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Frequently Asked Questions

What is refraction?

Refraction is that part of an eye exam where you are placed in front of an instrument containing lenses and dials to determine the need for glasses or a change in your current glasses. During this part of the exam, you will look through lenses at an eye chart and help the doctor determine which lenses give you the best possible vision. The doctor will give you a prescription if needed or desired.


Should I wear my contact lenses to the office for my eye examination?

Yes, especially if you want the doctor to evaluate the fit and vision of the contact lenses in your eyes. You may be asked to take the contact lenses out of your eyes during the examination, so please also bring your glasses with you.


Should I bring my present glasses with to the appointment?

Yes, please bring all recent glasses (reading and distance) with you to your exam.


How long does an eye examination take?

Your stay for a complete eye examination generally takes from 45 minutes to 1 hour. If you are coming to see our retina physician, the examination may well be longer due to frequent additional testing.


How long will my eyes stay blurry after the examination?

After your eyes have been dilated, the blurriness may last from 2 - 4 hours, with vision improving every hour. This blurriness is for close-up vision, but you will be light sensitive for distance as well. Please bring your sunglasses with you to the office.


Will my insurance cover my eye exam?

It is the responsibility of the patient to know his/her benefits. Most insurance plans will differentiate between a routine eye exam and a medical eye exam. You must decide if the reason you need an eye exam is because you have a specific complaint or just because you would like your eyes examined. Any examination that takes place as a result of a patient's complaint or symptoms(ie: dry eyes, headaches, eye infection, etc.) would be considered medical in nature and should be covered under your medical insurance. Any eye exam conducted at the patient's request without a specific complaint would be considered routine. This type of exam would only be covered if your insurance contact specifically states routine eye coverage is a benefit.


What is a routine eye exam?

A routine eye examination is much like a routine physical, but for the eyes. Typically, there is no specific problem with the eyes other than the need for lenses to correct your vision. The insurance companies consider the need for corrective lenses to be routine. A complete examination performed by the doctors at Connecticut Eye Consultants includes a glaucoma pressure check, a muscle evaluation, observation for external eye disease, examination of the retina and refraction.


What is the difference between a routine and medical examination?

These two terms refer to the way an examination is billed out by the office. Both examinations are performed the same way by the doctor. The diagnosis, which is billed out by the office, depends on the chief complaint of the patient, as related to the doctor or technician.

Scenario #1

The patient comes to the office with a history of diabetes. He/she is healthy and has no eye problems, but wants his/her eyes examined. This is considered a medical examination because the patient has a disease which can affect the eyes and the physician needs to evaluate the patient's eyes in light of this disease.

Scenario #2

The patient comes to the office with a complaint of difficulty seeing the newspaper, but no problem with distance vision. This would be considered routine in nature because there are no medically related problems.

Scenario #3

The patient comes to the office with pain in the eye and tearing. These complaints are considered medical symptoms and the eye examination would be billed as a medical exam.


I have a referral plan. How do I know if I need a referral for my eye exam?

It's safe to say if you have a complaint symptom, it is better to err on the side of caution and call your primary care physician for a referral. There must be a referral on file before a patient is examined for a medical problem.


What should I bring with me for my appointment?

Please bring the following on the day of your visit to our office:

  • Current insurance cards
  • Current medication list
  • All recent glasses and contact lenses (both distance and near)
  • Co-payments
  • An insurance referral if your plan requires one

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