FAQ

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Vision insurance is designed to help lessen the financial burden of a routine eye exam, where the purpose is to check the eyes for the need for glasses, as well as for the glasses themselves (contact lenses and evaluation are also sometimes covered by vision insurance with a copay).

Medical insurance is designed to help lessen the financial burden of a visit where the purpose is anything BUT the determination of the need for glasses. This can include, but is not limited to, evaluating for cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic eye checks, or treating eye injuries or infections. It should be noted that the determination of the glasses prescription (a.k.a. the refraction) is typically not a covered procedure by medical insurances.

The purpose of an eye exam is not only to determine a glasses prescription, but also to check the health of the eyes. Good vision does not always indicate good health, so it’s important to have the eyes checked in their entirety on a regular basis.

Online refractions produces a small snapshot of a passable prescription for spectacles, but it doesn’t balance your binocular vision, account for visual hygiene (ergonomics of the eyes), your visual needs, and most importantly, cannot replace the detailed examination of your eyes for ocular health, detection, prevention, and treatment of eye disease that may be connected to your systemic health. Ironically, it’s usually the electronic devices held up close that may cause damage to your ocular health in the first place. Very real examples of conditions Drs. Lin, Ristow, and Lew would not want to miss include quiet, seemingly slow and unnnoticable disease such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, hypertension, or cataracts. Most conditions are preventable when detected early.

We only use optical labs that we love and trust. Due to the quality we demand from them, the general turnaround time is roughly 7-10 business days. We do our best to accommodate emergencies where a rush job has been requested, but due to each circumstance being different, we are unable to make any promises on rush time-frame.

Whenever you buy a product online, sight unseen, there is a certain amount of risk that the product you receive may not be what you expected or ordered. When you purchase your glasses online, there is no way for you to confirm that the prescription in the lenses is actually what you ordered. So while it can be cheaper to purchase your eyewear online, going through your local optometry office provides you with face-to-face trouble shooting and tailored customer service as well as complimentary adjustments and simple repairs. In this case, we believe the old adage holds true, “you get what you pay for”. The repurchase rate for online frames is very low because although the initial experience is fun, the quality of the frames don’t old up combined with the distortion caused by cheaply made lenses simply doesn’t add up.

YES! We are!! We know our patients work hard all week and not everyone has the ability to take time off to get their eyes examined. We are open from 9am to 1pm on SELECT Saturdays. If you’re unsure about any particular Saturday, feel free to give us a call and ask!

In order to provide the most complete care above our industry standards, we use a 3 step process (allow 45-60 minutes total).

1. Check In and Optometric Assistant will perform preliminary testings to collect initial data for your Optometrist.
2. Our Optometrist will fine tune your glasses and contact lens prescriptions, examine your ocular health, and review results with you.
3. Our Eyewear Consultants and Optometric Technicians will assist you in finalizing your orders with as much or as little frame style input as you need.
   When should my child have their first eye exam?

A child’s vision is a very important component when it comes to learning. According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), infants should have their first comprehensive eye exam at 6 months of age. Children then should have additional eye exams at age 3, and just before they enter the first grade – usually around age 5 or 6. A child’s input is not necessary to determine the need for glasses or an accurate prescription, so don’t let that discourage you from bringing in your little ones for their eye exams!

According to the AOA, “vision screenings are not comprehensive eye exams. Screenings usually take only a few minutes and are often performed by volunteers who are not eye care professionals…They are generally ineffective for detecting more subtle vision problems and potentially sight-robbing eye diseases…Eye exams, on the other hand, are performed by licensed eye doctors…and evaluate not only your visual acuity, but also the complete health of your eyes, from front to back – including checking for early signs of serious eye problems such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, and detached retina.”

As long as the frame is in good condition and can withstand the strain of lens insertion with heat, you can get new lenses put into your own frame. Our optician will examine your frame closely to detect any signs of age that could indicate the frame would not survive the process.

Properly identifying any patient is very important when it comes to healthcare. Misidentifying a patient can result in treatment errors, incorrect procedures, privacy violations, billing errors, insurance fraud, and even identity fraud. We photograph our patients in order to help our office staff ensure no fraud will occur at our office. Your photo will only have to be taken once and we will never share your photo or personal information without your express, written instruction to do so.

The PD, also known as the pupillary distance, is the measurement between the two eyes that is used to make an accurate, well fit pair of glasses. We do not measure PDs for any reason other than the production of glasses by our office. We strongly recommend that the reputable facility who is producing your glasses be the ones to measure your PD and/or any other measurements necessary to produce your glasses. It is not recommended that a pair of glasses be produced without an accurate PD. Please be sure your chosen facility has appropriately trained individuals who can make any and all measurements you may need.