How Much Is an Eye Exam? The Affordable Guide
August 9, 2024 • 6:35 PM
You’ve been squinting for months and know you need to get your eyes checked, but you aren’t sure how much that eye exam will set you back. Eye care costs can quickly add up, especially if you need corrective lenses.
However, the health of your eyes is too important to risk. In addition to correcting simple vision problems, routine eye exams can screen for eye diseases and issues like cataracts, macular degeneration, and retinal detachment.
Together, we’ll discuss how to keep your yearly eye exam affordable and get the corrective lenses you need without going broke.
Spoiler alert: With Pair, you’ll even be able to get trendy, chic styles you love without blowing your budget.
What Are the Types of Eye Exams?
Most people need a yearly eye exam to measure the strength of their eyes and rule out eye conditions and other health issues that need attention. A yearly routine eye exam includes several tests to measure your vision and check for eye problems.
Visual Acuity Test
Your eye doctor will begin with a test to measure your visual acuity or the clarity of your vision. You’ll be asked to identify letters and numbers on a chart from different distances and with each eye — this is because, generally, one eye will naturally be stronger than the other.
Visual acuity measures refractive errors, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Prescription lenses correct these errors, which are the most common eye issues.
Slit-Lamp Test
A slit-lamp test is a type of eye test that uses specialized light to see deeper parts of your eye.
The lamp shines a thin, slit-like light into your eyes and can detect problems with the film that covers them. It can also help your eye doctor see further into the back of your eye to check for problems in this area.
Intraocular Pressure Test
Testing your eye pressure helps your eye doctor determine whether or not you are at risk for glaucoma.
There are several ways to take a tonometry test, which measures eye pressure. Unless you are in a high-risk group for glaucoma, you’ll likely receive the air-puff test, which involves shooting a quick burst of air into your eye to test the optic nerve. This test is slightly infamous, but is quick and painless.
Visual Field Test
In addition to visual acuity, your eye care specialist will also test your eyes to learn how well you can see in your periphery without moving your head.
For this test, you’ll place your chin and forehead against a rest and track flashing lights with your eyes. Some people may find this test fatiguing because it requires more concentration.
Color Vision Test
The color vision test is part of an annual eye exam and measures your ability to correctly identify colors. This test can help determine if you are color blind.
Ophthalmoscopy
If needed, your eye doctor may dilate your eyes so they can better examine your eye health from the inside. Enlarging your pupils allows your doctor to see more clearly and ensure your retina is healthy.
An eye care professional may require all or some of these tests as part of your annual eye exam. You may also need additional testing if your eye doctor believes you have a vision problem.
Your refraction assessment is another test that lets your eye care specialist know how well you can see the world around you.
With this test, your vision is assessed by looking at a chart and having different lenses placed in front of your eyes, either using a trial frame or phoropter head.
Fundus Photography
Fundus photography is taking the image of the retina of the eye with a fundus camera. Fundus photography is important for diagnosing and treating various posterior segments and other ocular diseases. The illumination and reflectance of the retina occur through the common optical path, i.e., the pupil.
How To Calculate the Cost of a Vision Exam
The cost of a yearly vision screening can quickly add up. Optometry is complex, and with age, your vision care costs may rise if you develop issues.
The average cost of a comprehensive eye exam without insurance is around $184.00. If you have vision insurance, your cost will vary depending on where your vision screening is performed and how much your insurance provider will cover.
Some vision service plans (VSPs) will cover the entire cost of a yearly exam, while others will require a copay.
Most health insurance plans do not cover vision care costs. This means that your health insurance coverage may not include checking your eyes. If you haven’t added on vision insurance, you may have to pay for your vision care costs out of pocket.
Additional Services
If you have vision coverage, your vision insurance plan may only cover certain tests. Your optometrist may recommend additional services or testing, but these might not be covered by your insurance.
Add-on services can include treatment for dry eyes, floaters, or specialized screenings available by your eye doctor. Additional services can drive up the average cost of an eye exam, so it’s important to talk to your eye doctor about how much these screenings will cost in addition to your normal checkup.
What To Do if You Can’t Afford an Eye Exam
If you don’t have vision insurance and can’t afford an eye exam, several programs are available to ensure you can get your eyes checked and receive a prescription for corrective glasses. Many of these programs are offered through community centers and local initiatives. You can find a list of options here.
Select the Right Professional
Both an ophthalmologist and an optometrist can administer an annual eye exam, but only an ophthalmologist is a medical doctor. If you visit an ophthalmologist, your eye exam might be covered by your insurance company, but any vision-correcting devices you need (like prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses) would be covered by vision insurance only.
Eye care specialists can be confusing. If you see an ophthalmologist or optometrist for your regular eye exam, you’ll also likely be prompted to meet with another vision specialist in their office called an optician.
An optician is an eye care specialist who helps you choose the best eyeglasses and/or contact lenses based on your prescription. They’ll also help fit you for eyewear and help you pick out a style that suits you best.
How To Keep Eyewear Affordable
If you’ve already had to pay out of pocket for your annual eye care visit, you may find yourself scrambling to find the funds to meet the cost of new eyeglasses or contacts. Some vision plans offer a yearly allowance for eyewear, while others require you to pay a portion of coinsurance to cover the cost.
Making the most of your vision care budget can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. You can still find stylish eyewear with prescription lenses to correct your vision without breaking the bank.
The FTC requires eye care professionals to give you a copy of your vision prescription before you leave their vision center. This is important because it means you have options for where you buy your glasses.
Although you can purchase eyewear from your eye doctor’s office, you’ll likely pay more for your glasses than you would if you took your prescription elsewhere. You can get great glasses and unlimited style here at Pair.
How Can Pair Help With Vision Care?
Pair makes it easy to make the most of your eye care budget. Unlike competitors, our eyewear starts at $60.00. Purchasing just one pair of Base Frames gives you unlimited access to hundreds of Top Frame choices, making it easy to sport a different pair of glasses anytime you want.
Here’s how it works:
Base Frames
First, start with your Base Frame. Pick the shape that suits you best: rectangular, cat-eye, aviator, and more. You’ll find all the most popular and traditional frames in our collection.
Select Your Lens
We offer all types of lenses so that we can take care of your prescription in-house. Whether you need single-vision lenses or progressives, we’ve got you covered. We also offer features like blue-light filtering and light-responsive lenses.
Have Fun With Top Frames
Top Frames snap onto your base frames, giving you a completely different look with every pair you choose. Top Frames provide options you wouldn’t have if you simply purchased one pair of eyeglasses in-store.
We add new Top Frame styles routinely, so check back often so you can add to your collection and elevate your style.
Pair: Style and Affordability for All
Your annual eye exam may cost you some dough, especially if you don’t have vision care coverage as part of your healthcare package. Offset the cost by taking your prescription to Pair and get unlimited options for style and clear vision.
Sources:
How Much Is An Eye Exam? | Forbes Advisor
What Is an Optician? | Cleveland Clinic
Get Free or Low-Cost Eye Care | National Eye Institute