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Frequently Asked Questions Q: Do I need an appointment? Although we welcome walk-in patients as well as their family members and friends, we suggest that you schedule a comprehensive low vision evaluation with a low vision professional. A low vision examination is vastly different from the typical eye examination. While general eye care focuses on general eye care or medical management of various eye conditions, a low vision specialist will focus exclusively on low vision aspect of the patients case by evaluating what magnification needs are the most appropriate for the patient’s visual goals. Working with low vision individuals takes time. Patience is a critical part of success. By scheduling time rather than walking in, you will avoid significant wait times. Q: Do I need to bring my records to the appointment? Many Vision Rehab patients are referred from their current eyecare provider. Attached to our office brochure is a short referral form that can be quickly filled out by the doctor’s staff and mailed to our office. After we receive the referral form, we contact the patient to schedule an appointment for a low vision evaluation. We ask that a low vision history form including the patient’s visual goals be completed prior to the evaluation. Q: How long does the first low vision evaluation take? Please allow approximately two hours for the initial low vision evaluation. At that time an initial treatment plan including any recommended low vision devices will be discussed. Follow-up visits are scheduled on an as needed basis. Q: I just had a refraction at my regular eye doctor - do i need another one from Vision Rehab and what will it cost? Yes. Medicare considers a large portion of a low vision examination optical evaluation (or refraction). The time spent working with the patient that evaluates what optical devices should be prescribed is considered to be refractive services and is not covered by Medicare. Therefore, you will undergo a refractive and magnification evaluation that are not covered by Medicare or insurances. There are lobbying efforts underway to change this Medicare rule, but the change is not expected any time soon. Q: Does insurance or Medicare cover the fees? Insurance coverage for low vision services varies by carrier. Medicare does cover a portion (about half) of the low vision evaluations for eligible patients. At this time, Medicare and other health insurance companies have not yet made a decision regarding coverage of vision enhancing prosthetic devices and the services required to dispense them. Vision Rehab’s policy is to bill patients directly for the fees related to the low vision devices. Please feel free to contact the patient coordinator (receptionist) if you have any insurance questions. Q: Do I have to see a doctor? No! Some individuals wish to do their own ‘trial and error” evaluation without the advice of a doctor that specializes in low vision. To accommodate those with this impression, one of our technicians will work with a patient for a fee per visit. Q: What does the evaluation cost? The doctor assesses level of impairment, reviews options for improving your capabilities and develops a preliminary treatment plan. Basic recommendations as to what devices, level of magnification, eye glasses, and/or what training, if any, might be required. (approx. 45 minutes) Technician then works approx. ½ hour to 1 hour to finalize as much of the treatment plan as possible, and dispense or order initial devices. (Total time is approx. 1 ½ hour) The fee for the total evaluation will run between $250.00 and $350.00 Q: Does insurance or Medicare cover the evaluation fees? Medicare considers the device selection portion of a low vision examinations an optical evaluation (refraction). Medicare does not cover refractive services. However, a portion of the examination provided by the low vision specialist is medical in nature. Therefore, approximately 80% of the medical portion of the examination can be billed to Medicare, of which the patient is responsible for their co-payment of 20%. The optical device evaluation is a non-covered procedure and is entirely the responsibility of the patient. Q: Are there other professional fees possible? Yes – The basic evaluation does not cover follow up visits,, additional medical evaluation testing such as visual field studies, retinal photography or special evaluation of the retinal status may cause you to incur additional charges. - Q: How much do devices cost?
Reading glasses from $150 Hand magnifiers from $15 to $350 Telescopes from $325 to $1500 - Video magnifiers from $995 to $3395
- Scanning readers (OCR) $3295
Q: What are daily living aids? Daily living aids are devices to make living with low vision less difficult. Talking watches, talking clocks, large button phones are just a few examples. Prices vary. Q: What happens if training is required? Training is available for improving adaptation to devices, improving abilities in the home, and re-education of a persons visual system to work more efficiently after an impairment is suffered. These fees are typically covered by Medicare.
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