What to Expect
Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
What to expect on your FIRST visit
Check In: If you arrive more than 15 minutes late you will be rescheduled.
Your completed forms will be collected and placed inside your file. We will scan your insurance card(s) and photo ID and collect your co-pay and/or payment for service. Please be prepared to pay toward any outstanding balances due. If you do not come with ALL of the required information and completed paperwork your appointment may be rescheduled.
Waiting Time: Our goal is for our clinic to run on time, however, high demand and daily medical emergencies can result in delays. Generally, a comprehensive eye exam with dilation requires approximately two (2) hours. If you have urgent time restrictions, please let our staff know upon your arrival.
Initial Evaluation by Ophthalmic Technician: Depending upon the reason for your visit and your medical history you may undergo various tests before you see the doctor. One of these tests is called a refraction. A refraction is performed to determine if you need a prescription for glasses and/or contact lenses. Please note that a refraction is NOT covered by Medicare and most insurance plans. Our office fee for a refraction is $40.00 and is due at the time service is rendered. Once in the exam room, the ophthalmic technician will review your medical history and check your eye pressure. Other tests may be performed based on your primary complaint and past medical history. The technician will use eye drops to dilate your pupils. Dilation is necessary to completely examine your eyes, especially the retina. Then you will be moved to our dilation waiting area while the drops take effect.
Ophthalmologist’s Exam: When your pupils are fully dilated, your eyes will be thoroughly examined by the doctor. Depending on the nature of your problem, we may perform additional tests on the day of your initial examination and, in some cases, treatment may be initiated. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions about the results of your examination or the treatment recommended by the physician. Your diagnosis and all possible treatment will be completely explained to you.
Because you will have temporarily blurred vision at near and in bright light after dilation, we strongly recommend that someone drive for you after the examination. Your pupils and vision will return to normal over the next 24 hours.
Check Out: Our receptionist will review your encounter slip and schedule any upcoming appointments. We file all major insurance claims including Medicare and Medicaid, and accept cash, check, major credit cards, and Care Credit. Please review our financial policy for further details.
Bring Your Current Lenses
If you wear contacts or glasses, bring them with you. We will want to check your vision both with and without your lenses. Often, decreased visual acuity is a sign that your current lens prescription is no longer strong enough to accommodate for your refractive error. After your exam, you may consider a consultation with one of our LASIK surgeons to determine whether getting new eyeglasses or contacts or having refractive surgery is best for your particular needs.
Arrange Transportation
Most often, the first visit to one of our offices entails a comprehensive dilated eye exam during which we may screen for glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, or various other eye diseases. A dilated eye exam can leave your vision slightly blurry for a brief period after your visit. It is therefore necessary to arrange to have someone pick you up from our office following the exam.
Plan Ahead
When you are a new patient, the paperwork you bring in may need to be processed before you go into the exam room. Please plan to arrive 15 minutes early so that your exam can begin on time.
Financing Options
Most medical insurance policies do not cover the cost of laser vision correction, considering it an “elective procedure.” Yet more and more, people are finding that reducing or eliminating the need for glasses and contact lenses significantly enhances their lives. In order to help patients pay for laser vision correction procedures such as LASIK, we accept financing plans available through CareCredit®.
CareCredit®
CareCredit® provides convenient healthcare financing options to qualifying individuals, including no-interest financing and low monthly payment plans. CareCredit®, a GE Money company, is one of the nation’s most trusted healthcare financiers. To find out if you qualify for a healthcare loan, apply online or call (800) 365-8295.
Payment Policies
In order to provide you with the best medical care, we ask our patients to observe the fees and billing policies of Cape Fear Eye Associates. If you have questions regarding the following policies, please contact Cape Fear Eye Associates to speak with a member of our billing staff.
All charges not covered by insurance companies are due at the time of service and/or dispensing of goods. For your convenience, we accept Visa, MasterCard®, Discover Card and American Express®. If your insurance policy requires a co-payment, payment must be made at check-in.
Private Insurance
If you have private health insurance, payment for all procedures is due at the time of service. Our staff will provide you with a copy of your bill so that you may easily submit a claim to your insurance provider. Our billing staff is available to help you fill out your claim forms should you need assistance.
Medicare
As Medicare participation providers, we accept the fees set by Medicare for medical services covered by the Medicare program, including surgery. Medicare patients will be responsible only for co-payments, deductibles, and non-covered services.
If you have Medicare, we must have a valid signature on file in order to file your Medicare claims. In addition to directly submitting your Medicare claims, we will file claims with your secondary insurance company, if you have one.
Medicare Refraction Policy
Refraction is the measurement of the lens power needed correct vision errors with eyeglasses and laser vision correction. Medicare does not cover the cost of routine refraction or eye exams. If you have a secondary insurance company that does cover your annual eye exams and corrective lenses, please let our staff know.
Managed Healthcare—HMO and PPO
Some managed healthcare insurance requires that you obtain authorization from your primary care provider prior to seeing a specialist. Obtaining this authorization is your responsibility. If you fail to obtain a valid referral, you will be responsible for all charges incurred.
You are also responsible for making certain that the doctors at Cape Fear Eye Associates are considered “participating providers” by your insurance company. You can check your insurance handbook or call your insurance company to confirm whether this is the case.
Cape Fear Eye Associates will file all claims on your behalf; however, you must make your co-payment at the time of services, during check-in.
Workers’ Compensation
Cape Fear Eye Associates will file your workers’ compensation claim for you as soon as we receive a claim number from you. We also ask that you provide us with any insurance cards that you have.
Thank you for choosing Cape Fear Eye Associates, P.A. for your eye care needs. We are committed to serving your eye health, so please let us know if we can improve our service in any way. For any additional questions, please contact our office at 910-484-2284.