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The Importance Of Annual Eye Exams

The Importance Of Annual Eye Exams
One of the key, basic benefits of a vision insurance policy is a free or steeply discounted annual eye examination. Aside from helping you save money on contacts or on eyeglasses, vision insurance will save you on the exam needed to get the prescription.
You can get any type of eye exam needed and it will be covered by most vision policies. But what types are there? And why is an eye exam so important?

Why Getting Eye Exams Via Vision Insurance Is So Important
First of all, an annual eye exam is a significant preventative measure. It’s a chance for your doctor to check for any changes to your vision and to catch any eye conditions, if present, early so they can be as effectively treated as possible.

You probably won’t have eye exams covered in your regular health insurance, and it can cost as much as $100 or more per exam. Instead of having to pay that cost out of pocket, you can get all or part of it paid for by your eye care insurance.

Most vision insurance is very affordable, but it’s true that the cost of the policy across a year would be more than what you’d save just on one eye exam. But, when you consider the coverage against possible eye diseases like cataracts or glaucoma, the savings on glasses/contacts, and the discounts should you need LASIK surgery, the reduced cost of eye exams is just one more good reason to invest in vision insurance.

What Types Of Eye Exams Are There?
Even without the need to wear contacts/glasses, you should really get an eye exam every two years – and every year if you do have a vision problem. The most basic kind of eye exam will include such things as:

  • Distance vision test.
  • Eye movement test.
  • Refraction testing using different lenses.
  • Color identification test.
  • Eye pressure testing.
  • Dilation drops to help examine the eye’s interior.
  • Slit lamp technique, which using magnification for better examination of the whole eye.

But not all eye exams are the same. Aside from the more or less standard-regular eye exam spoken of just above, there are separate elements added to an eye exam if you wear glasses or if you wear contacts. This is done to ensure the contacts/glasses are still working well for you and not hurting your eyes – and to make sure your new prescription will be optimal.

For contact wearers, a tear film test will be run to make sure you are not getting dry eye from your contacts. And another special test is run to make sure your eye surfaces are not being negatively affected by wearing contacts.

Also, those who are suffering from specific conditions or symptoms will also have special adjustments made to their eye exam. If you have or might have glaucoma, for example, your optic nerve will be tested – and this can raise the cost of the exam to $150.

Those with diabetes may also need a different type of eye exam since diabetes left untreated can potentially damage your retina and even lead to vision loss. And there are many other variables too, so the point is you want the eye exam that best fits your needs without having to pay a lot extra.

To learn more about vision insurance and annual eye exams, contact Flagler County Insurance Agency today!