Optometrists Accept Medical Insurance

Many people don’t realize that their “yearly eye exam,” or at least a portion of it, may now be covered by medical insurance and not just vision insurance. Thanks to many hardworking optometrists and legislators today’s optometrists now have the same access to filing medical insurance as do any other physicians. This is great news for many Americans because more people have medical insurance than vision insurance, and many vision insurances offer only a minimal discount on the exam.

Is there a catch? Well of course. Not all eye exams can be billed to medical insurance because insurances only pay if a health problem exists. Most patients, especially those past the age of 40, will have a qualifying health problem even if they are not directly aware of it. Some of the more common qualifying health problems include diabetes, hypertension, cataracts, styes, dry eye syndrome, glaucoma and more. Plus, almost all visits to the optometrist for red eyes, eye infections, and eye injuries will also be covered.

Today's optometrists, more accurately called optometric physicians, diagnose and treat a large array of eye injuries and diseases. So the next time you call your favorite optometrist for your yearly eye exam be sure to tell him or her about your health insurance as well. It could save you a lot of money that you’d rather be spending on those Juicy Couture glasses you had your eye on.

Dr. Eric Stamper, Optometric Physician
Visionary Eyecare Center
http://www.visionary-eye.com/