Specialists suggest that patients must undergo contact lens fittings before using contact lenses for the first time or when changing to a new type of contact lens. A fitting will guarantee that the contact lenses are a correct prescription and that the patient understands how to use and to take care of them. A routine eye examination is not the same as a fitting examination of the contact lens.
For contact lens users, a contact lens examination is required to make sure that the lenses are fitting both of the eyes correctly and that the health of the eyes is neither harmed by using the given set of contact lenses. Contact lens fitting fee are to the new patients, new contact lens users and to those who wanted to switch from their current contact lens.
The contacts fitting fee includes the extra tests done by the doctor along with any required follow-up appointments and test lenses. These methods are only performed on patients that wear contact lenses; it is in extension to the services given throughout the annual eye exam.
Average Contact Lens Fitting Costs
The regular contacts fitting fee at a reliable clinic can start from $25 to even more than $250. These fittings are usually not covered by insurance, and how much does contact lense fitting cost differ by clinic and area of the country. Fittings are difficult for patients with other eye conditions like astigmatism. The prices also vary depending upon the condition of the eye being corrected. Other clinics would charge $140 – $180 for soft everyday wear lens fittings, $150 – $200 for rigid gas permeable and soft toric contact lens fittings while $210 – $ 250 for bifocal lens fittings and rigid gas permeable and $250 – $280 for therapeutic contact lens fittings.
If you just had a contact lens exam, you may have been shocked on how much does contact lense fitting cost. Patients often question why the contact lens fitting fee examination is bigger than that of a regular eye exam. It is because fitting patients with the contact lenses includes several steps and some additional time too.
Services Included in your contacts fitting fee
1. Contact lens fittings are administered by an optometrist, ophthalmologist, or an eye technician before securing contact lenses. Through the fitting, the provider will question the patient about what type of contact lenses they would prefer. He or she will further measure the patient’s eye. This will cover the measurement of the size of the pupil and the eye’s curvature.
2. The fitting will also add a tear duct examination, which ensures that the patient’s eye has sufficient moisture.
3. Patients can also assume to try on a trial pair of contact lenses. Usually, patients must wear these contact lenses for at least about 15 minutes. Then the eye care provider will need to check how the eye focuses and moves while using the contact lenses.
Additional Contact Lens Fitting Expenses
1. Although the patients are purchasing contact lenses through a U.S. retailer need to secure an annual eye exam, most specialists suggest buying contact lenses through a U.S. retailer because merchants from overseas are not bound by the Food and Drug Administration regulations. The estimated average national expense for an eye exam is $114, though your insurance may cover it or included in your purchase of the lenses.
2. If a patient has problems with their contact lenses, a different visit to an eye care specialist may be required. The average clinic cost about $40 for a follow-up visit.
3. The fitting does not cover the actual price of the contact lenses, which can start from $20 per box of daily disposable lenses up to $400 for contact lenses that must be replaced yearly. The material price of your contact lenses will depend on the particular lens’ design and type. The final lens material can vary from the initial material as a regular part of the process of the fitting.
Determine Contact Lens Exam Fee
There are several levels of charges depending on many factors. Only the doctor can determine the specific standard of the lens fitting after finishing the exam because that is the time when all of the patient’s requirements have been evaluated. Those determinants include:
1. The complexity of the fitting
Many choices for vision correction are available and have differing levels of complexity to define the optimal Rx. These options comprise spherical lenses (what many patients are very familiar with), the toric lenses for monovision, astigmatism, and bifocal lenses.
2. Ocular health
The situation of the conjunctiva, cornea, tear film and eyelids all affects the optimal lens shape, care, and material. Even your overall health and conditions you might have can influence your ocular health; these should be given attention as well.
3. Eye medical history
Your eye sensitivity or corneal irregularities can be brought on by eye injuries or surgeries. In this situation, a lot more care may be needed to avoid complications or any irritations.
4. New over established patient
The new patients need longer appointments because there is more eye medical history to gather and more other options to talk about. While the established patients would pay a lower fee since the doctors have previous information of the patient and with any other conditions they might have, which allows for the process to be a lot easier.
Fitting contact lenses is both art and science that need a particular level of expertise. The contact lens fitting fee management and evaluation usually range from $25 and $250 above regular, thorough eye exam fees, depending on the kind of contact lens that are required. The additional time and visits needed, doctor’s expertise and special tests are the things that are usually not part of a regular comprehensive vision and eye health examination. The eye anatomy, individual goals, prescription-type and eye health make contact lens fittings and evaluations different for every other patient. Thus, prices also vary.
Hi,
Our practice has been told by some insurances that they do not allow you to charge higher or lower for a contact lens fitting based off of the patient being a new or established contact lens wearer. Can you please let me know if your #4 of the “Determine Contact Lens Exam Fee” section is only in relation to the fitting, or is it actually in relation to an overall contact lens exam?
Thank you