Patient Resources
- What to Expect During Your Visit
- Routine vs. Medical Visits
- Financial Policies
- Pay Your Bill
- Medical Release Form
What to Expect During Your Eye Care Visit
We’re so glad you’re here! Our goal is to make your visit comfortable, thorough, and personalized to your needs. Below is a quick guide to help you know what to expect.
What to Bring
To help your appointment go smoothly, please bring:
- Your current glasses and/or contact lenses
- A list of any medications you take
- A list of your allergies
- Your photo ID, insurance card, and form of payment (check or credit card only)
- Any recent eye records if you’re new to us
Will My Eyes Be Dilated?
Depending on your eye health and the type of exam, your doctor may recommend dilating your pupils. This allows us to take a close look at the health of the inside of your eyes. It can take 20 additional minutes for your eyes to dilate.
If you are dilated, you may notice:
- Light sensitivity
- Blurry near vision for a few hours
Most people are comfortable driving afterward, but you’re welcome to bring someone along if you prefer. We’ll also offer temporary sunglasses for your comfort.
How Long Will My Appointment Take?
Most visits take 45–90 minutes. This varies a bit based on whether you’re a new or returning patient and whether any special testing is needed.
We do our best to stay on schedule while ensuring you receive thoughtful, unhurried care.
What Happens During the Eye Exam?
Your visit is designed to be simple and relaxed. It may include:
- Conversation about your vision needs and health history
- Vision testing (the familiar letter chart)
- Refraction (to determine your objective vision changes)
- Eye health evaluation
- Dilation, if needed, to view the back of the eye
- Additional tests if recommended by your doctor (e.g., retinal photos, OCT, or visual field testing)
We will explain each step as we go — no surprises! We have a wheelchair-accessible exam lane in our New Lenox office. Please let our schedulers know if this fits you best.
Surgical and Dry Eye Evaluations
If you are being evaluated for a surgical procedure (such as cataract or cornea surgery) or dry eye treatment, your appointment may look a little different.
Surgical and Dry Eye Evaluation visits often include:
- Detailed testing
- Dilation
- A consultation with your doctor
- A conversation with our surgical coordinator
These visits typically last 2–3 hours. We recommend bringing someone with you to help with decision-making and scheduling.
Before your visit: You’ll receive instructions in your patient education packet, and we also send them via text, email, and phone. If you have questions before your appointment, please reach out — we’re here to help.
Contact Lens Appointments
Contact lenses require a special fitting and proper training to ensure comfort and eye health.
If you’re new to contact lenses or changing the type of lenses you wear:
You will typically have three appointments:
- Initial fitting (to determine the right lens for your eyes)
- Insertion and removal training (we’ll teach you step-by-step)
- One or more recheck appointment to confirm comfort and fit
These appointments are often scheduled later in the day and may take an hour or more.
If you already wear contacts and nothing is changing:
Your contact lens check and prescription renewal can usually be completed during your routine eye exam.
We’ll guide you through whichever situation applies to you.
Will You Check for Eye Diseases?
Yes. A comprehensive eye exam screens for:
- Cataracts
- Glaucoma
- Macular degeneration
- Diabetic eye changes
- Dry eye disease
- And more
Even if your vision seems fine, regular exams help protect your eye health long-term and can detect other health conditions early.
Can I Get Glasses or Contact Lenses?
Absolutely! If a new prescription is needed, we’ll provide it during your visit.
Our optical team can help you with:
- Frame styles that fit your face and lifestyle
- Lens options (including progressive, anti-glare, blue-light filtering, etc.)
- Contact lens fitting and ordering
We’re here to make choosing eyewear easy and enjoyable.
How Does Insurance Work?
There are two types of coverage that may apply:
| Type of Insurance | Typically Covers |
|---|---|
| VSP | Routine eye exams and glasses/contacts, no medical complaints or findings |
| Medical Insurance | Eye conditions or medical concerns (e.g., diabetes, dry eye, eye pain) |
We’ll help guide billing, but final coverage decisions are made by your insurance plan.
Any copays or uncovered services are due at the time of your visit.
For more information, please see our Routine vs. Medical Visits page and our Practice Financial Policies.
How Often Should I Have an Eye Exam? Most people benefit from an exam every year. If you have diabetes, glaucoma, or other ongoing eye conditions, your doctor may recommend more frequent visits to support your eye health.
Routine vs. Medical Eye Exams
Understanding the type of eye exam you need helps make sure your visit is billed correctly. Eye exams fall into two main categories: Routine and Medical. The type is based on your reason for the visit and what the doctor finds during your exam.
Routine Eye Exam
A routine exam is for checking your vision and updating your glasses or contact lens prescription.
- You are not having any eye discomfort or symptoms.
- You do not have any eye conditions, disease, or current treatment.
- This type of exam is usually covered through vision insurance.
Medical Eye Exam
A medical exam is needed when you:
- Have eye symptoms such as dryness, pain, redness, watering, itching, flashes, or floaters.
- Have a known eye condition, such as cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease, or allergies.
- The doctor finds a medical condition during your visit.
These visits are billed to your medical insurance, similar to any other medical appointment.
Insurance Information
- We accept VSP for routine (vision) exams.
- Please let us know before your appointment if you plan to use VSP so we can verify your benefits.
- If we are notified after the exam, we cannot bill VSP for you; however, we can provide a receipt you may submit to them.
- If your visit is considered medical, or if eye problems are discussed during your exam, we will bill your medical insurance.
- If you do not have medical insurance but the appointment was medical, the visit will be self-pay.
If you’re not sure which type of exam you need, don’t worry—we’ll help guide you based on your symptoms and medical history. Our goal is to make your visit smooth, transparent, and comfortable.
