Contact Lens Fitting

Step One: Determine the appropriate type of contact lens

Our Doctors will discuss the style of lens appropriate to your visual needs, your activities, and desired wearing schedule. Soft and Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) lens designs are available; a comparison of these styles is part of the discussion.

Step Two: Describe the contact lens fitting process

Unlike eyeglasses, contact lenses fit on the surface of the eye and influence the health of the eye. The contact lens fitting visits are necessary for the following reasons:

• To insure that a specific contact lens fits appropriately on your eye and provides adequate vision.
• To determine how often a contact lens needs to be replaced for optimal vision and eye health.
• To incorporate your feedback as you gain experience with the lenses which enhances the final prescription.

Each contact lens fitting visit involves pre-testing by our assistants, followed by fine tuning of the fit and prescription of the contact lenses with one of our Doctors. These appointments generally take about 20 - 30 minutes.

Step Three: Estimate the number of fitting visits and describe the fees

The fees for the contact lens fitting visits are for the time we spend with you in the clinic. These fees are in addition to the cost for your comprehensive eye examination.

There are several important factors about the fitting visits:

• The visits are generally not covered by your vision insurance (they may provide a benefit for the contact lens materials) - we will post a charge each time you come in for your visit just like when you see your regular doctor. We will normally collect this fee from you at the end of each visit.
• If you have not worn contacts before, your first visit will require more time for training on how to insert, remove, and care for your lenses. This initial visit has a higher fee for the additional training time.
• Our doctors will estimate the number of visits we anticipate based on the complexity of your prescription (for example, it often takes more time to fit a lens for astigmatism, etc.). We will discuss any changes to the estimate that may arise during the fitting process.

Step Four: Describe the material fees (what the contacts cost)

The material cost of your contact lenses depends on the specific lens type and design. The final lens material may differ from the initial material as a normal part of the fitting process.

• Material fees will be posted when the fitting is complete with any insurance benefit billed at that time. Any remaining material fee (after insurance) is normally collected at the time of ordering your contact lenses.