Insurance

At Kirkwood Eye Center, we understand that the world of insurance can be a confusing one, but we are here to help! Your vision plan (VSP or Eyemed) and your medical insurance (e.g., United Health Care, Blue Cross, Aetna, Medicare) are very different in terms of the services they cover. In order to provide appropriate care, we want to ensure that our patients understand these differences.

There is no way to know prior to your examination by your doctor which type of insurance will be the right one to file your claim with. Therefore, we always ask for information for both your vision plan and your medical insurance, and we will always keep you informed as to which one will be utilized (and why) and will make every attempt to maximize your coverage and coordinate benefits when appropriate.

VISION PLANS

Vision plans including Eyemed and VSP cover a yearly vision screening and determination of a glasses prescription of the eyes in a healthy patient that has no particular medical conditions or eye conditions other than refractive vision conditions such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, or presbyopia. Vision plans do not cover eye examination or treatment in the case of any non-refractive conditions, eye problems, illnesses, or injuries. The main benefit of these plans is that they provide for discounted fees on vision materials, to include frames, lenses, and/or contact lens materials.

VISION PLANS WE ACCEPT

Please call our office to verify your vision plans.

MEDICAL INSURANCE

Medical insurance is designed to cover you when you have a medical condition, including ones that affect your eyes, eye injuries, eye infections, or need additional treatment or medical procedures to be performed. This can be an overall health condition (even controlled ones) such as diabetes or high blood pressure, or an eye specific problem such as glaucoma or cataracts. When a medical condition is present that may pose a risk to your eye health, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, to name just a few examples, or you have an eye disease or eye problem such as an infection (pink eye), dry eyes, allergy, or cataracts, we will always file the claim with your medical insurance, and the co-payment and deductibles for that insurance will apply. Depending upon your plan, medical insurance may or may not cover refractions (using lenses to determine a prescription for glasses). When it does not, we can often coordinate benefits with your vision plan to cover the vision portion of the examination.