How fees work
Which plan pays for which part of a visit, and what you pay yourself.
Insurance we work with
A routine eye exam is billed to a vision plan. A visit about an eye problem, a check on an eye condition or a follow-up is billed to medical insurance. Many visits include both, and we bill each part to the plan that pays for it.
Vision plans: routine exams, glasses and contact lenses
Medical insurance: eye problems and follow-up visits
Most PPO and HMO plans, state health plans and school plans: ask us to check yours
If you pay yourself
Paying yourself? The front desk tells you what the visit costs before it starts. Lens coatings, replacement lenses and extra fitting visits are billed apart, and we say so first.
Receipts for reimbursement
Ask for an itemized receipt and send it to your plan. The plan decides whether it pays you back.
An estimate in advance
If you are paying without insurance, you have the right to a Good Faith Estimate of what care will cost, and we give you one in writing before the visit. If a bill is $400 or more above the estimate, you can dispute it. The estimate is not a contract.
Checking your benefits
Reggie at the front desk checks your benefits before the visit when he can, and asks you to confirm with your plan too. Your plan makes the final call on what it pays.
What the first visit includes
A first visit is a full eye exam of about 45 minutes, with a parent in the room. It is billed to the plan that pays for it, and Dr. Alaniz says which part goes where.
Your prescription is yours
After your exam we give you a copy, and you can fill it anywhere. You never have to buy from us to get it.
Questions about paying
Why was part of my child's visit billed to medical insurance?
When Dr. Alaniz looks into a problem, that part of the visit is medical, so it goes to medical insurance. The routine part goes to your vision plan.
How much will the visit cost?
It depends on your plan and on what the doctor does. Call us, and the front desk checks your plan and tells you before the visit.
Can I use a receipt with my plan?
Ask for an itemized receipt. Your plan decides whether it pays you back.
Pick a day that works for school
Send us your name and number, or call. We will find a time after school or on a day off.