate it. Here is some information about the differences between medical and vision insurance and what to use when. Specifics will be dependent on your providers, but this should help you better distinguish between what’s available to you.
Vision vs Medical Insurance
Here are two scenarios:
- Your 8-year-old accidentally stabs himself in the eye with a pencil.
- Your glasses are scratched and you need a new pair with an updated prescription.
The first scenario is medical — medical insurance covers emergency care, surgery, and eye conditions like glaucoma or infection. Though it might dip into eye health, it has no coverage for routine vision services, like an eye exam.
The second is vision — vision insurance is a bit of a misnomer. It’s not really insurance so much as it is a benefit. It’s a supplemental, discounted program you pay into for preventive maintenance, so when it comes time for your eye exam, you have fewer and less expensive out-of-pocket costs. It doesn’t cover the treatment of diagnoses (like cataracts) but does cover the refraction portion and the wellness exam. Refraction is a vision test performed by your eye doctor to check if you need prescription lenses.
A typical vision plan includes a wellness eye exam, lenses and an allowance for contacts, frames or both. Instead of paying full-price at the time, you’re paying a discounted price each month. A vision plan can save you a few hundred dollars each year.
| Vision Insurance | Medical Insurance |
|---|---|
| Covers routine eye care services like eye exams and refractive services. | Covers medical eye care services, such as management of eye diseases. |
| Benefits typically include an allowance toward glasses and/or contact lenses. | Only covers materials if you have a Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Arrangement (FSA). |
| Benefit can only be used one time per calendar year or one time every other year. | Benefit can only be used one time per calendar year or one time every other year. Can be used multiple times throughout the year. |
If you have further questions regarding which insurance benefit you should use for your eye exam, please ask your patient representative during scheduling or Contact Us anytime.
How Can I use Insurance for my Eye Exam?
You can get an annual eye exam using your medical insurance, but it would only include examining for eye conditions and would not cover a prescription for any type of corrective lenses. If you need both care for an eye condition as well as a wellness exam with refraction, you might have to make two different appointments because both insurances can legally not be billed for the same encounter. This can be avoided by paying out of pocket for your refraction and prescription. If you are only interested in getting a routine eye exam and refraction benefit from your vision insurance you will need to do both at the same time, on the same day, otherwise you’ll end up paying separately for both.
We encourage you to schedule an annual eye exam to catch eye conditions early and keep your eyes healthy. Visit the nearest Barnet Dulaney Perkins practice near you or call to schedule an appointment. If you’re unsure whether you should use your vision or medical benefits, please reach out to us or your local BDP clinic, and our team will be happy to guide you.
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